Thames Barrier Park transforms a derelict brownfield site into a generous new public landscape on the Thames, creating a distinctive identity and catalyst for the regeneration of London’s Royal Docks.
Designed with Groupe Signes and Arup following an international competition win, the park creates a bold sequence of landscapes connecting the surrounding neighbourhood with the river and its industrial setting. Landform, rich planting, buildings and a robust material palette give the park a strong and memorable character.
The generosity and quality of the landscape established a setting for subsequent development and helped change perceptions of the wider area, attracting investment and supporting the regeneration that followed. As both public space and landscape infrastructure, the park demonstrates how a strong sense of place can initiate a new piece of city.
This project is clearly a park of its time and it is as much a three-dimensional architectural and planning composition as it is a piece of landscape.
The Observer Review
