wilkinson eyre: london's cable car emirates air line

’emirates air line’ by wilkinson eyre, london, UK image © designboom

on a recent trip to london, designboom has visited the city’s new cable car, ’emirates air line’, designed by london-based practice wilkinson eyre. this new piece of transport infrastructure will lift its passengers across the river thames to offer superior aerial views of the olympic village and urban landscape to residents and visitors while interconnecting the landmark O2 arena on the greenwich peninsula with the excel exhibition and conference center within the docklands.

the ground level stations containing the start and end points of the elevated journey have become functional assets to their immediate areas while the sculpted forms of the pylons are becoming an iconic aesthetic addition to the city. the scheme was designed, submitted for approval and given permission from all three boroughs in february 2011. the project has been constructed and executed within a very short time frame and is ready for the influx of users with the imminent summer olympics.

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

pylon at mid-point image © designboom

pylon base image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

view of olympic park from the cable car image © designboom

project info:

date: started on site july 2011 location: london, UK client: transport for london value: confidential type: infrastructure theme: fast-track, landscape & public realm, regeneration ideas: exploring boundaries architect: wilkinson eyre architects engineer: expedition appointed: august 2010 planning permission granted: february 2011 value: confidential