This bridge spans the Gold Coast’s Nerang River, connecting HOTA to Surfers Paradise via Chevron Island.
The 130-metre green bridge (yes, it’s blue) is the second completed stage of our HOTA Masterplan. We designed and delivered it in partnership with Archipelago and CUSP.
It’s for pedestrians and bikes.
[Video courtesy of Robert Luxford]
The landing at the HOTA end curves out over Evandale Lake. It’s wrapped with a striking three-dimensional façade—an artwork called 40 Million Mornings, created by artists Warren Langley and Jess Austin and curated by our partners at Archipelago.
The folded form and golden hue represent the sun on the Nerang River over the past 40 million mornings, using the themes of water and open hands to illustrate the notion of past, present and future.
The bridge façade is lit up at night, becoming a striking beacon reflected in the lake.
Aerial construction progress of HOTA Bridge [images from NearMaps]
Like the rest of our HOTA precinct, the balustrades and pavement have a unifying design motif: the cellular structure of the Voronoi, nature’s most robust but delicate shape.
A Voronoi diagram is a network of cells that occurs naturally in many plants and animals—even honeycombs and bubbles. We have used it on other projects including the Wintergarden and the Melbourne Recital Centre. Voronoi shapes in nature adapt and shift in response to external change—this is a perfect structure for a cultural precinct that reflects the furious, youthful energy of Australia’s sixth biggest city.