Foster + Partners wins Upper Orwell Crossings Competition in Ipswich

Winning the Upper Orwell Crossings Competition is Foster + Partners with two new river crossings and a strategic scheme which revives connectivity in the town of Ipswich.     

Including the refurbishment of an existing lock, Foster + Partners have created a comprehensive way in which to revitalise the heart of the town through the improved connectivity and new public spaces. The project places the River Orwell at the centre, with a focus on encouraging walking and cycling in this place of natural beauty.

Their approach to the site was described by Suffolk County Council as  being a “very appropriate response to the waterfront context and townscape, as well as acting as a catalyst for regeneration of the wider harbour area.” 

The practice, for whom “Ipswich holds a special place in [their] hearts” (their landmark project, the Willis Faber building,1975, was one of the first to be designed by the firm), were chosen as the winners by a panel including Sir Michael Hopkins CBE with Lady Patty Hopkins (fellow Founding Partner of Hopkins Architects) and Ben Gummer (MP for Ipswich), beating four other international teams. 

Find more project images in the gallery below.