The Park Bridge

My proposed concept for Leith’s Dry Dock is to build an H-Shaped bridge over a new freshwater pond that will help to reinvigorate this industrial space, bring both human and non-human communities back to Leith Docks, while implementing a flood-proof design that will ensure this site remain active in someway into the future. 

Transforming the dry dock basin into a freshwater pond establishes a suitable environment for rich ecology and aquatic plants and vertebrates to thrive. As we have seen through research, overtime, through human land reclamation, the gap between human and non-human communities has widened; however, by bringing humans back to this rather vacant land and cultivating a healthy home for non-human communities within the same space helps to bridge that gap - both literally and figuratively.

The main focus for this project is on the Western Park Bridge, whose primary function is as a gathering, seating, viewing space, whereas the Eastern Park Bridge fosters a quieter and more tranquil atmosphere with a more coastal woodland environment.

The Western Park Bridge has a tiered 360 stadium seating, allowing people to sit, relax, and converse with friends, all while being able to take in the beautiful Edinburgh coast.

Planting along the vertical sides helps to divide the spaces while adding visual interest and warmth to the industrial space. Additionally, aquatic pond planting is added to the dock to help clean and purify the water and add some visual interest as well.