Location- Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Owner- Canary Wharf Group Transport for London (station only)
Architect- Foster and Partners
Completed- 2015
The Crossrail Place Roof Garden is a 300-metre enclosed garden with an abundance of plants and trees which references both the history and geography of Canary Wharf. Drawing on the area’s heritage as a trading hub, many of the plants are native to countries visited by ships of the West India Dock Company who unloaded their wares in this very location 200 years ago. Crossrail Place sits almost exactly on the Meridian line and the planting is arranged according to which hemisphere they are from with Asian plants such as bamboos to the east, and plants such as ferns from the Americas to the west.
Visitors can enjoy the exotic planting, relax on one of the many benches nestled in hidden pathways or enjoy a show in the amphitheatre. Our 80 seater performance space ignites the imaginations of children and adults alike. In summer, in partnership with the Space Theatre, we deliver a programme of festivals, performance and music here which is known as ‘Bloom’. All events delivered In the Bloom programme are free and offer opportunities for local people to take part in or watch a wide variety of activities and encourage people to engage with the space in new and original ways.
I chose the Crossrail Place Roof Garden as one of my locations for the National Trust brief. I was drawn to this location as it has an abstract design and there are a variety of different plants in the interior. Some of the roof is also open so you can see the buildings in the background. It is interesting how there is a place like this among all the skyscrapers in Canary Wharf. I want this location to be the subject of one of my posters.
