Location: Auckland, New Zealand.

Architect: Monk Mackenzie | BECA | EADON | Wraights | Athfield.

Wynyard Crossing is a pedestrian bridge located on the Auckland waterfront that will be built in time for the 36th America’s Cup in early 2021. The bridge is designed to be a piece of kinetic sculpture that also functions as a pedestrian bridge. It is made up of two interlocking wings, each with a 47.5 metre high mast and a 47.5 metre long deck, which lock together to form a 6 metre wide deck. The bridge has three modes: closed, open for boats to pass underneath, and a critical third mode of the bridge opening. The interplay of the two wings as the bridge opens is the poetry of the project. The structure of the bridge is a steel orthotropic monocoque structure with internal stiffening diaphragms, which means it has no need for a separate internal structural skeleton and is highly efficient and lightweight. The mast acts as a counterweight to the deck, minimizing the energy usage required for movement. The mechanical system of the bridge is hydraulic, and the axis of rotation of Wynyard Crossing is set at 32 degrees from vertical, creating a complex sense of rotation and movement when the bridge opens. The bridge has a zinc arc spray coating for protection against the marine environment with a cool white polysiloxane paint system applied on top. The deck surface is a light grey resin with a crushed glass aggregate for slip resistance. The lighting of the bridge is treated very simply, with LED floodlights set at the base of the bridge washing the cantilevered deck and mast and tapering as it moves outwards.

Photo credit: .