Plans for restoring many of Crystal Palace Park’s historic features have been unveiled, including the beloved Grade-I listed dinosaurs and the Italian Terraces.
This major phase of the regeneration plan will see an investment of £17.5m that will restore many of the Victorian park’s original features. Plans are now being considered as part of a planning application for the works and can be viewed on the Planning Portal. This follows outline planning approval being granted for the wider regeneration plan in March 2021. Work on this phase are expected to commence in 2025.
The plan has been produced by HTA Design who have been appointed by the council to lead this major phase of the wider £52m regeneration plan for the park, delivered in partnership with Crystal Palace Park Trust.
The development of proposals for the Geological Court has been made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Additional funding is coming from a number of sources, including from the sale of residential developments that will come forward next to the park and from grant funding, with additional grant opportunities being sought.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said: “This is an exciting period in Crystal Palace Park’s history, as we restore many of the park’s beloved features and deliver vital upgrades to ensure that residents and visitors continue to enjoy this great park well into the future. I would like to thank HTA Design, Crystal Palace Park Trust and all the determined local groups and partners who have played a crucial role in bringing this future vision of the park to life.”
Natalia Roussou, Landscape Design Director at HTA Design said: “This is a significant milestone for the Crystal Palace Park Regeneration, not only for restoring its original features, but also creating a park for the future that is climate resilient, biodiverse, inclusive and can cater for a wide range of events and activities. The Phase 1 proposals will celebrate the Geological Court and Italian Terraces, revealing the layers of history in the landscape, and re-establishing an international destination for education and entertainment in line with Paxton’s vision. The landscape design approach maximises park ecosystem service benefits and prioritises accessibility to ensure that the park can be enjoyed by all.”
Val Shawcross Interim CEO of the Crystal Palace Park Trust said: “We are grateful for the inclusive way that HTA Design has gone about this work, listening to comments and working with us to produce the attractive and practical designs and plans to preserve the park’s important heritage and make it an accessible and enjoyable place to visit. We hope future generations will enjoy the outcome of this project and that we will see the restoration work begin in earnest in 2025.”
Key to this phase is the restoration of the Geological Court, containing the ‘Crystal Palace Dinosaurs,’ a collection of 30 prehistoric Grade-I listed sculptures and 14 Geological Illustrations. The first phase will also see the Italian Terraces, which fell into disrepair after the Crystal Palace was destroyed by the 1936 fire, restored and upgraded in addition to plans for a new information centre and a dinosaur-themed play area.
Better accessibility and amenities are at the heart of the proposals to ensure all residents and visitors can use and enjoy the park, and the lower terminus of the Paxton Axis will be restored to its full width to better support events and activities.
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Notes to editor
The proposals for the first phase of the Regeneration Plan were submitted for planning by a multidisciplinary team of 20 specialist consultants, led by HTA Design - a leading UK architecture and landscape design practice.
Key consultant team:
Lead Consultant and Landscape Architect: HTA Design LLP
Planning Consultant: HTA Design LLP
Energy & Sustainability Consultant: HTA Design LLP
Principal Designer: HTA Design LLP
Wayfinding Consultant: HTA Design LLP
Architect (Heritage): Donald Insall Associates
Architect (New Build): Tate + Co
Project Manager: Leadenhall PM Ltd
Structural Engineer: Alan Baxter
Heritage Consultant: Alan Baxter
Accessibility Consultant: Lord Consulting
Building Control: Stroma
Civil Engineer: Pell Frischmann
Contract Administrator: Ian Sayer
Fire Consultant: Semper
Ecology Consultant: Pell Frischmann
Lighting Designer: Speirs Major
M&E Engineer: Desco
Transport Consultant: Pell Frischmann
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