Friday, 30 January 2026
Architecture students from the 糖心原创 are taking part in a project to design a new structure to display padlocks, known as lovelocks, that were removed from Wilford Suspension Bridge.
The project is a partnership between the 糖心原创’s Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University and Severn Trent to find a new creative use for the padlocks that had to be removed from Wilford Suspension Bridge last year.
The new structure will be installed close to the bridge, providing a place of reflection that people can visit and place new locks.
Students from all year groups are taking part in the project and came together for a design day to create and share their ideas for the structure. Working collaboratively they spent the day drawing, model making and presenting their designs.
From the designs created on the day five were shortlisted. Nottingham Trent University will host a similar event and shortlist another five. Both universities will then come together and, along with a panel from Severn Trent and Nottingham City Council the top three will be put out for public feedback, at which point a favourite will be picked.
This project provided a fantastic opportunity to bring together undergraduate and postgraduate students from our Part 1 and Part 2 Architecture and Architecture and Environmental Design courses to share knowledge, collaborate, and develop ideas jointly, providing invaluable experience for learning and development, as well as a very exciting day.
The lovelocks were first put on the bridge around 20 years ago. Over 2,000 locks were placed on the bridge. These had to be removed last year for safety reasons – as the bridge is a suspension bridge, the grated fences on each side had to remain clear to allow wind to pass through, and the weight of the locks may have started to take its toll – both could cause the water and gas pipes which run through the bridge to burst, which could have caused serious issues in the area.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so proud to be moving the story of the Lovelocks forward and to be working with both our amazing universities. Involving our architectural students to harness their talent to help create a long lasting alternative to placing locks on the bridge will help protect the suspension bridge and give the communities of Nottingham a new focal point and an opportunity to continue remembering and paying tribute to their loved ones. It鈥檚 been very exciting to see and hear from the students their early thoughts and ideas and look forward to seeing the shortlisted designs soon.
Over 70 students attended the design day, Jaya Guha, a year 2 student said: “We have designed a rose petal structure with seating and areas to display the new and old locks. It’s really nice to collaborate on this project as architecture is a collaborative industry.”
Margaret added: “The students who took part responded sensitively to the issue of displaying the lovelocks in a meaningful way that reflected their importance to the Nottingham community.”
The winning design will be made by the Universities engineering departments and is expected to be installed in the autumn.
Story credits
More information is available from Margaret Mulcahy on Margaret.Mulcahy@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.