See the Northern Ave. Bridge Redesign Competition Winners

Boston, MA - A "botanical bridge" and "bridge park" were among the winners in a competition seeking ideas for redesigning Boston's Northern Avenue Bridge.

The mayor and local architecture society president celebrated winners of the Northern Avenue Bridge Ideas Competition Wednesday night at the Boston Society of Architects space.

The competition, underway since March, was meant to generate public conversations and, according to the mayor's office, "inspire a host of innovative ideas for the future of the bridge based on three key themes: improving mobility, honoring history, and creating destination."

In total, 133 people submitted ideas, through both written and graphic design proposals. A sixteen-member jury was assembled by the City and the BSA to judge the entries. The eight winning submissions split $15,000 in prize money.

See photos of the winners above, and learn details here:

• "Northern Avenue Botanical Bridge"
• "Island in the Stream"
• "Northern Avenue Bridge Park"
• "+(Plus) Bridge"
• "The Northern Ave Bridge is Boston" (essay)
• "A City in Motion, Pauses" (essay)

Honorable mentions went to "Steampunk Gateway: Reimagining Boston's Maritime History" and "Channel Mall Station."

The People's Choice Award, which received the most online votes, went to "Pivot Point Bridge."

"It's clear that we need to think about a multimodal bridge that would welcome pedestrians, cars, and cyclists. A successful design would also create a unique destination, not just a bridge, that improves connectivity between the Seaport and the Greenway," Chris Osgood, the city's Chief of Streets, said in a mayor's office press release.

The Public Works Department is currently drafting a request for proposals for the design of the bridge.

First opened in 1908, the bridge was closed in December 2014 due to concerns about its structural integrity.

>> Photos via Northern Avenue Bridge Ideas Competition submissions