Expression and Signification

Millennium Bridge – Expression

What is the bridge used for. As any bridge is it used to avoid a natural obstacle by going over it. In this case the obstacle is the Thames river. It is a pedestrian bridge so it is only used by people on foot. It is only pedestrian bridge that crosses the Thames. It can be used by up to 10 000 people everyday, the record however being on it’s opening day when between 80 000  and 100 000 used it.

This bridge links the Tate modern (contemporary and modern art) to St-Paul’s Cathedral.

http://www.urban75.org/vista/london4.html

It also links the Southwark district to the south to the City of London district to the North. Both these districts form part of the center of London and are among the most dynamic parts of London today. They are also areas of London that are visited by many tourists and therefore the bridge’s location makes an ideal tourist attraction.

Millennium Bridge – Signification

This bridge like many other bridges is first of all a result of pure expression of engineering structure. The achievement of being able to link one shore to the other is made even more impressive by the Millennium Bridge’s aspect: the bridge has very little supporting elements. It appear to be floating in the air above the water. It has even been described as a “blade of light”, which highlights the immaterial sensation given by the bridge.

A very important signification of this bridge is given by it’s location. It links St-Paul Cathedral that was first built in 604 (the present version was finished in 1677) to Tate Modern, a museum of modern art. The apparent opposition between the ages and the functions (religion/art) of these two buildings are made more apparent by this link between them. However, the bridge can also come to symbolize a reunification and a cohabitation of the new and the old in a city like London. This is particularly important in a district like Southwark that has gone through a very important process of regeneration after being almost abandoned in the 19^th and early 20^th century.

Architectural monuments like the Tate modern or the Millennium Bridge in the historical parts of London are very good examples of this reunification of the modern and the ancient.