A green space for everyone

The overall vision for the regeneration was to create an inclusive green space where everyone feels comfortable and has an opportunity to play, socialize and connect with nature. It was therefore important for the architects that everything they chose—from plantings and pathways to the urban furniture—should enhance and help create a strong feeling of community and togetherness.

Since sustainability was key to this project from day one, product longevity and warranties—as well as design flexibility and material quality—were extremely important. This is the main reason the landscape architects at Gillespies chose urban furniture solutions from Vestre. The modular VROOM system consists of both straight and curved seating modules and connecting elements that allow for an almost infinite number of longer or shorter shapes, variations, and formations such as circles or letters. Most of the seating in Elephant Park incorporates LED underlighting to ensure the seating is just as welcoming and inviting after dark as it is during the day. In addition, a full chain of custody for the FSC timber was required to ensure ethical sourcing of this material.

Elephant Park is also designed to support and encourage green transport in all its forms. Upon completion, there will be over 90 new rental bicycles, over 3,000 bicycle parking spaces, a wealth of new pedestrian and cycle routes, access to dedicated bicycle maintenance and cleaning areas, and charging ports for electric vehicles. To support this active lifestyle and encourage cycling through the park, extensive bicycle parking bays will feature large FORUM bicycle racks—both blind and illuminated—from Vestre. The illuminated racks were customized specifically for this project, which required close coordination with the lighting designers at Michael Grubb Studio and the landscape team at Gillespies. The bicycle racks are lit with ambient LEDs to improve wayfinding and security at night.

Trees and plantings are another fundamental part of the Elephant Park project’s commitment to sustainability. The project has committed to an extensive and ambitious tree-planting program, which has been developed in direct response to local community feedback. The Meadow is a key pedestrian link from Elephant Park to Elephant & Castle station. It forms an urban oasis and sanctuary for people and pollinators. Here, our APRIL GO planters will enhance the feeling of being close to nature.