A new Persian-inspired garden opens at King’s Cross, delivered in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network. Located at the heart of the King’s Cross Estate the garden was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith in association with Townshend Landscape Architects. Jellicoe Gardens has been delivered with the support of the Aga Khan Development Network. Its design is inspired by Persian landscape traditions and combines natural elements and English garden-style planting to evoke tranquillity and quiet reflection. The new gardens pay tribute to Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, a former Camden resident and a founding member of the Landscape Institute, and members of Sir Jellicoe’s family today opened the gardens
Designed by award-winning landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, Jellicoe Gardens has been created in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network and is inspired by early Persian landscape traditions – where sunlight, shade and water are balanced to create a place of calm, comfort and quiet reflection.
Though at a much smaller scale, the design is heavily influenced by great garden of the 16th century Bagh-e Fin, a traditional Persian garden located in Kashan, Iran. These Persian elements are combined with English garden-style planting to create an informal meadow-like character full of colour and texture – a blending of the two cultures.
The gardens pay tribute to Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe (8 October 1900 – 17 July 1996), a renowned architect and town planner, landscape architect and garden designer. A Camden resident and a founding member of the Landscape Institute, Sir Geoffrey was involved in the 1960s campaign to save St Pancras Station. His works include the extensive gardens at Shute House, Donhead St Mary, Wiltshire, which were reportedly his favourite project. They are considered by many horticulturalists to be his finest work and place a focus on water, which is a central component of Jellicoe Gardens. Michael Pares, nephew of Sir Jellicoe, officially opened the new gardens to the public today.
Jellicoe Gardens sits between the Aga Khan Centre – itself home to six gardens, terraces and courtyards inspired by different parts of the Islamic world – and the residential developments Luma and Fenman House. The opening of the gardens represents a significant new public space in the northern part of the King’s Cross Estate. It provides a tranquil oasis for local residents and visitors and forms part of the 26 acres of public realm available at King’s Cross, including iconic spaces like Granary Square and Gasholder Park.
The Jellicoe Gardens project has been delivered by a team of expert partners. The gardens themselves were designed by Tom Stuart-Smith in association with Townshend Landscape Architects. Bell Phillips Architects designed the pavilion that acts as a grand focal point at the heart of the gardens.
The pavilion includes an axial water feature and roof patterns inspired by traditional Islamic Girih tiling. Townshend Landscape Architects, the masterplan landscape architects for King’s Cross, were responsible for the paving and pathways within the garden and their integration with the wider public realm. Maylim acted as the lead contractor on the project and additional support came from Applied Landscape Design, Spiers & Major, The Fountain Workshop, Stantec, Arup, Price and Myers, Hoare Lea, Gardiner & Theobold, Control Lighting, Waterscapes, Willerbys, Michael Londsdale Group, and SH Structures.
Robert Evans, CEO of King’s Cross, comments: “Jellicoe Gardens is a beautiful, special place – a true oasis at the heart of King’s Cross, where local residents, workers and visitors, can come to pause and reflect. Gardens like this are more important than ever and Jellicoe Gardens both complements and contrasts with other, busier spaces within the Estate such as Granary Square, Cubitt Square and Coal Drops Yard.
“High quality, thoughtful landscape design has played a pivotal role in the transformation of King’s Cross and so it is fitting that these new gardens present an opportunity to pay tribute to an important local figure in landscape and garden design, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe.”
Hanif Kara, representing the Aga Khan Development Network comments: “The Aga Khan Development Network is delighted to make this contribution to the public realm in King’s Cross and to complete a ribbon pathway of green spaces inspired by different parts of the Islamic world that His Highness the Aga Khan envisaged when we first started planning our projects on this estate.
“Through these green spaces – six in the Aga Khan Centre, two in nearby Victoria Hall, the fountains in Lewis Cubitt Square, and now Jellicoe Gardens – visitors to King’s Cross can gain new insights about the diversity of Islamic landscape design originating from different geographic regions and see their contributions to garden design around the world. We thank Tom Stuart-Smith for bringing this unique garden so brilliantly to life and King’s Cross Central for sharing in our vision.”