By Sarah Cosgrove
Monday, 28 April 2014
Top designer Andy Sturgeon has revealed his ‘Garden of the Elements” design plans for the three roof gardens at Battersea Power Station.
The gardens, a hectare in total, reference the iconic London power station’s original use and the elements of fire water and air.
Sturgeon, of Andy Sturgeon Landscape and Garden Design, is working as a consultant to LDA Design, the lead landscape architect on the first and second phases of the development.
The newly named Switch House East garden will boast strong architectural qualities where huge corten steel fins will represent fire, wide lawns and mounded planting respond to the building’s architecture and terraced belvederes at either end of the garden will allow residents and office staff from inside the Power Station to enjoy views over London.
Switch House West will house a slender garden stretching 120 metres along a fluid, path to create a meandering green ‘riverine route’, to represent the water element above the original 1930’s Battersea Power Station building and connecting it to its riverside setting.
In addition, an ethereal ‘garden in the sky’ with the largest glass atrium in London will be created in the new Boiler House Square crowning the building between the four chimneys.
Cloud-like planting evoking the element of air will be set among large dishes of shallow, reflective water aiming at an otherworldly quality. Only owners of the nearby luxury apartments will be able to access this garden.
Where the gardens are open to both residents and office workers the spaces will feature adaptable pavilions, intimate seating areas, a petanque court and open pergolas for differing activities.
The gardens will incorporate recycled brick and steel elements from the power station building and differing planting styles will give each garden a distinct atmosphere. Sturgeon has chosen mounded planting throughout to make the spaces seem more architectural and more open while in other places raised planters and tall grasses immerse the visitor amongst the planting.
The planting palette is designed to offer year round interest and will include a mix of evergreens, Mediterranean and more exotic species, made possible by London’s unique microclimate.
The roof gardens are part of the second development phase of the 15.7ha site. LDA is also designing a public park between the building and the River Thames and a new public piazza at the southern entrance to Battersea Power Station.
More than 250 apartments and townhouses within the power station itself are due to go on sale on May 1 to Londoners only. The guide prices start at £800,000 for a studio flat.
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