Post by HTA Design

The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park is a radical example of sustainability and resilience, transforming a two-acre former store yard into a biodiverse, climate-adaptive public landscape. In this video, Katherine and James Lord discuss the repurposing of the 1950s water tower. Instead of demolition, the tower, which once served the decommissioned plant nursery, was reimagined as a modern folly. It now stands as both a landmark and a learning tool, offering elevated views from a new balcony. This balcony is decked in recycled steel sections salvaged from the greenhouses that once stood on site. Furthermore, the tower's former basement now stores rainwater collected from the adjacent barn roof for garden maintenance, sustainably managing water that was previously discharged directly into London’s sewers. Adding to its unique character, the tower features decorative metalwork designed in collaboration with The King’s Foundation, symbolising the four home nations through motifs of thistle, leek, shamrock, and rose, each individually forged by an artist blacksmith from their respective nation.

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