Exchange Square

1/17Retrofitting nature into the City
1/2Location: Broadgate, City of London
1/22A place for respite in the City
1/11Drawings: Axonometric
1/4Details: Terrazzo amphitheatre
1/6Concept: A park suspended above the tracks to Liverpool Street Station
1/10Seasons in the Square: Winter
1/2Lighting: A space transformed by lighting after dark
Time lapse of construction
1/10Site: Before
Image Overview

A major new public park for the City of London, Exchange Square is re-imagined as a bucolic landscape and generously planted green space, suspended above the tracks of Liverpool Street Station. Unfolding across several levels to create a more natural topography for the site, it will provide opportunities for rest and relaxation at the heart of Broadgate, and a unique place in the City where nature and culture are in balance.

Helping the city to breathe

Exchange Square is the culmination of DSDHA’s Broadgate Public Realm Framework plan for British Land, which has demonstrated the crucial role the public realm can play in establishing a new identity for a site – from an office-led campus to a truly mixed-use, creative environment with a broader mix of uses. Fundamental to its success will be breaking down perceived barriers to surrounding areas of the City, and to encourage a more diverse group of people to use the public spaces through new planting, seating, lighting, high-quality materials, and more opportunities for temporary uses and events.

Bringing nature and wellbeing to the fore, in balance with technology, we have designed an informal open-air space in which to, meet, celebrate, work and relax surrounded by greenery. It will foster creativity and conviviality and welcome new audiences.

A holistic approach to sustainability

The 1.5-acre park will see a four-fold increase in the amount of planting and dramatically enhance biodiversity, with 25% of the area featuring green space that is accessible to all. Wellbeing and inclusivity have been vital considerations throughout the design process, driven by the ambition to make a vibrant space that encourages engagement and interactivity. A comprehensive analysis of pedestrian movement helped to identify barriers to access – including steps, changes in level, lack of visual contrast and changes in tactility, and poor signage – in order to provide a space that is accessible to all. A strategy of ‘awesome’ planting is proposed that will offer seasonal variety and an ever-changing sensory experience that ensures the park will never be the same place twice.

Type
Public RealmPlacemaking
Field
Landscape
Theme
Co-design & EngagementRegenerative DesignBiodiversity
Client
British Land
Completion
2022
Size
6,000 sqm
Value
£14.5m
Services
ArchitectLandscape Architect
People
Deborah SauntDavid HillsTom GreenallLee McKinleyAnne WynnePaul BourelLaura Virto MartinezIain JamiesonMarie Sophie HabermannMatt LambertSacha Hickinbotham
Team
Horticulture: FFLOProject Manager: Stace Project ManagementStructural Engineer: ARUPM&E Engineer: ARUPLighting Designer: Speirs MajorCost Consultant: Gardiner & TheobaldEcology Consultant: Greengage EnvironmentalAccess Consultant: David Bonnett AssociatesContractor: MaylimPlanning Consultant : DP9
Awards
AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards - Shortlisted, 2024RIBA London Awards - Shortlisted, 2023Dezeen Awards – Longlisted, 2023Surface Design Awards - Finalist, 2023New London Awards – Shortlisted, 2023WCCA City Building of the Year, 2023RIBA London Award - Shortlisted, 2023Pro Landscaper Sustainability and Biodiversity Awards – Winner, 2023The Pineapples - Shortlisted, 2022[d]arc Awards - Winner, 2022BALI National Landscape Awards - Grand Winner, 2022Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, 2021
Photography
DSDHABritish Land
Videography
Daniel Fisher