Dublin City Council

INWM Bridge Dublin

This pedestrian bridge crosses the River Liffey at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin. The design employs post-tensioned granite ashlar to cross the river in a single sweeping span.

Granite paviours and a cast metal railing use ancient materials to reflect the design of Luyten’s memorial gardens while confidently acknowledging the present through technical innovation.

The railing is made of vertical brass alloy plates and complements the stone’s character with a softly reflective surface finish. The design plays a symbolic role in the entrance procession to the gardens. Each vertical post is divided into five flutes giving a total of 4,940. Each flute has ten inscribed vertical lines, giving 49,400 marks across the whole bridge. These markings are a formal palimpsest of the Irish soldiers who lost their lives during World War I, helping visitors visualise and emotionally understand the impact of armed combat.

Name:
INWM Bridge Dublin
Client:
Dublin City Council
Date:
October 2019
Location:
Dublin, IE
Status:
Competition
Sector:
Public Realm
Team:
Alan Dempsey
Collaborators:
Structural Engineer: Webb Yates