Webb Bridge, 2003
Artist: Robert Owen
In collaboration with architects Denton Corker Marshall Pty Ltd.
For the Docklands Authority, Melbourne, Australia
Photography: John Gollings and Shannon McGrath
The winning submission for the sculptured Webb Bridge came from artist, Robert Owen in collaboration with Denton Corker Marshall, architects. The design developed out of a desire for a symbolic and poetic demonstration of reconciliation and indigenous history provided a source of its inspiration.
The bridge is an analogy of Koori fishing traps and the gestural flow of the river below. The decommissioned rail bridge, symbol of European culture, is reconciled with the natural and indigenous past. The resulting structure suggests a new link between the old and new, past and future. A pedestrian/cycle bridge crossing the river Yarra within Melbourne Docklands, the scheme is not only a practical solution to the physical site, conditions and program requirements, but also demonstrates the Docklands Authority commitment to art and innovative architecture in the development of the precinct. As such, the project addresses aesthetic, historical and symbolic issues as integral components of its design.
Webb Bridge won the prestigious RAIA Joseph Reed Urban Design Award 2005 and commendation for Urban Design in the National Awards.
