KEW GARDENS

LOCATION

Kew Gardens, London - UK

COMPLETION

2019 CLIENT

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Ground Control

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are one of the most extensive and important botanical gardens in the world, housing the one of the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections around the globe.

Duncan & Grove collaborated with Kew Gardens and Ground Control to design and build a series of unique Children’s Gardens at Kew. The play areas are based in a natural setting the size of 40 tennis courts. They provide a dedicated space for fun, exploring, play and learning and they are one of the most ambitious projects in the Botanic Gardens in the last decade. The theme of the gardens was nature and we designed four separate zones themed around earth, air, sun and water – all the things plants need to grow.

Duncan & Grove installed a huge range of equipment including large Robinia climbing frames, various trim trail elements, play huts, sand and water play features, and even a 4-meter high canopy walkway that wraps around a 200-year-old oak tree. The site contains over 100 mature trees, so special care was required in the setting out and installation of all play items. The play areas were an incredible success, earning two BALI awards, and increasing visitor numbers from 1.5M to 2M annually.