victoria park: the ‘people’s park’ comes to life

Client London Borough of Tower Hamlets Location Tower Hamlets, London Partners Randall Shaw Billingham, Greg Gale Associates, Hirst Conservation, Davis Langdon, Dosser Group, Halcrow Yolles, Barker Langham Services Used Landscape Architecture Area 86 ha 1 View of the lake 2 The Pagoda, based on a long-lost original 3 The restored Burdett Coutts fountain All images © Robin Forster Photography Victoria Park is one of London’s oldest and most-loved public spaces. When it opened in the second half of the eighteenth century, it served as an essential amenity for the working classes of the East End. Cuts to funding had put the Park in decline since the 1980s, with original features at risk and infrastructure failing. Recognising the need for broader appeal and greater accessibility, LB Tower Hamlets commissioned LDA Design to prepare a detailed masterplan and then oversee its implementation. LDA Design’s approach to the £9 million project combined sensitivity to the Park’s signiﬁcant heritage with the creative design of new features and spaces. The project, which attracted Heritage Lottery funding, included the restoration of lakes, bridges, a re-created pagoda, redesigned ﬂower gardens, play areas and cafés. The challenge was to keep all areas of the park accessible to the public through the busy summer events schedule while the regeneration took place. The result is a beautiful park that appeals to a wider range of people, with more than 12 million visiting annually. More accessible, it provides a useful and well-used pedestrian and cycle link to the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Victoria Park: The ‘People’s Park’ comes to life 1 3 2

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Page 1: Victoria Park: The ‘People’s Park’ comes to life

ClientLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets

LocationTower Hamlets, London

PartnersRandall Shaw Billingham, Greg Gale Associates, Hirst Conservation, Davis Langdon, Dosser Group, Halcrow Yolles, Barker Langham

Services UsedLandscape Architecture

Area86 ha

1 View of the lake2 The Pagoda, based on a long-lost original3 The restored Burdett Coutts fountain

All images © Robin Forster Photography

Victoria Park is one of London’s oldest and most-loved public spaces. When it opened in the second half of the eighteenth century, it served as an essential amenity for the working classes of the East End. Cuts to funding had put the Park in decline since the 1980s, with original features at risk and infrastructure failing.

Recognising the need for broader appeal and greater accessibility, LB Tower Hamlets commissioned LDA Design to prepare a detailed masterplan and then oversee its implementation.

LDA Design’s approach to the £9 million project combined sensitivity to the Park’s significant heritage with the creative design of new features and spaces. The project, which attracted Heritage Lottery funding, included the restoration of lakes, bridges, a re-created pagoda, redesigned flower gardens, play areas and cafés. The challenge was to keep all areas of the park accessible to the public through the busy summer events schedule while the regeneration took place.

The result is a beautiful park that appeals to a wider range of people, with more than 12 million visiting annually. More accessible, it provides a useful and well-used pedestrian and cycle link to the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Victoria Park:The ‘People’s Park’ comes to life