by ‘A new park in the sky’ for London
The first phase of Camden Highline: a new high rise building Urban park in London, planning permission has been granted.
With a length of 1.2 km of disused railway between Camden Town and King’s Cross, the project includes a green connection line that will provide green spaces for londoners introducing a new attraction to the capital. The high-line style park is expected to bring new local green space to 20,000 people, increase the ecological value of the site and increase Camden’s biodiversity.
‘The Camden Highline has captured the local imagination. It urges us to broaden the horizons of what is possible within our cities and is exactly the type of innovative, environmentally sustainable, community-driven project that will continue to benefit and inspire generations to come. This vision will also provide tremendous business opportunities for local small businesses, helping to build a better, greener and more prosperous London for all. I hope to follow the Camden Highline on its journey and walk in London’s own park in the sky,’ comments
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
View of Camden Highline seen at ground level © Hayes Davidson
introduce more green spaces in inner London areas
Started as a crowdfunding campaign four years ago, the initiative is led by architects and designers from the New York High Line (see more here) — James Corner Field Operations (more here), vPPR local architecture practice (more here), the Camden Highline team (here), and community engagement specialists Street Space (here). Informed by woodlands, productive gardens, meadows and old British hedgerows, the plantation, spearheaded by renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf, in close collaboration with the London Wildlife Trust, will take visitors through a “series of different ecosystems and experiences.”
The first phase running between Camden Gardens and Royal College Street can now proceed, while the other two sections (from Royal College Street to Camley Way and from Camley Way to York Way) are still awaiting planning approval. ‘Each section of the Highline will have a different character, in direct response to the different neighborhoods, contexts and conditions through which it travels, to provide a true reflection of Camden’s unique identity. Interactive design features, including a children’s play zone, volunteer-managed assignments and an outdoor classroom, will come together to create a sense of urban exploration and discovery, while balconies will connect the park with life. urban street below.
South elevation of Camden Highline © vPPR-JCFO
Throughout the park, an architectural screen filled with nesting sites, vegetation, and transportation windows will separate the green oasis from the active rail line while offering a cohesive design language to the overall route. “The access points to the park, at Camden Gardens, Royal College Street, Camley Street and York Way, will be fully accessible, with a possible additional fifth stairway on St Pancras Way.”
In addition, section one will house a transparent panoramic lift or stairs that will guide visitors through the treetop to a floating portico, offering panoramic views over the park and the Victorian railway viaduct. The project is expected to generate 200 construction jobs and 116 new jobs in the long term, introduce green spaces for the capital and strengthen its profile as “one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.”
Now that planning permission has been granted, the Camden Highline charity is seeking financial backers to back the £14 million cost of the first section of the project and to begin construction work. 2025 is the planned opening date for the first section.
Aerial view display of Camden Highline © Hayes Davidson
“I live and work a few hundred yards from the Camden Highline and see it as a local walk you can do with the family, linking the canal and Coal Drops Yard in one loop. It would be a place to go and meet friends, forming a central backbone of the community. A small section runs through Camden’s private residences, but the longer portion serves a number of housing estates and parts of London that currently do not have access to local green spaces. I am very excited about how Camden Highline will unite Camden through one beautiful shared resource,’ mentions Principal architect, Tatiana von Preussen of vPPR.
Camden Highline Artifact Wall ©JCFO
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Camden Highline ©JCFO Camden Road Bridge Footbridge
Camden Highline ©vPPR-JCFO North elevation
Camden Highline © JCFO Woodland Seating Grove
Camden Highline ©JCFO Wall Trainspotting
Camden Highline ©JCFO Overlook
Camden Highline Artifact Wall ©JCFO
project information:
Name: the camden high line
location: Camden, London
Designer Team:
Principal Consultant: James Corner Field Operations
architecture: vPPR Architects
planting layout: Piet Oudolf
Art: hew locke
commitment: street space
Illumination design: major speires
railways: Tony Gee Engineering
Engineering: AKTII
cost modeling: Rider Levett Bucknall
sustainability: workshop ten
identity and orientation: Staff
heritage: authentic futures
planning: Lichfields
construction planning: Avondale Consulting
ecology and biodiversity: London Wildlife Trust
cristina petridou i designboom
January 21, 2023
