The Water Gardens, London

The Water Gardens is located in central London in the North of Hyde Park. The buildings and the suspended podium deck gardens over a car park void were completed in 1966 and were inspired by the modernist and Brutalist architectural movements. After 50 years the roofs were now leaking and paving was in poor condition. Thus the Church Commissionars for England initiated a refurbishment project: This did not only include the renewal of the waterproofing but also a redesign of the planting and paving scheme. In addition, modern features such as night lighting and hightech water jets and fountains were to be incorporated. For that, all of the original planting and paving had to be carefully removed to renovate the waterproofing and carefully reinstate a light-weight green roof build-up to provide a basis for the great variety of new perennials, shrubs and trees. Floradrain® FD 40-E was used as the core piece of this build-up in combination with a light weight roof garden substrate. A special irrigation system supplies enough water so that the new trees and plants were already thriving just a few months after installation.