The Green Bridge is an active transport link over the Nerang River, connecting Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct, HOTA (Home of the Arts), for pedestrian and cycle users.

CUSP’s role, in collaboration with various consultants, was to design an overall form that appropriately responded to context and urban connections, as well as develop plaza style designs for each of the bridge landings based on the character established at HOTA Outdoor Stage. One of the main elements of the bridge is the southern abutment, which creates an opportunity for a distinctive “gateway” as it lands between the river and Evendale Lake. Forming the main structure of the landing, the curving ramp will pivot around a plaza area that features a large Moreton Bay fig tree, viewing terraces and a flexible lawn space.

The layout allows for multiple activation possibilities ranging from a lookout area to live entertainment and F&B pop-ups venue. A continuation of the cellular voronoi structure that the overall Gold Coast cultural precinct masterplan is based upon, is reflected in the feature concrete paving that highlights the plaza and other nodal areas. Through the conceptual process, the outer cladding of the landing was identified as an opportunity to have a sculptural element perched over Evendale Lake that was unique within the wider precinct. In the early concept phase, CUSP proposed this face could be activated by a bouldering wall.

Following the tender on the concept and Project Principle Requirements, a contract was awarded to bridge builder GBJV. CUSP was engaged for the next phase by City of Gold Coast to review and verify the design development of the landscape works by the contractor’s consultant team, including involvement in the review and assessment of artists’ submissions for the external treatment to the south landing.

This resulted in the commissioning of the major artwork “40 Million Mornings”, a sinuous aluminum panel cladding, that wraps around main structural walls, entirely encasing the landing. The artwork by Warren Langley and Jess Austin is to represent sunlight reflecting off the rippling in the Nerang River surface that has occurred since the formation of the Nerang River and its associated Gold Coast geography, an estimated period of 11,000 years or 40 million mornings.