Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

Location: Vauxhall

Client: London Borough of Lambeth

Cost: £200k

Duration: 12 weeks

Landscape Architect: DSDHA

“Good quality public spaces are vital as places of leisure and relaxation. These improvements are fantastic and have made the whole area more welcoming and attractive, turning what used to be quite a run down and threatening area into somewhere that people will want to visit and enjoy.” - Eamonn McMahon, Chair of Friends of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

Further information:

The scheme for the London Borough of Lambeth with architects DSDHA was to deliver an exciting new landmark entrance to the historic Vauxhall Spring Gardens (now renamed Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens) as part of a long-term framework plan for improvements to the park.

The Gardens have a rich history: the site was the location of one of two entrances to Vauxhall Spring Gardens during the 17th to early 19th centuries. The gardens provided musical, theatrical and cultural performances, and an orchestra was located within the grounds. The architecture was highly theatrical and contained a mix of monumental, picturesque and exotic structures.

Blakedown removed the existing features, entrance way and footpaths. Once the levelling was complete, we constructed new tarmac footpaths, laid new granite paving with a smooth granite stone to demark a pedestrian route around the side of the pillars, built bespoke black planter retaining walls, before planting new semi mature trees, planting shrubs and turfing the mounds.

The new entrance celebrates the spirit of the pleasure gardens through the introduction of a generous entrance on the street with high-quality paving, bespoke metal edging, tree and shrub planting, bespoke concrete planter edges, integrated lighting and signage. The central feature is a two block concrete column which was completed by working with White Rock Engineering.