Rogers submits plans for bridge across Millennium Dome
Walkway will run across top of 02
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners has submitted designs for a walkway over the top of the Millennium Dome it designed back in the 1990s, which is now called the O2.
The O2 Skywalk will be 365m in diameter, running from the south to the north, and will take visitors some 50m above the ground.
Plans have been submitted to Greenwich Council. US entertainment group AEG, which owns the 02, also wants the route to be accessed by disabled visitors.
The idea borrows from the walk on Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge which sees visitors undertake a 500m walk, which peaks at 134m over the Australian city’s harbour.
A walkway was first mooted more than three years ago when RSHP was approached by AEG.
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Readers' comments (6)
The images look great and what a great way to view the London Skyline. My kids would love this, must remember to hold tight to my daughters buggy though or she'll be getting down a lot quicker than she went up!!
Hmm, not sure how compliance against BS8300:2009 will be achieved. Perhaps this demonstrates the shortcomings of the British Standards which always assume that ramps are coherently planar, rather than an infinite number of ramp angles created by the curved surface ! - I would be very interested in comments on this and how compliance with DDA legislation could be achieved, particularly as there is legislation in place to cover the maximum length of a ramp at a certain slope before flat landings for resting places have to be introduced - as ambulant-disabled requirements are in excess of able-bodies persons.
To be inclusive is a a grand gesture but whilst not trying to alienate anyone or restrict the potential for a less able bodied person to achieve anything... common sense has to prevail. They don't have lifts and ramps to get you up the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
David, you indeed have a point there, however I'm looking for more of a technical assessment against current legislation as I'm sure you are aware both the starting and end points of the curved ramps will be the steepest. Some people do battle with ramps, and considering the length of the curve it would be fairly extreme. The Sydney Harbour Bridge you refer to is for a "bridge climb" of maximum 14 persons at a time, with supervision under professional "bridge climbers" You will find that it is a legal requirement to fill in a Bridgeclimb Declaration Form – which effectively covers every possible disclaimer and potential lawsuit from the public, so effectively rules out persons with any form of physical disability !
I think you will find this is a different scenario as it appears that this is more open to the general public, and therefore the risk element in the design has to be extremely thorough if it cannot be directly correlated and proven against building regulations, British Standards, new Euro Standards and DDA requirements - to name a few. Yes, there may not be lifts and ramps to get you to Sydney Harbour Bridge, but we are talking about ambulant-disabled persons who, if you study BS8300:2009 will find that unfortunately common sense does not always prevail against a minefield of legislation, as the various ODA programmes (one of which I have personally been involved in) - can prove otherwise.
The staircases here would very obviously be PART M and BS8300:2009 compliant and designed for ambulant-disabled needs, but the ramp may not unless someone can tell me otherwise.
Don't get me wrong - I am all for innovation, sustainability and great architectural design, however the practical implementation, if not considered agasint legislation can leave many an architect unstuck and exposed to litigation.
@Stephen Farr:
"I think you will find this is a different scenario as it appears that this is more open to the general public"
Not so: like the Harbour Bridge, the Dome walkway would be led by professional climbers and would require visitors to wear safety equipment.
Great idea! lets hope it will get built and be free.