Hard landscaping in the sky at Crystal Garden at 10, Fenchurch Avenue in London is a beautiful example of what can be achieved with clever design, expert construction, and the imaginative use of precast concrete. Standing sixty-five metres above ground level over seventeen storeys of working offices, the garden is the first publicly accessible space of its kind, and offers 360o views across the city.
Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd turned to Evans Concrete, part of the Shay Murtagh group, to supply and deliver a hundred and eighty units to make the elegant and colourful retreat on the roof of the refurbished building. It will benefit not only the workers in the offices and their visitors, but also the general public, who are admitted to the garden at weekends and after office hours, and is being seen as a landmark example of what are known as ‘Public Spaces in the Sky’.
Evans, whose meticulous attention to detail and unrivalled skill in producing precast concrete units in a wide range of colours, styles and shapes, made the pathways, water features and seating to Frosts’ detailed specifications, and the results are breath-taking; by day, the soft landscaping, the trees and shrubs, in particular the wisteria, in the planters, together with the background sound of running water, bring a soothing atmosphere to space, and by night the dramatic lighting on the elegant modern style of the structures give an intense and vivid effect that leads the field in the skyscape of design in this part of London.
Evans Concrete can trace its origins back for over a hundred years, and became part of the Shay Murtagh group in 2016. Evans is well known for the artistry it brings to the forms and colours of precast concrete, while Shay Murtagh’s reputation generally lies in more massive structures for civil engineering projects. The skills of the two companies complement each other and ensure that both will keep their places at the leading edge of precast concrete technology.
Building a garden of hard landscaping in the sky from precast concrete calls for something special in the way of artistry.
