Burgess Park, London

This project focuses on Burgess Park which is located in South London.

It is a relatively young park known for its lack of formality that is yet to be shaped. Burgess’s openness and informal character make it stand out across other London parks and that is probably the main reason why it became so popular among locals.

The immediate context of the park is rapidly changing with the Old Kent Road regeneration to the east and the vibrant Latin and African communities that surround other corners of the park. Burgess Park is intensely used by locals who hold festivals, carnivals, sports events and many other social gatherings here. Both the park and the city here feel young, provisional and full of promise.

The new design of Burgess Park focuses on creating new, structured and open spaces within the park, which would allow organised and safe use of the park. These spaces have been designed based on a research of the community living around Burgess Park and on the activities and public events that already take place in the park.

The main purpose of this project was to understand the needs of the community living around Burgess Park and to design a public space that would fit their needs and make them feel welcome and safe. In order to create that feeling of enclosure, the proposal for Burgess Park renovation uses local materials and engages the local community in the process. The use of bricks from the buildings that are planned to be demolished initiates material continuity between the park and its context.