AN ARCHITECT proposing to create a new royal park in London this week said he would be looking at Richmond's parks as examples of the way green spaces can compliment each other.

Sir Terry Farrell has set out a series of 'petits projets ' through which he aims to join up what he calls "the disconnected public realm" of London's Royal Parks to coincide with the publication of Buckingham Palace Redesigned: A Radical New Approach to London's Royal Parks. One of these is Sir Farrell's proposal for the creation of a new Royal Park in the Thames Gateway.

A spokesman for Terry Farrell and Partners said that they will be creating a Nash Ramblas starting at Primrose Hill which will lead on to a new framework for London Zoo. Park Crescent will be reorganised as part of the "intellectual framework" for Marylebone-Euston Road and Regent's Park tube station will become the station for the Park.

They say that the proposal supports the Crown Estates Paving Commission's proposals for reinstating the historical lodges and gates to define the park.

According to their plans Green Park tube station will be redesigned to relate directly to Green Park and Buckingham Palace and the gardens and the area around the Queen Victoria Memorial will be reorganised and "heralded as a place of national celebration."

The spokesman said: "Sir Terry believes the Royal Parks' role as 'trapped countryside' and that their excellent standards of stewardship, public accessibility and horticulture can offer much to the future of the Thames Gateway. He proposes the creation of a new Royal Park in the Thames Gateway as the first infrastructure of London's growth eastwards.

The Thames Gateway has a truly remarkable natural and built heritage to draw from. Inspired by the way that the existing Royal Parks have become celebrated pieces of 'trapped countryside', Sir Terry looks to the way that west London's Bushy, Hampton Court and Richmond Parks complement each other. In a similar way, Greenwich Park could be complemented by larger (less formal) Royal Parks further downstream."

William Weston, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks Agency said he supports Sir Terry Farrell in principle and has begin working with him on the design of Green Park Tube Station.

Welcoming innovation in this field, he said: "The Royal Parks represent every Londoner's personal space. However, at some of the busiest locations there is frequently the lack of a strong link between the commercial community and the green spaces. Additionally, unclear directions from the tube stations causes difficulties in finding the parks."

William Weston and Sir Terry Farrell have begun working together on Green Park Tube station design which they regard as fundamental to future plans.

Mr Weston continued "The importance of creating quality open space in the Thames Gateway region is essential for the development of this area. The value of green space within the urban environment cannot be underestimated as it is vital for health, recreation, connectivity and raising the spirit!"

May 30, 2003 10:30