This is reputed to be Birmingham’s first new park in 130 years. It is the focal point of the Eastside Regeneration area, creating a setting for surrounding buildings and a green route into the district from the city centre.
Since opening at the end of 2012, this park has become a vital amenity in a city that faced enormous environmental pressures. A landscape intervention has improved the quality of life for the 1.8m residents and the image of this polluted industrial city.
At the city scale, the park is a piece of green infrastructure that presents an emerging area of buildings. At the civic scale it provides large public spaces, including a square thatcan be used for events. At the human scale tactile features, the aromas and colours of the planting, and the reflection and sound of water creates a pleasing environment.
The park’s length lends itself to a continuous narrative, while across its shorter dimension it is more a moment of green in a journey through the city. Whether enjoyed as a sequence or individually, the spaces in the park make a variety of topographical, historical and formal connections to the city.
Credits as supplied:
Lead Architect & Landscape Architect: Patel Taylor
Landscape Consultant: Allain Provost
Landscape Technical Consultant: Applied Landscape Design
Civil/Structural/Electrical Engineer: Arup
Client: Birmingham City Council (BCC)
Project Manager: Acivico (BCC)
Quantity Surveyor: Acivico (BCC)
Main Contractor: Wates Construction
