Thomas Heatherwick和Arup推出花园桥的概念，跨经寺庙直到南岸，赢得伦敦交通局（TfL）泰晤士河上的人行桥投标。结构准备在2016年投入使用，将会是2012年千年大桥以后跨泰晤士河的第一座桥。
After winning a Transport for London (TfL) tender for ideas to improve pedestrian access across the River Thames, Thomas Heatherwick and Arup unveiled plans for a new ‘Garden Bridge’ that will span the river from Temple to the Southbank. The structure, earmarked for opening in 2016, would be the first new crossing since the Millennium Bridge opened to the public in 2002.

Heatherwick说，“丰富的文化遗产如花园，绿地，公园，广场，伦敦是全球最绿的城市之一。” 在这样的情况下，我们很荣幸很兴奋被交通局选中，寻找这个跨河大桥的设计可能。 想法很简单；就是用花园去连接伦敦南北岸。我们和演员，活动家Joanna Lumley合作，他也已经有这样的想法很多年了。
“With its rich heritage of allotments, gardens, heathland, parks and squares, London is one of the greenest cities in the world,” stated Heatherwick. “In this context we are excited to have been selected by TfL to explore the opportunity of a pedestrian river crossing. The idea is simple; to connect north and south London with a garden. We have been working with actor and campaigner Joanna Lumley, who has been a proponent of such an idea for several years.”

“直接说一些不存在的东西还是挺奇怪的，但是花园桥已经美丽地展示在平面和想象中。” Lumley说。“花园会在感官方面下足功夫：这将会是一个没有噪音没有车流只有鸟叫声，蜂鸣声，风吹树叶的沙沙声，稳定的流水冲击声。” 这将会是最慢的跨河方式之一，却又安全快捷，让人们在疲惫之余得以休息。人们依靠护栏，在泰晤士河上欣赏周围的城市景观。 草坪，树木，野花，植物，与泰晤士河自然的河岸环境不同。 鲜花在春天绽放，冬季甚至会有圣诞树。我相信他会为伦敦当地人和游客带来魔法般的平静与美丽。
“It’s quite strange to talk of something that doesn’t exist yet, but the Garden Bridge is already vivid in the plans and the imagination,” Lumley commented. “This garden will be sensational in every way: a place with no noise or traffic where the only sounds will be birdsong and bees buzzing and the wind in the trees, and below the steady rush of water. It will be the slowest way to cross the river, as people will dawdle and lean on parapets and stare at the great cityscapes all around; but it will also be a safe and swift way for the weary commuter to make his way back over the Thames. There will be grasses, trees, wild flowers, and plants, unique to London’s natural riverside habitat. And there will be blossom in the spring and even a Christmas tree in mid-winter.  I believe it will bring to Londoners and visitors alike peace and beauty and magic.”

Heatherwick希望能在明年早春提交方案，然而实现可能性却完全依赖于是否能募集到六千万英镑资金。
另外， 由于Heathwick对设计界的贡献，2013年女王生日，他被授予荣誉CBE(他被授予大英帝国司令勋章)。更多有关获奖资讯可以在BBC查到。
Heatherwick plans to submit plans early next spring, however the feasibility of the project is entirely dependent on obtaining ￡60m in funding.
In other news, Heatherwick was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) at the Queen’s 2013 Birthday Honors for his service to the design industry. More information on the awards can be found here on the BBC.

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