Timber Suture

This design proposal envisions an inhabited bridge spanning Grafton Gully, inspired by Chinese Corridor Bridges. It aims to revive a 200-year-old architectural concept, seamlessly extending the urban fabric and enhancing social, economic, cultural, and sustainable connections. The bridge blends an underlying concrete superstructure with lightweight timber habitation. The crossing from Symonds St. to the Domain explores the urban transition from mineral to natural. Instead of specific functions on each side, it proposes a harmonious linear program. This design unites Auckland University’s campuses, healing the scar of the motorway to the gully and accommodates public and private functions like cafes, shops, hostels and a botanical garden.