A Water Garden and its lost Landscape Architect

Image: Kate Harwood

When trying to understand the history of the tiny courtyard at the Sanderson Hotel, Dominic Cole found out the planting had been designed by Philip Hicks and that another of his schemes was the water gardens in Edgware Road, so had to visit - it was a revelation to discover this remarkable landscape of levels, planes, water and delightful planting. The use of space, textures and light was amazing. Attempts to ‘update‘ paving and planting have begun to erode the simplicity and beauty of the original design.

Jan Woudstra shows that the Water Garden at Burwood Place was part of a movement that saw its roots in the 19th century re-imagination of the ‘Hanging Gardens of Babylon’. These iconic gardens were also a starting point as techniques improved, with the use of concrete and steel, for roof gardens. In the 20th century they were used as a reference to platform gardens, most famously in the raised decks of the architecture of futuristic cities. But what did these decks set out to do? What kinds of environments were envisaged? Burwood Place is but one of a whole series of responses. What was the intention here and what can we learn about life as it was supposed to be lived? What has happened since it was completed, with our perspective on how life is to be lived, and with this garden as a result? How can this garden be read today?

Cristina Refolo will provide an introduction to the restoration and rejuvenation of The Water Gardens, the design ethos, and the decisions made during the design process. Cristina will be talking about the rediscovery of the original relationship between the planters and the pond, and the intrinsic connection between the water and the concrete, which makes The Water Gardens a much more innovative and technologically advanced scheme than expected. In 2020 the restored scheme was presented with the Susdrain/Criria SuDS Small Scale Retrofit Award and The Landscape Institute Excellence in Horticulture and Planting Design Award.  

Dominic Cole is a Landscape Architect and President of the Gardens Trust. He was the designer of the Eden Project, and now specialises in historic parks and gardens for which he has won many prestigious awards. Amongst other projects, he has worked with National Trust on Chartwell, Wimpole and Sheringham, the impact of HS2 on Bucks landscapes, management plans for Hampstead Heath and played a vital role in the restoration of Jellicoe’s water gardens at Hemel Hempstead. His recent investigations include the historical development of the Gardens at The Temple, and the original designs for the landscape of Churchill Gardens in Pimlico.

Jan Woudstra is a landscape architect and historian who has taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield since 1995. His PhD at UCL explored the modernist landscape design and theory in five different countries, and concentrated particularly on the landscape associated with the home. He has published widely, not just concentrating on landscape modernism.

Cristina Refolo is a landscape architect and founding Director of Refolo Landscape Architects. She is appointed to the High Street Task Force for the stormwater management and biodiversity sector and regularly lectures on the subject of SuDS for the Landscape Architecture MA course at the University of Greenwich, London