Gatwick Road Footbridge
2019
The Gatwick Road footbridge provides an important pedestrian connection from the Bank Precinct on the eastern side to the western side and the rest of Manor Royal.
It forms part of the wider Gateway 1 experience that leads from the Hazwelwick Flyover and the mural towards the south and ends with the popular Crawter’s Brook People’s Park to the north.
Formally the bridge was a function piece of infrastructure very basic in form, painted grey, and sometimes prone to graffiti. The intention as to make the bridge more of a feature with the “Manor Royal Business District” cut out in metal work on the approach from the flyover creating a stencil effect and announcing your arrival.
The junction of Gatwick Road and Manor Royal road. (Zone 1 Yellow)
As well as the sign on the front of the bridge, the main creative inspiration is actually found on the underside of the structure. Made from corten steel there are three subtle messages that reference elements of what happens on Manor Royal in the many different businesses based here.
If you look closely, you will see the messages “Think it”, “Make it.” and “Move it”.
They reference the act of design and creation (Think It), of manufacturing (Make It) and of transport and logistics (Move It).
Artist: Allen Scott Landscape Architecture
The bridge connects two zones: the green zone four on the eastern side and the red zone 3 on the western side.
If you look carefully, you will notice that the stair runners are green on one side and red on the other. The subtle lines on the footway at the top of the bridge transition from green to red as you cross, and the underside of the bridge is also green on one side and red on the other.
Did you notice it?
