The Park at Elephant Park

The park celebrates the mature trees that once defined the site, seamlessly incorporating all 28 into its design. Collaborating with Treeworks Environmental Practice, we preserved these magnificent trees for their crucial role in carbon sequestration, air cooling, and pollution mitigation. Their expansive canopy gives the park a timeless feel as if it has been here for decades.

The surrounding planting strategy features a rich blend of native and non-native species, creating a diverse, multi-layered environment that significantly enhances biodiversity and ecological health, as supported by extensive research.

The team embraced a design-led, participatory approach for the Park. By forming a Park Advisory Group with representatives from the client, Local Authority, and community members, we ensured a design that is both adaptable and enduring. Extensive public consultation shaped the Park's brief, fostering a strong sense of ownership among local communities.

The quality of the design, diversity of users, and proximity to transport links is already attracting visitors from far and wide, increasing investment in the area and adding to its already rich culture. Surrounded by a unique mix of local and independent restaurants, cafes and shops, the Park truly caters for the broad diversity and demographic of Elephant & Castle.

The park is the centrepiece of the Elephant Park Masterplan, an ambitious regeneration project by Lendlease and Southwark Council that is breathing new life into Elephant and Castle. The landmark project will deliver 300 new homes, 50 shops, restaurants, and cafes with 11 acres of thoughtfully designed public spaces, including the brand new park.

Gillespies is the public realm masterplanner for the entire Elephant Park development and the landscape architect for several plots, including the new centrepiece park.