MILLWALL PARK VIADUCT A STUDY FOR REWILDING & ACTIVATING COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURES PRODUCED BY EBBA ARCHITECTS May 2020 Millwall Park Viaduct To reinstate the viaduct with a new purpose as a case study for other sites. To promote sustainable and green strategies for reusing infrastructures. To create a new community and educational asset, with learning and practical training. To support rewilding and the greening of our urban areas, improving access to green spaces. To champion the possibility of a green network across East London. Aims & Objectives Millwall Park Viaduct With support from the East London Garden Society and the Countryside Charity London A New ‘GREEN HIGHWAY’ What? to Mile End Park, following The Regents Canal to The Limehouse Basin. For East London London is blessed with many beautiful green spaces and the east end is no exception. We now have an amazing opportunity to improve and Help us make this a reality: extend green spaces in east London by connect- If you support the vision, please sign up and ing them up to form a ‘green chain’ walking trail support the work of the Great Eastern Parks Route from the eastern edge of City of London to the coalition. London is already a relatively green city Lea Valley and beyond. but it could be so much greener should we realise schemes such as this. Why? Access to high quality, nature rich green spaces provides many benefits for our health and FURTHER INFORMATION wellbeing. They can help to clean the air we breathe, providehealthy walking routes and space for outdoor exercise and relaxation, and give a home to wildlife. As London grows and becomes more densely populated, we need to protect, connect and enhance green spaces so we can increase the benefits they provide and be enjoyed generations to come. The vision The creation of new public green space as part of Regent’s Canal/ Cricketers Bridge the redevelopment of the old Bishopsgate Goodsyard would form the start of an exciting new west-east green trail. The trail would link a PROJECT PARTNERS number of existing open spaces as a series of A PROPOSAL FOR A GREAT EASTERN green ‘stepping stones’, enabling people to walk PARKS WALKING ROUTE CONNECTING from the City to the countryside without losing BISHOPSGATE WITH THE LEA VALLEY sight of nature. This would connect local commu- AND BEYOND nities to green spaces, encourage more people to walk, and help improve the quality of some Initiated by the East London Garden Society and neglected open spaces. supported by CPRE London The green ʻstepping stones’: Bishopsgate Goodsyard/Forest Garden to Allen Gardens/Spitalfields City Farm to Weavers Fields to Bethnal Green Gardens to Meath Gardens to Mile End Park to Victoria Park to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park toThree Mills Green/Lea Valley Park, an alternative route being from Meath Gardens Initiative & Supporters Millwall Park Viaduct Connecting Green Spaces GEPR City of London GREAT EASTERN PARKS Route From City of London to Bishopsgate Goodyards Victoria Park (known colloquially as Vicky Park or the People's Park) is a park in the 1.5 miles 30 minutes London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East London, England. It is the largest park in Tower Hamlets and one of London's most visited green spaces with approximately 9 million visitors every year. The park spans From Bishopsgate Goodsyard to 86.18 hectares (213.0 acres) of open space and opened to the public in 1845. Limehouse Basin Queen Elizabeth 4 miles 1 to 2 hours Olympic Park From Bishopsgate Goodsyard to 9 Leamouth Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in London, Stratfd England, United Kingdom, is 8 miles 2,5 to 4 hours a sporting complex in Stratford. It was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Victoria Park the Paralympics, situated to the east of the city adjacent to River Lea the Stratford City Regent’s Canal development. It contains the athletes' Olympic Village and several of the sporting venues 8 including the London Stadium and London Aquatics Centre, besides the London Olympics Hertfd Union Canal Three Mills Green Media Centre. Mile End Park & Island Benal Grn 7 The Three Mills are former working mills and Weavers 6 10 an island of the same name on the River Lea. Bishopsgate It is one of London’s oldest extant industrial Bromley-By-Bow centres. The mills lie in the London Borough of Newham; and, despite lying on the Fields Newham side of the Lea, access is principally Goodsyard 5 Bethnal Green from the western, London Borough of Tower Sheditch 4 Mile End Park is a Hamlets, side of the river. park located in the High Strt 1 Garden Mile End London Borough of Tower 2 3 Meath Hamlets. It is a linear park of some 32 hectares (79 BRICK LANE E.I. acres),[1] and was created on Spitalfields Gardens industrial land devastated by World War II bombing. Some Allen of the park is within City Farm Limehouse and Globe Town, with the park lying on land to Gardens the east of the Regent's Canal. In the north, it is separated from the southern Canning Town edge of Victoria Park by the Hertford Union Canal. Limehouse Limehouse Leamou Basin Spitalfields City Farm is a city City of London farm in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, a short distance from Brick Lane. Thame The farm was opened in 1978 on a 1.3-acre r s (0.53 ha) wasteland site that was a former e railway goods depot. Initially an allotment site, iv it expanded to house animals, and became a charity in 1980. R 1 mile Map by Helen Ilus Initiative & Supporters Millwall Park Viaduct East London Garden Society Millwall Park Viaduct & Bee Keeping School (EBBA ARCHITECTS) Shoreditch Forest Garden, Largest in Europe (London Live) Limehouse Triangle into Biodiversity Park (EBBA ARCHITECTS) Key Projects Millwall Park Viaduct Images: Dan Pearson Aims: To promote Nature, Rewilding & Green Routes Millwall Park Viaduct Goals: Opportunities to improve Education & Community Assets Millwall Park Viaduct Case Study: Green [Infrastructure] Route Millwall Park Viaduct Millwall Park Viaduct Connecting Green Spaces across East London, Great Eastern Parks Route (image: LDA) Identified site for Case Study at Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets Connecting Green Spaces: Millwall Park Viaduct, Isle of Dogs Millwall Park Viaduct The Highline NYC - successful replanting and design of a disused railway Millwall Park Viaduct The Highline NYC - New route with pathways, resting zones, and planting Millwall Park Viaduct 8 2 6 4 1 5 1 The Viaduct 2 Millwall Park 3 Island Gardens lightrail station 3 4 North Grenwich Bowls Club 5 Playground 6 Canary Wharf College 7 Millwall Rugby Club 7 8 Isle of Dogs Children’s Centre 0 25m Millwall Park Viaduct Historic photograph on top of Viaduct Existing photographs of Viaduct The Viaduct, Existing Site Millwall Park Viaduct Replanting along the entire viaduct. Opportunity for meadow of flowering plants species for bees and butterflies as well as wild planting Millwall Park Viaduct Chatsworth Laurent Perrier Garden, Dan Pearson Millwall Park Viaduct Project Public Park, Bee Keeping School & Centre for Learning Millwall Park Viaduct Create a new raised green route. Grow meadow for new insects and fauna. Sustain bees in hives for new jobs. Provide educational tools and learning opportunities. Improve access to nature. Consider acessibility and use of viaduct, including the arches. Create spaces for community to use and activate. Opportunities & Constraints Millwall Park Viaduct Bee Keeping School to provide educational and community function. Millwall Park Aspiring Beekeeper Hoster Beekeeper Supplier Aspiring Beekeeper Keeper offering training Mapping out registered local bee keepers and the wider community involved in the support and protection of urban bee hives Millwall Park Viaduct Opportunities for economic and social benefits through Bee Keeping Millwall Park Viaduct Local school and communities - connecting through existing initiatives and Inspired by tackling climate change, Northampton school leading way to providing opportunities for local residents increase bee population with their own apiary Support to Local Community and Ecological Projects Millwall Park Viaduct Site Investigation: Access and Use Millwall Park Viaduct 5 2 3 1 4 1 The Viaduct public skypark 2 Park landscaping and seating 3 Hard landscaping 4 Possible staircase and lift location 5 Locked Hive location 0 10m Millwall Park Viaduct Chatsworth Laurent Perrier Garden, Dan Pearson Millwall Park Viaduct Education centre Education centre Public Education centre Education centre OPTION A Hives in controlled access zone Public Hives in controlled access zone Hives in controlled access zone Public OPTION B Hives in controlled access zone Side staircase Hives in controlled access zone Public Hives in controlled access zone Side staircase Side staircase and lift Education centre Education centre Public Public Hives in controlled OPTION C access zone Public Hives in controlled access zone Public Site Strategy Diagrams Side staircase Side staircase and lift Millwall Park Viaduct Indicative universal access to the Viaduct Park and Gardens. The lift towers also acting as a beacon across the wider area by illuminating in the evening Millwall Park Viaduct Metal light pole for evening walks - also create a visual attraction from afar Pond planter for aquatic life Larger planter box with greater depth for taller shurbs and trees Information on planter sides Original viaduct brick wall maintained Existing brick unchanged Lower soil planters Timber benches named for fundraising Timber sleepers laid on the floor and used as benches Stone and wild flower space on the existing surface Section through viaduct exploring potential for planting and landscaping. Millwall Park Viaduct Chatsworth Laurent Perrier Garden, Dan Pearson Millwall Park Viaduct View from above showing the potential for a new green infrastructure and raised park landscape. Millwall Park Viaduct A view of the possibility to rewild, activate and support a new infrastructure from the disused viaduct.