Project is now within sight of its 拢150m target
Fundraising for Thomas Heatherwick鈥檚 garden bridge has passed the 拢100m mark.
The news that fundraising had reached 拢110m, announced by the designer himself this week, means the project is now within sight of its 拢150m target.
The Treasury and Transport for London each contributed 拢30m. The rest has come from private donations. An anonymous family donated a large sum with the sole proviso that naming rights could not be sold. A fundraising campaign will be launched in the summer to encourage the public to support the final push.
鈥淚t won鈥檛 be called the Megabrand Bridge,鈥� Heatherwick told a packed audience at the Design Museum.
鈥淭he spirit of this family鈥檚 contribution is that half a million Londoners or Brits should have the chance to help it happen.鈥�
He said the bridge would be taken to people鈥檚 hearts more readily if they could walk across it and say 鈥渕y dad gave this branch鈥� than if it was given to them on a plate by the mayor of London or the Chancellor.
鈥淭he problem is if we don鈥檛 raise the money by this time next year the project won鈥檛 happen because the super sewer will stop all river construction for a decade.鈥�
The bridge, designed like two giant planters straddling the Thames from Temple Tube station to the South Bank, will be made from cupronickel.
Heatherwick said they had searched for the perfect material to link the 鈥渟tone and brick poshness鈥� of the north bank and the 鈥渃oncrete brutalism鈥� of the south.
鈥淚t has a warmth we are excited about. It鈥檚 not clinical like stainless steel. It鈥檚 also saline-safe as the river is so tidal there. And we can鈥檛 be re-painting it.鈥�
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