| Title: | Neo Bankside, Southwark, London, UK |
| Markets: | Residential, Public Realm |
| Client: | Native Land |
| Services: | Landscape Architecture |
| Region: | United Kingdom |
| Status: | Complete |
| Team: | Gillespies, RSHP, Growth Industry, Hoare Lea, Carillion, Frosts Landscape |
| Photography: | Jason Gairn |
NEO Bankside is a sequence of richly detailed garden spaces positioned around the footprint of luxury apartment pavilions, designed by architects RSHP, on a prominent site adjacent to the Tate Modern in London.
The landscape design by Gillespies places NEO Bankside within a richly landscaped environment, blending private garden spaces with tree-lined linear groves of alder and birch which form the boundary to a new public realm.
The landscape strategy defines the threshold between semi private, private and publically accessible spaces through the use of planted berms, pebble lined moats, stone lined cuttings and narrow walkways that combine to create a strong sense of identity for the site, while the elegant and peaceful landscaped gardens – containing a beehive, orchard fruit trees and a herb garden – provide opportunities for residents to engage with nature and escape from city life.
The introduction of groves complements the planted language around Tate Modern, helping to seamlessly integrate the network of public spaces into the wider area.
Landscape Architects Growth Industry were commissioned as specialist planting consultants to develop a detailed list of plants species to realise Gillespies planting concepts. They also produced site-wide detailed planting plans, schedules and specifications, had input into procurement, setting out, and site inspections during implementation.
"NEO Bankside is seductive architecture. On a pocket of land between some single-storey almshouses and the multiplying monoliths that are Tate Modern, the developers have squeezed in a group of exquisite towers and some of the best new landscaping in London."
2015 RIBA Stirling Judges' comments
Awards
- ٢٠١٥ RIBA Stirling Prize Shortlist
- ٢٠١٥ RIBA London Award
- ٢٠١٥ World Architecture News Residential Award — Shortlisted
- ٢٠١٥ RIBA National Award
- ٢٠١٤ Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: Urban Habitat Award - Finalist
- ٢٠١٣ Landscape Institute Award - Best Hard Landscaping £300k category
- ٢٠١٢ Constructing Excellence (London and the South East) Awards — Health and Safety Award Winner
- ٢٠١٢ New Homes and Gardens Awards: Gold for Best Communal Garden / Landscape and Gold for Best Landscaped Urban Development
- ٢٠١٢ Best Large Development and Grand Prix Award: Evening Standard
- ٢٠١٢ Best Landscape Architecture (London) and Best Architecture (UK): International Property Awards
- ٢٠١١ Best Development (London) and Best Development (UK): International Property Awards
“Working within the plan for NEO Bankside developed by architects RSHP, we have created visually stimulating spaces between and beneath the buildings, creating an overall sense that NEO Bankside is floating on a cloud of trees. To achieve this, we studied the mix and composition of each space carefully.
We responded to the challenges created by the particular arrangement of the tall buildings in terms of wind, light and shade to ensure that the outdoor spaces have visual interest throughout the year.
The completed landscape ensures that NEO Bankside’s residents will enjoy quiet seclusion in their own private gardens while members of the public passing through can also enjoy the wider landscape.”
Stephen Richards, Partner at Gillespies
