GLA commissioned Design Guide to examine possible improvements to Crystal Gardens, a small, heavily used park sandwiched between the Silvertown Flyover and the Royal Victoria Dock.

The gardens are one of only a few green spaces available to the local community and much visited in the summer months as the site of an annual Beach Event run by Tower Hamlets.  The landscaping had become tired and run down and proposals were required to improve the planting, create better infrastructure and streamline pedestrian and vehicular routes.

We consulted with the teams managing the park and running temporary events and carried out an analysis to identify the key areas for improvement. We wrote guidelines for layout adaptions and prepared a palette of sympathetic materials, planting and built elements.  Considerations included ways to improve connectivity between the various spaces, more varied soft landscaping including opportunities for community gardening and proposals for a series of small pavilions, shelters and vertical elements to support year round activities and temporary events.

The guide informed subsequent event planning and formed part of a briefing pack for the area wide Royal Docks Public Realm Design Guides.