Floral Court, Covent Garden
Floral Court, Covent Garden
In the heart of London, Floral Court in Covent Garden brings green urbanism to a new level. Creating a lush oasis of calm amidst some of the busiest shopping areas in the world was a complex task.
The fact that listed buildings surrounded the square limited the designers KPF and Publica and forced them to be innovative. Built by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, and designed with Townscape, this project won a coveted award from the American Institute of Architects in 2020.
Turning what was an old, tired service yard into a new urban town square was inspired; making a pedestrian walkway through this square was a brilliant move. What was private is now public: what was hard and grey is now a leafy space, providing restaurants and eating places, cafés and retail outlets, all off the beaten track. Between the tourist attractions of Covent Garden itself (a former fruit and vegetable market, now a trendy retail centre) and Leicester Square, Floral Court offers an area of quiet repose, known only to those who search it out.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
In the heart of London, Floral Court in Covent Garden brings green urbanism to a new level. Creating a lush oasis of calm amidst some of the busiest shopping areas in the world was a complex task.
The fact that listed buildings surrounded the square limited the designers KPF and Publica and forced them to be innovative. Built by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, and designed with Townscape, this project won a coveted award from the American Institute of Architects in 2020.
Turning what was an old, tired service yard into a new urban town square was inspired; making a pedestrian walkway through this square was a brilliant move. What was private is now public: what was hard and grey is now a leafy space, providing restaurants and eating places, cafés and retail outlets, all off the beaten track. Between the tourist attractions of Covent Garden itself (a former fruit and vegetable market, now a trendy retail centre) and Leicester Square, Floral Court offers an area of quiet repose, known only to those who search it out.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
One of the technical challenges was how to service the buildings that had previously used the service bay. Another was how to integrate a new residential building, replacing an old 1960’s block, with the other 5 buildings, of which 3 are listed. Thinking laterally, the buildings now share a unified service area built below the new urban space – distributing utilities and other needed services below ground, and away from the general public. However, this gave challenges as to how the new public court could be constructed as it had become a podium deck.
GreenBlue Urban was consulted as to how semi-mature trees could be planted in such a scenario. Being probably the most experienced company dealing with trees on podium decks, GreenBlue Urban suggested using the StrataCell soil cell, manufactured from 100% recycled material, and having a load-bearing ability of up to 60 tons per square metre, but only 250mm deep per module. This shallow profile gave the designers and installers the ability to work around changes in construction build-ups and around below-ground constraints. The StrataCell, manufactured only about 50 miles from the site gave very low embodies carbon figures in transportation, and a virtual guarantee that the trees would flourish.
One of the technical challenges was how to service the buildings that had previously used the service bay. Another was how to integrate a new residential building, replacing an old 1960’s block, with the other 5 buildings, of which 3 are listed. Thinking laterally, the buildings now share a unified service area built below the new urban space – distributing utilities and other needed services below ground, and away from the general public. However, this gave challenges as to how the new public court could be constructed as it had become a podium deck.
GreenBlue Urban was consulted as to how semi-mature trees could be planted in such a scenario. Being probably the most experienced company dealing with trees on podium decks, GreenBlue Urban suggested using the StrataCell soil cell, manufactured from 100% recycled material, and having a load-bearing ability of up to 60 tons per square metre, but only 250mm deep per module. This shallow profile gave the designers and installers the ability to work around changes in construction build-ups and around below-ground constraints. The StrataCell, manufactured only about 50 miles from the site gave very low embodies carbon figures in transportation, and a virtual guarantee that the trees would flourish.
The installation by Sky Gardens was a challenge – time constraints meant that the trees could be lifted into the land-locked courtyard, but all of the below-ground products had to be manhandled through the narrow alleyway from King Street. The lightweight GreenBlue Urban solutions reduced the number of manual handling risks involved, and the modular nature of the products lent themselves to easy placement. The two trees were to be in a joint tree pit – thus reducing the total volume required by 20% – and were quickly assembled. Using the GreenBlue Urban Root Directors, the Arborguy strapped underground guying system (designed to work with podium deck planting without compromising waterproofing on the deck) and the ArborVent aeration and irrigation solutions, the trees have been set up for life.
And so it has proved – Floral Court has been a roaring success. During the summer months, this quiet hidden gem is packed, with customers having to wait for service due to the popularity of the place. The trees have grown to become a dominating influence for good – giving the atmosphere of a well-earned sanctuary from the busy area around – and will continue to do so for many decades. It is this kind of challenge that GreenBlue Urban revel in – getting green infrastructure into challenging locations to make a difference in myriad lives. GreenBlue Urban – creating healthy urban spaces in harmony with nature.
The installation by Sky Gardens was a challenge – time constraints meant that the trees could be lifted into the land-locked courtyard, but all of the below-ground products had to be manhandled through the narrow alleyway from King Street. The lightweight GreenBlue Urban solutions reduced the number of manual handling risks involved, and the modular nature of the products lent themselves to easy placement. The two trees were to be in a joint tree pit – thus reducing the total volume required by 20% – and were quickly assembled. Using the GreenBlue Urban Root Directors, the Arborguy strapped underground guying system (designed to work with podium deck planting without compromising waterproofing on the deck) and the ArborVent aeration and irrigation solutions, the trees have been set up for life.
And so it has proved – Floral Court has been a roaring success. During the summer months, this quiet hidden gem is packed, with customers having to wait for service due to the popularity of the place. The trees have grown to become a dominating influence for good – giving the atmosphere of a well-earned sanctuary from the busy area around – and will continue to do so for many decades. It is this kind of challenge that GreenBlue Urban revel in – getting green infrastructure into challenging locations to make a difference in myriad lives. GreenBlue Urban – creating healthy urban spaces in harmony with nature.
