Architects Denton Corker Marshall, working in collaboration with engineers Hyder Consulting and Kenneth Grubb Associates, have won the international design competition for the Te Wero Bridge in Auckland, New Zealand.

The NZ$50 million bridge will link the city’s CBD with Wynyard Quarter – an industrial area of Auckland’s waterfront that will be transformed over the next 25 years. Intended for public transport/cycle/pedestrian use, the Te Wero Bridge is a twin leaf bascule aluminium bridge with a vertical tower/mast of 60m.

The deck is split longitudinally into two separate components: the south leaf, longer and broader than the north, carries the two road lanes; the north leaf provides a 6m wide pedestrian/cycle path. The bridge will have an opening span of 40 metres to enable large boats to access Viaduct Harbour.

As the bridge opens, the two leaves separate coming to rest in a ‘V’ configuration with the decks angled obliquely to the mast and each other. The aerodynamic silhouette of the leaves suggest the modern sails of contemporary racing yachts.

Describing the design, Director Neil Bourne commented, “At rest, the striking mast stands sentinel in the heart of the harbour.  In motion, the blades rise, split and then separate, twisting so edge becomes face.  Upright, the three elements settle into a dynamic, yet elegant, composition.”

Professor John Hunt, Professor of Architecture at the University of Auckland and Chair of the Judging Panel said, “The judging panel agreed that this striking submission stood out from others in respect of its high level of design innovation and the unique way the twin leaves open.”

Another shortlisted competition entry is this very elegant design by Wilkinson Eyre (UK) with Beca (Auckland).

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