Friday, 30 January 2026
Architecture students from the University of Nottingham 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 University of Nottingham’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.
“We’re 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’s 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 University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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