Architecture increasingly mimics life as London bridge opens like a traditional Japanese fan

Merchant Square Footbridge at Paddington Basin will span the Grand Union Canal at the heart of the new Merchant Square development. The design concept is both simple and spectacular: a wide cantilevering deck is hinged at its north end and is raised using hydraulic jacks with an action similar to that of a traditional Japanese hand fan. The steel beams forming the deck open in sequence and shaped counterweights assist the hydraulic mechanism and reduce the energy required to move the structure. The design has been considered in respect to the high quality new architecture and landscape, and from elevated as well as ground level viewpoints. In motion it will be an eye-catching kinetic sculpture whose silhouette is both legible and exciting and which is well suited to the position on Sunset Terrace.