It might seem like a dry thing to state but when it comes to bridges, Britain really is brilliant at them.
From Newcastle’s iconic Tyne Bridge to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, we’re the masters of great big hunks of commuter metal, but even by those standards the new Garden Bridge proposed to open in 2018 is a total game changer.
For starters it’s got a small forest on it, along with a host of other shrubs and flowers. The whole thing looks like it’s been plucked from a lovely, flowery, sci-fi dream of utopia.
Set to connect North (at the point of Temple Underground Station) and South London (opposite Temple Underground Station) the bridge will have an absolutely ginormous 6,000 square metres of space, dominated by 270 trees, 2,000 shrubs and 64,000 bulbs – all tailored to reflect London’s long winded history of eclectic flora and fauna.
Garden duties will be overseen by Dan Pearson, the horticultural designer tipped to sweep up at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in the Best Show Garden category.
It's set to be a pedestrian only span, with cyclists having to dismount if they want to navigate its leafy route over the Thames. So now with a garden in a tower and a forest on a bridge, London should expect its rooftop lake any day now.
