Magic Garden

• Parks & Open Spaces

The Magic Garden is located in the grounds of, Hampton Court Palace. With this once being Henry VIII Tiltyard, there was a lot of history which inspired the design of the garden. The lead Architect for the project was Robert Myers Associates, who was able to design a space that felt warm and welcoming.

The Magic Garden is located in the grounds of, Hampton Court Palace. With this once being Henry VIII Tiltyard, there was a lot of history which inspired the design of the garden. The lead Architect for the project was Robert Myers Associates, who was able to design a space that felt warm and welcoming. This space has been transformed into a strong, structure filled space with challenges, obstacles and illusions that play with the notions of hierarchy and status, staying within the theme of the garden. On your journey through the gardens you will come across a series of mythical sculptures, perfect for the aim of the garden. All works on the gardens were completed under the watchful eye of Heritage England and monitored daily by a resident Archaeologist.

Tucked away in one of the six compartments in the palaces walled gardens, the space seems to become considerably larger, due to how we have used the space we had. The garden is aimed at 2-13-year olds, with so much to explore and see, it is made for an exciting day out. Along with something for the kids, there is also a cafe terrace for parents and grandparents to enjoy.

This project didn’t come without its challenges. The garden is surrounded in a four-meter-high brick wall with the only access for materials and construction vehicles via the gates located to the North of the project. The gate only being 2.4 meters wide, made it impossible for lorries to deliver materials direct to site. Another obstacle is that the entrance to the site was off Hampton Court Road which was part of Transport of London; Strategic Road Network which meant no road closures were possible. With these restrictions it was agreed that we could use a small part of the main visitor car park, as a satellite compound for deliveries and material storage.

Our scope coordination of all stakeholders in attentions to groundworks and the supply & installation of all hard landscape elements. Mounding, services installation, and foundations. The structures included aerial walkways, crown and tower structures, water features, kiosk and a grotto. Other play opportunities were provided through a sand pit, water streams, slides, climbing frames, and a dragon’s nest. The feature piece is a 25-meter long fire breathing Dragon made from specialist concrete and lighting creating a dramatic effect. This all adds to the level of detail incorporated into the garden. Elements used in linking the garden sections together were block paving, resin paths, artificial turf, edgings, etched concrete, yorkstone steps, boulders, timber decking and rubber safety surfacing.

The build of the Magic Garden was made possible thanks to a positive collaboration with the Historic Royal Palaces project team.