The Water Garden, Republic Public Realm, East India Dock

East India Dock is undergoing redevelopment: with a strategy of adaptive reuse its existing PoMo office blocks (1992) are being refurbished as high quality and low cost work space within a new creative district (Republic); and its external areas are becoming newly revitalized areas of public realm, that are also integrated within the wider framework of the Tower Hamlets Green Grid Strategy. Phase 1 of the public realm project and design process has focused on the public realm represented by the existing unplanted concrete canal, and addressed the functionality of this predominantly hard landscape context; taking into account its related constraints as a podium structure, and its microclimate, in particular prevailing wind issues.

Working carefully around the existing avenue of lime trees the existing railings and bridges have been replaced with new sustainable timber structures, decking, pavilions with green roofs, and a newly planted canal, to create the new public ream of the Water Gardens, conceived as a series of multi functional neighbourhoods, within a water garden setting. As an integrated and collaborative process the new timber pavilions have been designed by Studio RHE, and the new planting design is by remapp.

The proposed planting palettes for land and water enhance biodiversity, and define changing seasonal atmospheres as a series of sheltered public open spaces for the activities of the new work spaces and cafes to spill out into. New marginal planting has been established in the 1m+ deep water with the installation of a bespoke two tiered gabion structure. The planting palette includes a mix of native and non native plants, chosen for their wildlife habitat benefits, dynamic and long seasonal sequences, extending the flowering time of plants for pollinators; and creating a series of diverse and sheltered external rooms. The native and non native species mix also reflects the cosmopolitan ecology of the sites history, context and culture.

In terms of generating impact towards carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation the installation of green biodiverse roofs, new trees and shrubs, and riparian planting, have all contributed multiple ecosystem services - including carbon sequestration, reducing the urban heat island effect, providing capacity for surface water run-off and improving air quality. Together these contribute to a healthy and resilient environment to mitigate local climate impacts. The project gained an 'Excellent' BREEAM rating with the significant increase in habitats and large upsurge in species richness (Biodiversity Net Gain).

The project has also been selected as a case study for the L.I. Climate Change Publication, 'Landscape for 2030: How landscape practice can respond to the climate crisis', launched on March 22nd 2021.