Retrofitting - Mile End Bridge

Mile End park is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which forms an invaluable green chain of open space through the heart of London's East End, running north-south along a mile of the Grand Union Canal, with the green bridge connecting the two parts together  becoming a major landmark in the area and "putting it on the map"

 

Previously the park was split and fragmented by a main road running through the centre of the site, to quote from CABE "it was a bleak, fragmented, under-used open space in the centre of the London"

 

After its regeneration it is now a world famous park serving the whole of East London. The park is well served with amenities, offering many places to sit and eat, childrens playgrounds, sports facilities and even a go-kart track, with  regards to ecology it provides an array of landscaping in the form of small woods, wild grassland and grass lawns. This extends onto the bridge itself with it literally being a green bridge as the bridge is an extension of the part, the top being full of greenery and planting allowing pedestrians acccess to the seperate areas.

 

The bridge was constructed with retail units underneath to generate activity throughout the day and stop it from becoming lifeless and blank space, admiteddly the width of the facade arguably reduces the impact of this benefit but the area would be less active without it.