London certain isn’t lacking in the bridge department, is it? From little and low-key to enormous and elaborate, there’s a plethora of pathways linking various locations across the city. But very few of them come quite as unique as this one. Suspended above a side street in Covent Garden is the Bridge of Aspiration. This swirling structure in the sky connects the Royal Ballet School with the Royal Opera House; providing dancers with a direct walkway between the two iconic institutions.
The Bridge of Aspiration
Built in 2003 by Wilkinson Eyre (the same brains that were behind the transformation of Battersea Power Station), the Bridge of Aspiration spans 9.5 metres and plays a pretty pivotal role in the performing arts world. The covert corridor provides a private portal-like pathway between the school and the stage, transporting students and aspiring ballerinas straight to the world of professional ballet.
The bridge’s (award-wining) fluid design is meant to mimic the movement of a dancer. A concertina of 23 square portals with glazed intervals are supported by an aluminium spine beam. The squares rotate in sequence and the entire structure performs a quarter turn in the air. Both functional and fascinating to look at, the Bridge of Aspiration was engineered to seamlessly link the two buildings, despite the fact they are misaligned.
Generously gifted to the Royal Ballet School by several individuals and organisations, the Bridge of Aspiration can be found twirling above Floral Street in Covent Garden. It’s both elegant and eye-catching (much like the dancers that walk across it) and serves as a brilliant reminder that in London, it’s always worth looking up – because you never know what you might find.
