Tanderrum Bridge -John Wardle Architects
The Tanderrum Bridge is a civic instrument, revealing the city’s history, orienting to civic markers, stitching together errant landscapes and connecting public space.
It has several roles – as a gateway to the city to pass under, as an integral part of the Birrarung Marr landscape, and as one of the civic experiences of Melbourne that leads to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
The alignment of the bridge acknowledges the already established trajectories within Birrarung Marr that demand a straight axis along a sight line to St Paul’s Cathedral. However, the bridge introduces a specific deviation to note and pay homage to the historic Speakers’ Corner. In so doing, it follows the slope of an existing landscape berm before springing back toward Batman Avenue as it nears the peak. This creates a dress circle to the park, a new and unexpected vantage point.
