Wynyard Crossing

Wynyard Crossing is an operable pedestrian bridge located on the Auckland waterfront and will be constructed in time for the 36th America’s Cup in early 2021. The project aspires to be a piece of kinetic sculpture - that also functions as a pedestrian bridge. The bridge is carefully sculpted and comprises two interlocking wings that each have a 47.5 metre high mast and a 47.5 metre long deck. The separate components then lock together to form a 6 metre wide deck. The form tapers from the central point of the wing to both the deck and mast, creating an elegant and biomorphic sense of design. The bridge has three clear modes, a closed mode that allows pedestrians to pass over, an open mode that allows boats to pass underneath and a critical third mode of the bridge opening. The poetry of the project is the interplay or dance of the two wings as the bridge opens. The structure is a steel orthotropic monocoque structure (with internal stiffening diaphragms) and has no need for a separate internal structural skeleton and is highly efficient and lightweight. The mast acts as a counterweight to the deck, minimising the energy usage required for movement. The mechanical system of the bridge is hydraulic, though unlike most bascule bridges that lift horizontally or vertically, the axis of rotation of Wynyard Crossing is set at 32 degrees from vertical. This simple move creates a complex sense of rotation and movement when the bridge opens. The bridge has a zinc arc spray coating for protection against the marine environment with a cool white polysiloxane paint system applied on top. The deck surface is a light grey resin with a crushed glass aggregate for slip resistance. The lighting of the bridge is treated very simply, LED floodlights are set at the base of the bridge washing the cantilevered deck and mast and tapering as it moves outwards.