Studio Weave were appointed by the City of London Corporation to design public realm improvements for the Finsbury Circus Western Arm as an extension of our adjacent Finsbury Circus Gardens project. The site was previously a vehicular through-route, and heavily constrained below ground; the brief sought to prioritise opportunities for climate resilient greening. Our scheme sets out a distinct garden at the centre of the site creating a space of calmer dwelling, with faster moving pedestrian flow retained on perimeter footways.
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The commission began with a thorough feasibility study identifying the opportunities of planting above underground tunnels and utilities including: the London Underground lines, gas, high-voltage power, telecoms and water utilities. The position of planting beds and trees was determined by the constraints resulting in an irregular composition of green islands, which are held together as a garden by a defined area of woven-bond small sandstone setts, in contrast to the large yorkstone pavers on surrounding footways. Where shallow soil depth would have restricted the feasibility and health of planting and trees, we developed rising steel edges to create locally raised planters to maximise their growth and maturity prospects. Between planters, a ribbon of seating is threaded into quiet niches.
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