Anglesey, North Wales
Awards: ICE Wales Project Awards (Large Project Commendation) 2007
Celtic Gateway Bridge forms a pedestrian link from Anglesey Ferry Terminal and Railway Station to the centre of the town. The bridge has been built to encourage users of the transport link to spend their waiting time in the town centre. The link has two elements, a causeway bridge crossing the old dock and a high level bridge with ascending ramp that brings pedestrians to the level of the high street crossing the railway and main road.
KSLD's design for the lighting addresses two aspects, the journey of the pedestrian and the views of the structures from a distance. Along the pedestrian route we created a carpet of soft even lighting on the causeway from a spine of simple columns. As you climb up the ramp or walk up the stairs to the high-level bridge the carpet of light washes across the footway from fittings mounted at low level. Care was taken to ensure that there was sufficient light to enable pedestrians to see and identify the faces of other users of the bridge; a key aspect of lighting to ensure feelings of safety. At the town end, the light grazes up the walls of the breach in the buildings, and accents the sail elements, marking the arrival in the town and signaling the bridge link from the High Street.
The distant views of the bridge accent the differing character of the two elements. The causeway uses coloured elements that reflect in the water; the high level bridge has a strong blue wash to the underside that wraps over the pedestrians at the ramp. The colour accents the underside of the bridge deck at either end of the main span. Across the run of the span, the suspension structure and arch are accented in white thus articulating the functional form of the structure.