Shoreditch Roof Terrace

Prairie style planting on this roof terrace in East London creates a soft backdrop to the industrial architecture.

This Shoreditch rooftop garden enjoys beautiful vistas of the East London skyline. The built-in bench provides the perfect seat to have a drink and admire the sunset over the lush planting.
This Shoreditch rooftop garden enjoys beautiful vistas of the East London skyline. The built-in bench provides the perfect seat to have a drink and admire the sunset over the lush planting.
Stage 1

The Brief

This project was on the top floor of a recently converted warehouse building. The clients were a young couple, both architects, who were looking for a garden designer to collaborate with. They had seen a roof terrace of mine in Grand Designs and were keen to create a similar feel.

The initial design involved less planting and more entertaining space. As we developed the garden we felt that there was so much surrounding hard industrial architecture that the space was crying out for plants, so we set upon creating a prairie style roof terrace.

Stage 2

Design and Build

The priority was to ensure that the terrace was adequately waterproofed and structurally sound.The roof terrace was also an awkward shape, which we decided to accentuate using acute angles for the overall layout and timber seating. We used Cedar wood for the decking and cedar shingles on the cladding, which compliments the soft buff pink hues of the brickwork.

The boundaries are hidden with terraced galvanised planters that are already invisible, as the planting has spilled over, creating a tiered wall of plants. A raised section of 30cm was designed for the semi intensive green roof, which was installed by a specialist contractor. The planting here is the same as the rest of the terrace to unify the space.

The prairie style planting of this terrace is well suited to the harsh environment of roof gardens
The prairie style planting of this terrace is well suited to the harsh environment of roof gardens
Close up of the purple leaves of Sedum ‘Matrona’, key plant in this prairie type planting that can survive the harsh dry environment on this Shoreditch rooftop garden.
Close up of the purple leaves of Sedum ‘Matrona’, key plant in this prairie type planting that can survive the harsh dry environment on this Shoreditch rooftop garden.
Stage 3

Finished Project

Through the planting there are slate paddle stones that lead you through the tall planting of the semi intensive green roof to another long bench tucked away in the corner by the herb garden. The overall planting scheme is soft pinks and russet colours, essentially drought tolerant planting, although the garden is irrigated via a wall mounted Rainwater HOG.

Key plants include Sedum ‘Matrona’, Stipa tenuissima, Aquilegias, Penstemon ‘Garnet’, Linaria purpurea, Achillea Cerise Queen and Gaura lindheimeri. The overall effect is of a charming meadow brimming with wildlife, surrounded by an impressive Shoreditch city skyline.

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Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’, Sedum ‘Matrona’, Gaura lindheimeri, Stipa tenuissima, Penstemon ‘Garnet’, Linaria purpurea blend together in this dry planting, for a prairie style effect on this rooftop in the heart of Shoreditch, London.
A bespoke built-in timber bench sits on the edge of the planting bed. The custom made mattress is weatherproof and can stay outside all year round on this rooftop garden in the heart of the city of London, Shoreditch.
Detail of the front of the border with Alchemilla mollis, Erigeron karvinskianus, Convolvulus cneorum, Sedum ‘Matrona’ and Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ all tough plants that can resist the heat and wind on this rooftop in the heart of London, Shoreditch.
Detail of the intermingled lush dry planting, around the built-in bench, with the soft palette of pink and white flowers and some purples dotted around. The grasses create a great structure, contrasting with the waxy leaves of Sedum ‘Matrona’ in this Shoreditch rooftop garden.
The soft pink Sedum flowers dance above the foliage, whilst the Penstemon are about to bloom. The lush greens contrast with the Stipa tenuissima and its golden leaves, catching the light on this rooftop garden in the heart of East London, Shoreditch.
This rooftop garden in the centre of London, Shoreditch, gets a lot of sun and can be a harsh environment for planting. A dense prairie style effect has been designed and created using tolerant herbaceous plants such as Sedum, Achillea and Stipa.
The lush planting and the grasses catch the morning and afternoon sun light in the heart of London city. The vistas are enjoyable from the built-in timber bench, wrapping around the deck.
Detail of Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’, Sedum ‘Matrona’, Gaura lindheimeri, Stipa tenuissima, Penstemon ‘Garnet’, Linaria purpurea blend together in this dry planting, for a prairie style effect on this rooftop in the heart of Shoreditch, London.
The repetition of plants in this dry prairie style planting makes it look more natural, as the herbaceous blend together, intermingling their flowers. The pinks and whites provide a soft foreground before the blue sky and East London skyline and the city.
The bespoke built-in bench wraps around the red cedar timber decking to offer more possibilities and angles to enjoy the London skyline, both day and night.
The decking boards have been laid with an angle to contrast with the built in cedar bench, wrapping around this rooftop in Shoreditch. The seat becomes a security barrier and delinitates the planting beds.
A view of this Shoreditch rooftop before the garden was completed by the landscapers. The design proposed was to emphasise on the beautiful vistas, to enjoy East London skyline whilst softening the edges with a lush planting.
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Photos by Marianne Majerus