Elephant park is a mixed-use development in South London located in the historic area of Elephant and Castle. The landscape is made up of meanwhile and permanent spaces this includes: Sayer Street, the Meadow and Elephant Springs.
Sayer Street, 2020, B|D
The theme of these vibrant structures was inspired by Tribal Samakaka print to honour the 'Spirit of the Elephant', with the majority of the structural back drop producing powerful 'V' Shape borders cladded using striking colourful solid and fabric dressing props. The main structures where constructed using a temporary, modular scaffold structure with a focus on creating a vibrant green space. Prefabricated workspace 'shacks' offered shade and shelter, which were eventually disassembled and re-deployed. All allowing for flexibility and potential reuse after the permanent development was completed.
400 tonnes of stone were supplied by a family-owned quarry in northern Italy and brought to the UK where skilled stonemasons crafted the slabs into the mounds seen today.
Along with the main water features and play space fitted with hammocks, sand and slides, The Tree House is a community space for everyone to enjoy, allowing users to climb up to enjoy the space from a elelvated perspective. The Tree Top is accessible via lift and stairs, an offering a chance to relax and take in the views.
The following figure shows the location of Elephant Park and surrounding features.
Sayer Street was a designated meanwhile street, designing only half a street on a strip of land only 4 metres wide and 100 metres in length, commissioned to enhance the area during a large development project in order to create a 'high-street' experience while construction was ongoing.
Designed in 2018 through to completion in 2020, the brief was to create a meanwhile street that has a unique sense of place and authenticity within the local community, providing an opportunity for activation and discovery throughout the day. The following figures show Sayer Street and its relationship with the wider site, and initial conceptual sketches.
The result was a contemporary reinterpretation of the high street, a 'jungle' planting palette, full of tall palms, leafy grasses and winding climbers created an immersive experience and green oasis against the urban jungle backdrop. Perennials such as Rudbeckia and Persicaria to add shots of seasonal colour. The overall approach to Sayer Street was for not to be a static installation, but that it would grow and change over the next 5 years.The following figures show the 'high street' in full bloom.
The Meadow at Elephant Park, 2020, B|D
The Meadow is a meanwhile space, for the same reasons a Sayer Street, connecting Elephant and Castle station to the centre of a new, mixed-use development which links to Sayer Street, driven by a desire to provide valuable green space, activate the streetscape and increase biodiversity. The temporary park was created on the plot which would eventually feed into the wider greening initiative.
Designed to spark the imagination of all ages, resulting in a playful landscape, brought to life through natural play and places to rest. Timber which was felled on site and surplus soil was used to create natural play trails and tilted landforms. Pink structures, which glow at night, mark the entrance to the park and were encouraged to be photographed and tagged via Instagram, simultaneously working as advertising, encouraging the public to enjoy the Meadow.
Encouraging pollinators through the site was a key element which was at the centre point of the planting palette, focusing on a mix of grasses and flowering perennials, providing food and shelter for wildlife. A variety of colours and textures were used to create a visually appealing and diverse meadow, suited to thrive in the local climate and soil.
Woven willow was used to create a life-sized elephant and towering tulips, motivating people to stop, changing the pace of the landscape, adding a sense of place and ownership to the landscape. The botanical heads are a nod in acknowledgement to the sites historical use as a market garden.
The following images present some of these design choices.
Elephant Springs, Gillespies in collaboration with artist Mel Chantry of The Fountain Workshop.
Situated in the London borough, Elephant and Castle, Elephant Springs is a natural play feature inspired by the the natural world and bringing local communities in the area closer to it, which executed the brief well as an extensive community consultation process identified the desire for good quality play facilities. For the client and the design team this highlighted that for Elephant Springs to be successful, it needed to be; inclusive and accessible for all, bespoke, woven seamlessly into its surroundings, facilitate possible change in the future, designed for all ages, provide a wide range of experiences, predominantly natural materials, and fun and challenging.
Mel Chantry, artist and lead designer created the initial conceptual sketches bringing these non-negotiables to life, the following figures present these sketches.
The main Springs are constructed from Porphyry, an igneous rock formed around 230 million years ago, getting its name from the Ancient Greek word meaning 'purple'. Porphyry was chosen because it naturally breaks away in large slabs in the quarry, meaning it's the ideal material to create stepped landforms with a variety of different levels, and its hard wearing properties which means it has good slip-resistance when wet.
Many scaled plasticine models were made by Mel to help envision the site and how the rocks would form the basis of the wet play. The following figures show some of these models and rocks being laid.
Precision was crucial to engineer the stone at the correct gradient to create even distribution of water where required.
Amongst the eclectic mix of water features including cascades, babbling streams and hand-operated pumps and jets, are six statement public art pieces by artists Ryan Gander, each showcasing a unique interaction, bringing imaginations to life, freed by the lack of rules. The following figures show some of these water features and public art pieces.
The main room here can be booked for events, whilst café kiosk provides lunch items and range of beverages.
With nearly 15% of people who live in the borough, Elephant and Castle, estimated to earn less than the living wage and Southwark has the sixth-highest rate of child poverty out of all local authorities in the UK, the development of this outdoor play space has been great for the local and wider communities. The 'people-scape' accommodates for all ages and abilities, whilst providing a space for those who were displaces from Heygate Estate (estate on site of existing park demolished ten year previously).
Personally I believe the space to be an important part of the local area, even having visited on a fresh day mid March there was plenty of people enjoying the space, and its clear it is going to be the centre point of the new housing development. During this visit the water features were not running because of the low temperature, yet the landscape is still playful and lyrical, the sacked porphyry mounds encouraging you to climb and wander through the landscape. The surrounding well-established trees help to transport the experience through the park to a location different to where you really are.
Overall, the experience in Elephant Park is an enjoyable one, I question the sustainability of the porphyry stone all the way from Italy. Maintenance issues concerning the footpaths flooding which has limited access through the park.
The following figures express the atmosphere and structure of the park and conclude this post.
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