One of London’s most dramatic roof gardens has opened next to the chimneys of Battersea Power Station.
The 29,000 sq ft gardens are available to residents of three new apartment buildings that have gone up next to the Grade II* former generator as part of a £9 billion regeneration but are not open to the general public .
The gardens with 29,000 plants and 55 trees sit on the 16th floor of a Foster + Partners designed block with 232 homes and a 164 room hotel.
They were designed by James Corner of Field Operations, which was also behind the New York High Line linear park.
Meriam Makiya, head of residential at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Battersea Power Station is a neighbourhood centred around creating a sense of community and this beautiful roof garden is the perfect space for residents to share and enjoy together. Elevating this garden to the top of the Foster + Partners’ building has allowed us to be generous in the amount of outdoor space residents can enjoy. ”
Grant Brooker, head of studio, Foster + Partners, said: “The rooftop gardens are for all of the building’s residents. The aim was to create a thriving parkland walkway that provides spectacular views across the river and to the city. The gardens are a social space to walk, run, take a yoga class - or just relax and breathe - in a unique setting that is high above the city and set against the power station’s iconic chimneys.”
James Corner, principal of James Corner Field Operations, which delivered the design of the roof garden, said: “We were initially drawn to the project because of the extraordinary context of the site – an elevated and large-scale roof garden looking out across the magnificent Power Station and its iconic chimneys, the River Thames and practically all of London as a 360-degree panorama.
“The key objective for the garden was for it to provide surprise, delight and provide a deeply visceral sense of immersive nature, with comfortable spaces for seating, lounging, sunbathing, looking-out, exercise, yoga and eating.”
