HS2’s record-breaking 3.4-kilometre viaduct across the Colne Valley has won in the engineering category of the Fine Art Commission Trust’s third annual Building Beauty award.
The honour, presented by HRH the Duke of Gloucester, recognises what judges described as an engineering and design ‘tour de force that despite its scale… treads lightly, skimming over the water’. It added: ‘The result is a breathtaking composition, its drama enhanced by its curving form as it crosses the lake.’
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Construction of HS2’s – and the UK’s – longest rail viaduct began near Denham on London’s north western edge in 2021. Delivered by Align JV, a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, it drew upon international expertise to create a landmark structure to carry 320km/h trains in a gentle curve across land and water.
In September 2024, the last of exactly 1,000 giant concrete pre-cast segments used to build the structure’s deck was fitted into place. Weighing up to 140 tonnes and made on site, each one is uniquely shaped to achieve the viaduct’s curve and the varying lengths of its 57 arch spans that reach down to piers built on land and in two lakes.
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‘For such a massive object it treads lightly and moves delicately – even the expansion joints are elegant, and the decking is poised on bearings,’ noted the Building Beauty competition judges. ‘The concrete is varied in form and treatment, with smooth surfaces set off by gentle corrugation; the acoustic wings attached to the sides of the bridge are, appropriately, light and airy. There is nothing gratuitous or pedestrian here, no applied ornament. The ornament is the structure itself. The result is a breathtaking composition, its drama enhanced by its curving form as it crosses the lakes, the curve of the whole picking up the curves of the individual arches, and then each curve reflected in the water.’
‘I am delighted to receive the Fine Art Commission Trust’s Building Beauty engineering award on behalf of HS2 Ltd and the dedicated team of thousands who have demonstrated their commitment and professionalism day in, day out – whatever the weather,’ said HS2’s civil engineering project director, David Emms. ‘From the earliest days of planning the high-speed line’s route through the Colne Valley, we set out to deliver a viaduct that met our design vision’s three guiding principles: that it works for all people to benefit and enjoy; its design has a sense of place; and stands the test of time. I believe it meets these aims, so it is extremely gratifying to see the Colne Valley viaduct achieve such prestigious recognition.’
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‘We are delighted to win the engineering award for the design and construction of the viaduct, which has been a huge technical challenge for everyone involved,’ said Align project director Loïc Menard. ‘Once the stunning design was finalised, the challenge was to get it built, and huge credit should go to all the different teams involved within Align, working with our numerous supply chain partners. This is an award for everyone on the project, building what I have no doubt will be the most iconic feature of HS2.’
‘This award recognises the critical role of large-scale infrastructure to not only transform the way we travel, but also, through design, bring forward beauty,’ said Chris Patience, principal at Grimshaw. ‘The design of the viaduct celebrates the architecture of engineering, balancing challenging technical demands with an elegant, refined structure that treads lightly over its unique landscape setting. This extraordinary structure is a collective solution resulting from deep collaboration, perseverance and ingenuity across architect, engineer and contractor teams.’
The Colne Valley viaduct’s construction will next move into the rail systems installation phase as it progresses towards becoming an operational part of the new high-speed railway between 2029 and 2033.