An innovative partnership between Centro and a Birmingham-based designer have found a creative answer to encouraging people onto public transport.
Lee Banks' Renn & Thacker Partnership and Form Fabrications have come together to design "Clink" - a new iconic bridge at Stourbridge Junction railway station.
The bridge features two 6.5-metre-high light installations, which are designed to look like crystal champagne glasses.
The bridge is part of a number of works the partnership have completed for Centro and has been entered into the 2005 BDI, Industry & Genius Awards.
As well as having a practical purpose of lighting a 'park and ride' footbridge at night, the 'Clink' design is based on Stourbridge's world-famous 400-year-old glass industry.
Renn & Thacker is a West Midlands trained, two-man partnership based in Lee Bank. Hockley-based Form Fabrications is a 30-year-old family-run business employing 26 people. The company, which produces fans and general sheet-metal fabrication, diversified into sculpture in 1999 after some of their existing business in duct work tailed off.
Renn & Thacker partner Mick Thacker said he believed there was money to be made in combining traditional construction with innovative design.
He said: "Our partnership with Centro improves the experience of travelling on public transport and makes people feel safer.
"There is no doubt that there is money in combining creative ideas with construction - it's very exciting work."
In addition to the newly installed 'Clink' structure, Centro has worked with the same design and manufacturing team to commission ' Coinstack'; a monument to bus fares located in Hockley and 'Clockwork', located in the Jewellery Quarter, which commemorates the area's rich history.
Other design-led improvements to the public transport network include new park and ride barriers, height restrictors, fencing and seating.
Tom Magrath, projects director at Centro, said: "Our public art commissioning programme has made a real impact to our network of transport interchanges, reducing vandalism and improving the environment for travellers.
"Above all it has helped to encourage more people to use public transport and we have therefore seen business benefits as a result of our work with the creative industries and manufacturers. "
Renn & Thacker and Form Fabrications have also been involved in a number of other projects across the city including the Open Access Cricket School at Warwickshire Cricket Ground.
Renn & Thacker is also in discussion with the Mailbox regarding the regeneration of Navigation Street.
The BDI, Industry & Genius Awards' recognises collaborations between designers and manufacturers.
Principally financed by Birmingham City Council through its EQUAL European funding, with other main sponsors being Calthorpe Estates and the Birmingham Design Initiative, there are another 12 categories within the Awards scheme covering Places & Genius and Products and Genius.
The six Places & Genius categories within the regional award scheme include architecture, landscape, conservation, urban design, green design and interior design, whilst the six Products & Genius categories include jewellery/ silversmithing, ceramics & glass, consumer products, interior products, transport design, medical products.
The criteria for the Awards specifies that all buildings/places or design companies must be located within the West Midlands and all projects entered must have been completed between September 2002 - September 2005. The deadline for entries is September 9.
