MY JERICHO
The bridge between time and eternity
A proposal (with film) for Jericho Wharf by Michael Barnes
This meeting was held on February 19, 2020
How the bridge might fit into the Wharf development, though not necessarily painted red....
This week documentary TV producer and Jericho resident for 17 years Michael Barnes showed his film on the reconstruction of the ‘Rainbow Bridge’ in Jinze near Shanghai to urge something similar be attempted here.
The project was undertaken in 1999 as part of the Mysteries of Lost Empires series on Channel 4. The Song dynasty bridge existed in a famous Chinese painting, the original having long since disappeared.
Professor Tang Huan Cheng redesigned the Rainbow Bridge with an intricate process of interweaving the wooden beams to give the structure its sturdiness and steep pitch. The ‘reverse curve’ of the bridge appeals to the Chinese aesthetic because of its resemblance to the human body, particularly the female. When the bridge was complete it was put to the test by driving water buffalos clattering up, rather reluctantly, from either side.
In Jericho such a bridge would probably be made of larch beams. There are 800-year-old wooden bridges in China, but they have been protected from the weather with roofs. With a bridge of this type, the Wharf Development project would require a second bridge for disabled access; the current bridge plans from the developer probably may not meet legal requirements for mobility scooters. The existing bridge from Mount Place is said to be ‘nearing the end of its natural life’
Residents were very interested in the film and the proposal. One question was whether whether this would fit in opposite the church – though the same question might originally been asked about the construction of a Venetian-style church in a working-class district of Oxford. A new bridge could, however, have any colour that seemed appropriate and have other adjustments so it could soon become part of the landscape. As to the rest of the canal, this had a very diverse selection of bridges. Indeed given the nature of this location, Michael said “you probably cannot build a vernacular bridge here”
There were also questions about maintenance and responsibility. If the Jericho Wharf Trust or the City Council were to take it over, the developer would need to provide sufficient funds to finance this in the long term. However, this would be just one element of a complex financing scheme, with diverse rights and responsibilities across the whole site.
The film showed that they Chinese bridge was built using temporary supports from boats. In Jericho the canal will have to be drained anyway for other aspects of the development – at which point the necessary supporting abutments could also be created.
A show of hands at the meeting indicated that the 25 or so residents were very interested in pursuing this idea – which should shortly be presented to the developer.
Report by: Roger Howe and Peter Stalker
My Jericho offers a series of independent events organized by Jericho resident John Mair. Many are at at St Barnabas. Others are streamed on YouTube.
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