Monumentally successful and hugely influential, the garden festivals were unique events which sparked a cultural renaissance in their host towns and cities. Indeed, persuading people to live and work in the accommodating areas was as important as boosting their profile internationally.
Gillespies was deeply involved in three of the five UK garden festivals: Liverpool (1984, value seventeen million), Glasgow (1988, value thirty five million) and Ebbw Vale (1992, value thirty four million). The firm's role varied with each event from initial site masterplanning and layout to detailed design and implementation of the landscape and other structures. The sites were transformed from industrial and derelict land to green and pleasant spaces. Importantly, Gillespies also oversaw the successful transition of the sites into a fitting location for homes and businesses upon completion of the festivals.
The firm's work on these initiatives spanned more than a decade and the experienced gained in managing projects of this size is still of value to our clients today.
