Client: St George
Location: London, UK
Size: 10 acres
Skills: Landscape Architecture
Imperial Park, which provides over 10 acres of new landscaped open space, is part of Imperial Wharf, a premier riverside development providing 1,800 private and affordable homes, a hotel, 37,000m² of commercial space, a health and fitness club, restaurants, shops and community facilities. Located on a previously inaccessible, redundant brownfield site, the scheme has transformed the area into a thriving community providing the first new riverside public park of its size to be completed in over 50 years.
Adding space, colour and character to Imperial Wharf, Imperial Park provides a variety of different environments for all to enjoy. The Sensory Gardens are a quiet haven in which to relax and unwind, with three uniquely planned spaces dedicated to the senses of aroma, sight and touch respectively. Each of the three quadrangles is complemented by low hedging, a grassed area for picnicking and ornamental trees such as Eucalyptus and the Himalayan Birch. A key component of the scheme is a 385m walkway, lined with mature poplar and birch trees, which has opened up public access to the River Thames for the first time in decades.
Facilities for all different age groups have been created, including play areas designed with Secure by Design and ROSPA guidance, exercise trails and a boating pond. All are set in a landscape framework that is wheelchair friendly and accessible to all.
Imperial Park is built and maintained according to sustainable principles, from choosing plants that encourage biodiversity, to the use of hardwood benches and natural materials.
Designed in close consultation with the local community, the scheme demonstrates that visionary and considered landscape design provides a vital element in integrating any new development into the established environment.
Winner of 2009 What House Awards for Best Landscape Design (Gold Award)