| Title: | Neo Bankside, Southwark, London, UK |
| Markets: | Residential, Public Realm |
| Client: | Native Land |
| Services: | Landscape Architecture |
| Region: | United Kingdom |
| Date: | 2015 |
| 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 publicly 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.
"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
- 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize Shortlist
- 2015 RIBA London Award
- 2015 World Architecture News Residential Award — Shortlisted
- 2015 RIBA National Award
- 2014 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: Urban Habitat Award - Finalist
- 2013 Landscape Institute Award - Best Hard Landscaping £300k category
- 2012 Constructing Excellence (London and the South East) Awards — Health and Safety Award Winner
- 2012 New Homes and Gardens Awards: Gold for Best Communal Garden / Landscape and Gold for Best Landscaped Urban Development
- 2012 Best Large Development and Grand Prix Award: Evening Standard
- 2012 Best Landscape Architecture (London) and Best Architecture (UK): International Property Awards
- 2011 Best Development (London) and Best Development (UK): International Property Awards
