One Remarkable Rooftop

After a summer that thus far, has had its moments weather-wise, Abode2 sends L-J Andrew out to enjoy this short sunny spell at one of London’s largest residential rooftop gardens at Battersea Power Station

With at least a few days of warm weather this ‘summer’, and a very ‘British summer’ it has been, green spaces in the city are just begging to be enjoyed, luckily with clever landscaping, chic design and an epic view, Battersea Roof Garden presents the perfect picturesque escape.

Part of the 42-acre ‘live, work, play’ Battersea Power Station neighbourhood, this new 29,000 square foot roof garden has been designed by James Corner of Field Operations, the visionary behind the New York High Line, and delivered by LDA Design, the landscape architects and longstanding partners of Battersea Power Station.

Enjoying mesmerising views of Battersea Power Station’s iconic chimneys, as well as 360-degree views of the rest of London, the garden follows the unique undulations of Foster + Partners’ eye-catching mixed-use building, and is planted with 23,000 plants and 55 trees, creating swathes of colour and delight.

Nestled among the planting is a series of spaces for seating where neighbours congregate and socialise including a generous “community dining table”, whilst the wooden loungers are precisely placed to offer the perfect spot to soak up the sun. The garden opens out into a grassed area for yoga and small events and the soft ambient lighting means this space can be enjoyed long into the evening hours and provides a unique feeling of discovery.

The perennial planting will also change through the seasons, creating a vibrant, ever-changing backdrop to the neighbouring Power Station. The green and yellow of Euphorbia sits next to tall, violet-blue spires of Perovskia adding structure and drama, whilst encouraging bees and butterflies. In May and June, light and dark purple Alliums stand proud, followed by clusters of sea holly and slender, long-flowering mauve Verbena, all set against a backdrop of green and gold grasses, including Deschampsia, Helicotrichon and Sesleria.

Battersea Roof Gardens features 436 studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a 164-room art’otel London Battersea Power Station, and two storeys of shops, restaurants, cafés and bars, forming one half of Electric Boulevard, a new pedestrianised high street. Within the Foster + Partners’ building is Koa at Electric Boulevard, the latest off-plan launch of 204 studio, one and two bedroom apartments, and 50 Electric Boulevard, a new 200,000 square foot office space.

Residents in Battersea Roof Gardens, Koa at Electric Boulevard and Gehry Partners’ Prospect Place, next to the Foster + Partners building, enjoy access to the newly unveiled roof gardens.

Meriam Makiya, Head of Residential at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Battersea Power Station is a neighbourhood centred around creating a sense of community and this beautiful roof garden is the perfect space for residents to share and enjoy together. Elevating this garden to the top of the Foster + Partners’ building has allowed us to be generous in the amount of outdoor space residents can enjoy. Combined with other incredible amenities in the building including the two-storey Sky Lounge, and the exceptional breadth of shops, restaurants, bars and leisure venues now open across the wider estate, it is very rare that developments are able to offer such a rich, community-focused residential experience.”

Grant Brooker, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “The rooftop gardens are for all of the building’s residents. The aim was to create a thriving parkland walkway that provides spectacular views across the river and to the city. The gardens are a social space to walk, run, take a yoga class - or just relax and breathe - in a unique setting that is high above the city and set against the power station’s iconic chimneys.”

James Corner, Principal of James Corner Field Operations, which delivered the design of the roof garden, said: “We were initially drawn to the project because of the extraordinary context of the site – an elevated and large-scale roof garden looking out across the magnificent Power Station and its iconic chimneys, the River Thames and practically all of London as a 360-degree panorama. The key objective for the garden was for it to provide surprise, delight and provide a deeply visceral sense of immersive nature, with comfortable spaces for seating, lounging, sunbathing, looking-out, exercise, yoga and eating. This beautiful rooftop garden provides is a scenographic sequence of garden experiences, a magical lookout, and an amazing set of diverse experiences.”

Benjamin Walker, director at LDA Design, the Executive Landscape Architects, and project lead, said: “Battersea Roof Gardens is an elegant, rolling space designed to complement Foster + Partners’ architecture. Our ambition was to not only create a stunning retreat high above Battersea Power Station’s new public realm, but also a lush, resilient, nature-rich space that is designed to withstand hot dry summers and warmer wet winters. The gardens require minimal maintenance and a year since planting, are now thriving.”

These residential roof gardens are the latest piece of the 42-acre riverside neighbourhood to be unveiled, following the public opening of the Grade II* listed Power Station and Electric Boulevard, a new pedestrianised high street, in October 2022. Residents can enjoy over 100 shops, restaurants and bars now open across the riverside neighbourhood, located inside and around the newly opened Grade II* listed Power Station. Further openings are taking place throughout 2023, including the recently launched 24,000 square foot Arcade Food Hall, which houses a 500-cover food hall, two bars, 13 different cuisines, three restaurants and a private dining room, all set in the buzzing atmosphere of the Power Station.

www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk

 @BatterseaPwrStn