Details of Europe’s tallest public park announced
by Drucilla James
credit: Gillespies
525 feet up –at the top of the Walkie Talkie Tower, otherwise known as 20 Fenchurch Street, London, plans for a grandiose sub-tropical garden are taking shape.
A 30-second lift ride will whisk visitors to the domed glass pinnacle of the skyscraper where gardens will extend across three floors and contain more than 2000 plants – mainly drought-resistant flowers, shrubs and ferns from South Africa and the Mediterranean. Floor-to-ceiling windows will give a 360o degree panorama across London.
“The gardens will be unique in London, the largest and the most exciting of their kind. There will be a series of platforms where there will be seating so you will be able to immerse yourself in plants and colour while still being aware that you are very high up to get that sense of a floating garden,” said Stephen Richards, partner at Gillespies, the landscape architects responsible for the garden design.
Due for completion in August 2014, the landscaped gardens will provide an exotic setting for a champagne bar, seafood grill and brasserie.
Gillespies are also working on a roof-top park above the new Canary Wharf Crossrail station.