Exchange Square is London’s newest park and quadruples the amount of green space at British Land’s Broadgate campus. Claire Fernley and James Fox of landscape architects FFLO reflect on how the new park provides an environment for nature and people to thrive.

Nature loves mixture and change

James: What nature loves above all things is mixture and change, and that’s mirrored in the environments and planting at Exchange Square. In birch woodlands, you’ll see ferns, sweet woodruff and grasses such as snowy woodrush. Likewise, you’ll find those same species under the birch trees at Broadgate, with other varieties to give a lift. In nature, towards the woodland edge, you’ll see species like primroses that like a bit of sun but not too much and, away from the trees, plants such as foxgloves and meadow grasses. So too will you find those species in Exchange Square.

Claire: There are tens of thousands of plants in the park, including many native species and flowering varieties good for bees, butterflies and other insects. We chose the mix for a long flowering season, so different species pop up through the year, offering visual interest, food for birds and nectar for insects. In the autumn and winter, the Broadgate team will leave the seed heads on perennials, so birds can forage for seeds and people enjoy the changing natural landscape. The trees will offer homes for birds. It’s off the scale how much better the park is for biodiversity, compared to the lawn there before.

People feel better in biodiverse environments

James: Biodiversity is not just good for insects and birds, people feel better when they’re in a healthy, biodiverse environment. We respond positively to that sense of nature doing well. We benefit from experiencing a stronger connection to a changing natural environment. Normally in urban settings, clients want certainty. That’s why you see a lot of evergreens, because they never look dead or disappear. Whereas Exchange Square will be in a constant process of change. One morning you’ll arrive and it’ll look totally different to two weeks ago. The only certainty with nature is that it will change. Letting that change happen can be a huge positive and seeing it makes people feel good.

Claire: Come the summer, it will be a riot of colours. There are some surprisingly large species hiding underground at the moment that will grow two metres tall, with flowers on top. This will be an abundant landscape, quite different to how it looks now. Scented species, such as roses and climbers will add to the sensory experience. There are nooks and curvy spaces to sit in, gentle slopes to lie on. Under the boughs of the birch trees, the soil will have the damp aroma of woodland and countryside.

James: British Land was exceptionally supportive about us taking a different approach to urban planting. They believe in the capacity of landscape to improve their campuses. Developers often want more amenity space, which means hard paving. On this project, British Land saw from the outset the benefit that planting can bring.

Tended like a garden

Claire: The park will be tended like a garden. Rather than the highly managed, clipped, immaculate planting typical of urban areas, there is more balance with a natural landscape. In the autumn, you’ll see signs of decay, which is part of nature to celebrate. We hope the park will give people a new understanding of landscape in urban environments and how the natural world works. Hopefully, the thoughtful mix of planting will also mean there’s always some structure and visual interest.

James: Ecologies work best when they’re connected together. We’re now working on a roof garden on Exchange House, which is connected to the square, and a roof garden and planters at nearby 1 Appold Street. This will help create a network of green spaces for biodiversity in the City. It’s the responsibility of all of us to do whatever we can for biodiversity and to be as sustainable as possible.

Looking forward

Claire: You never quite know how your planting will work out, so I’m eagerly interested to keep an eye on what happens over the next year. I hope people are inspired to visit Exchange Square and experience what it’s like.

James: As landscape architects, we want to make places where the greatest number of people can be as happy as possible. I hope people will really enjoy being in the new park. Part of the fun though is we don’t yet know. We look forward to visiting in the coming months and seeing how people are using the space.

British Land view

Georgia Hogg, Asset Manager: Along with biodiversity and wellbeing, one of the major draws of Exchange Square is that it is a community space, open to all. This is a welcoming, beautiful place designed for accessibility. We want people to use the park and we’ll host events to encourage our customers and local communities to spend time here. Our Head Gardener, who is knowledgeable and passionate about plants, will run talks on gardening topics.

Whenever I visit, I’m blown away by the quality of design, workmanship and thought that’s gone into the space. This extends to the smallest drain cover that’s designed to match the ornate Victorian ironwork in Liverpool Street station, which you can see into from the garden. The park has different zones to experience and, looking up, you see a vast expanse of sky, and so I love the sense of space you feel.

Matt Webster, Head of Environmental Sustainability: Walking around Exchange Square, I see so many elements from the Wellbeing Principles we developed back in 2015, which are now embedded into our placemaking. All the green space and plants open up access to nature, which studies show boosts wellbeing and productivity.¹ It’s a social place to go with friends or enjoy incidental encounters, growing relationships, which are powerful drivers of human health.² We hope the park will be a magnet to encourage people to move around more too, which is critical to health and happiness.³

I think people coming from the hustle and bustle of nearby Bishopsgate or Liverpool Street station will feel a bit of surprise and delight to find themselves in a tranquil park. This is a place for people to spend time or to take a moment to reflect and recharge on a busy day. We’re looking forward to seeing how people experience the space and we’ll be keeping an eye on how nature enjoys it too. There’s a new park in London and everyone’s welcome.

¹ Cox et al (2017); Spengler et al (2014); Grinde and Patil (2009).
² Holt-Lunstad, Smith and Layton (2010).
³ Martin, Goryakin and Suhrcke (2014).