In collaboration with architecture practice Whittaker Parsons, we are delighted to have been shortlisted from fifty teams to the final six for the Reimagining Butlers Wharf design competition, being run by the Butlers Wharf community trust at the London Festival of Architecture.
This is a very exciting project – the opportunity to green and transform one of London’s most popular riverside spaces on the historic jetty.
Our vision is of a richly-planted Promenade Garden, that reflects the river setting, and creates a wonderful, distinctive new outdoor space for residents and visitors alike.
Hearing the ebb and flow of the river as it travels out on its journey to the sea, and seeing how the history of centuries is revealed by the tide really inspired our approach.
We loved the shapes of the found fragments of the riverbanks – the flotsam and jetsam discovered by mudlarkers – and have used this as abstracted shapes to inspire informal arrangement to the garden. Freestanding planters full of green create a series of places to stroll, sit, and enjoy as well as for moments of quieter reflection. There are spaces dedicated to existing nautical pieces, lots of seating, bicycle storage, and all paths are fully accessible. The design is intended to be very robust and very flexible, with the density of the planters and seats to be developed in conversation with residents.
Now, more than ever, shared garden spaces are invaluable to us city-dwellers. We have carefully positioned small trees, textural planting and moving grasses to create a cooling green haven while framing the views on the ground and protecting those of the apartments above.
There’s more detail on the competition boards which can be downloaded below, or watch our short film about our approach.
Click here for the competition boards.
Click here for the short film.