Opening comes as Knight Architects lodges plans for 70m Canary Wharf bridge
A new Moxon Architects-designed bridge in King鈥檚 Cross has opened to the public.
Called Esperance Bridge, it crosses Regent鈥檚 Canal and links St Pancras Square with Heatherwick Studio鈥檚 Coal Drops Yard retail area.
The 25m carbon steel bridge was named by local children from King鈥檚 Cross Academy.
The name, which means 鈥榟ope鈥� in French, was chosen as a symbol of positivity following a year of hardship because of the pandemic.
Moxon Architects said the red painted structure has been inspired by the area鈥檚 industrial past.
Designed with Arup and fabricated by Yorkshire-based firm SH Structures, it takes its colour scheme from a lost bridge dating from 1821 which formerly spanned the same stretch of the canal.
It also includes integrated lighting designed by lighting designers Studio 29.
King鈥檚 Cross Estate chief executive Robert Evans said the opening of the bridge was a 鈥渟pecial moment鈥� for the area and 鈥渙ne of the final pieces of the public realm jigsaw鈥�.
It is Moxon鈥檚 second bridge in King鈥檚 Cross after the black-painted Somers Town Bridge about 150m further up the canal to the north west.
Meanwhile, Knight Architects has lodged plans for a new footbridge in London鈥檚 Docklands.
Known as South Dock Bridge, it has been designed in anticipation of a predicted expansion of the Isle of Dogs鈥� population and is expected to become one of the busiest pedestrian bridges in London if built.
The area is currently seeing a large volume of new residential developments, including Europe鈥檚 tallest residential development, Squire & Partners鈥� 233m, 752-home Landmark Pinnacle, which topped out in 2019.
The 70m long bridge would cross South Dock, which separates the southern part of the Isle of Dogs from the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and includes a section which can be tilted upwards to create a 25m channel for the passage of ships.
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