Project spotlight.
Tommy Taylor Memorial Bridge.
BARNSLEY
Services provided: Electrical, Lighting Design Key stakeholders: Barnsley MBC, Keltbray, Waterman Group Architect: IBI Group
We provided electrical and lighting design for a new pedestrian bridge in Barnsley, which opened in late 2024. It was officially named the ‘Tommy Taylor Memorial Bridge’ during a ceremony led by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, in memory of the former Barnsley FC, Manchester United, and England footballer who tragically lost his life in the Munich air disaster in 1958 at the age of 26.
This bridge spans the railway in the heart of Barnsley, connecting the Metrodome and Oakwell Stadium (home of Barnsley FC) to the transport interchange and town centre.
Our brief for the lighting design was to highlight the statement architectural features during nighttime and provide a safe environment for users of the bridge. Network Rail imposed strict limits on light spill, glare, and maintenance activities to maintain railway safety. We had to work with the architects and continuously refine the lighting to ensure it was unobtrusive to railway operations, while showing off the stunning architectural elements and providing a sense of security for pedestrians and cyclists.
From a distance, the bridge's pylons evoke the image of two workers standing back-to-back. We chose floodlights with a narrow beam distribution to illuminate these pylons from the base. Similarly, we used small spotlights concealed within cladding, which illuminate the cables and enhance the pylons where they meet at the top of the structure.
The step lighting is unobtrusively integrated into the handrails, providing effective illumination even when thousands of football fans stream across the bridge. The lift shafts feature full-height linear lighting to wash over the unique lift shaft construction. The bridge deck utilises plinth-mounted lighting, which eliminates glare to train drivers through the glazed parapets.
For what ought to have been a simple project this ended up being quite complex! Even though it was a design and build project, we fought hard to retain the specifications for quality lighting products to protect the interests of the council.
Project challenges.
The biggest challenge was that the specialist steelwork subcontractor that actually made the bridge went into administration towards the end of the project. A great shame as they were renowned for their ability to manufacture large and complex steelwork structures such as The Kelpies in Glasgow.
Despite the difficulties, we had a great working relationship with the Barnsley MBC and the whole design team, especially IBI (architect) and Watermans (structural engineers). Internally we worked very closely together all of the way through, operating as a single entity.
If you’d like to find out more, contact David Linville-Boud, Geoff Bridge and Craig Woodward.