The scheme comprises of diverse spaces that allow for many types of occupation to coexist at one time. Whilst the civic square of pink granite is deliberately open, with wall mounted lighting and street furniture pushed to its edge, the arboretum is dense and mysterious, taking advantage of the sense of enclosure created by the buildings around it. Key desire lines criss-cross the space and between them the ground undulates, falling to create damp woodland ecologies and rising at promontories and formal settings within the trees.

The scheme includes bespoke detailing, prototyping and servicing that is integrated with the surrounding buildings, all delivered through a design build contract. Prototyped lights create a sense of grandeur whilst bringing a human scale to the arcade. Concrete walls in tree trunk relief mitigate against wind and naturalistic planting is lined with seating and framed by fencing modules that allow children to run through them and adults to lean on them.

The public space was delivered in phases over a number of years. Parts of the site were hoarded off for extended periods and this was used as an opportunity to introduce what was to come in subsequent phases of the project and to engage residents in the transformation of their town centre. The hoarding was modelled to mock up the steps that were later built and was lined in a large scale commissioned photograph of a woodland rather than in advertising.
www.muf.co.uk/portfolio/barking-town-square

At muf, Alison was project architect on this scheme. See more. The client was Redrow Regeneration Ltd on behalf of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The project was commissioned as part of the Mayor's 100 Public Spaces programme.