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#FabDesignFriday
By Anton Adianto
Tower Bridge is a combination of a bascule and suspension bridge over River Thames in London. It’s located near the Tower of London, hence the name Tower Bridge. It’s often mistaken for the London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.
The rapid growth of commercial development in the 19th century in London has led to the need of a new bridge downstream of London Bridge. A traditional bridge was not an option, as it would disconnect access to the port facilities in the Pool of London. In 1870, the government built a tunnel beneath the Thames but it could only accommodate pedestrian traffic.
Six years later, a committee was formed to solve this problem. They opened the design of the bridge to public competition. More than 50 designs were submitted and the decision-making was wrapped up in controversy. Eight years after the opening of the competition, city architect Horace Jones finally won the competition with a design that featured a 244-metre long bascule bridge with two towers built on piers. The two towers, each 65 metres high and 61 metres across from each other, are separated into two equal bascules that could be elevated to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass.
The bridge construction commenced in 1886 and took eight years to finish, employing five major contractors and more than 400 construction workers. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. When Jones died in 1887, Sir John Wolfe-Barry, his chief engineer took over the project. Wolfe-Barry replaced Jones' original medieval-style facade with the more elegant Victorian gothic style that makes the bridge a picturesque landmark. Tower Bridge was opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince of Wales and his wife.
Photo by towerbridge.org.uk