Sky Garden

London, UK

The Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch St presents a three-storey landscape with spectacular views of London under the glass dome at the top of the building. In his previous employment as a member of the Kew Innovation Unit, Phil reviewed the horticultural conditions of this internal space for the design team (Gillespies).

The major challenges for planting success were light quality, ventilation and ambient temperatures. Although the large volume helps to keep temperatures stable, to keep energy consumption low, the design originally allowed for no mechanical ventilation. Extremes of temperature and light would be mitigated only by the thick tinted glass cladding, structural fins and some heat exchange with the floors below. Ventilation is now implemented with extraction fans along with misters to create a more buoyant environment. The planting palette was also adapted to suit the predicted temperature ranges and light levels in the space.