Exchange Square in London by DSDHA

A major new public park for the City of London, Exchange Square is re-imagined as a bucolic landscape and generously planted green space, suspended above the tracks of Liverpool Street Station. Unfolding across several levels to create a more natural topography for the site, it provides opportunities for rest and relaxation at the heart of Broadgate, where nature and culture are in balance.

Helping the city to breathe

Exchange Square is the culmination of DSDHA’s Broadgate Public Realm Framework plan for British Land, which has demonstrated the crucial role the public realm can play in establishing a new identity for a site – from an office-led campus to a truly mixed-use, creative environment with a broader mix of uses. Fundamental to its success will be breaking down perceived barriers to surrounding areas of the City, and to encourage a more diverse group of people to use the public spaces through new planting, seating, lighting, high-quality materials, and more opportunities for temporary uses and events.

A holistic approach to sustainability

The 1.5-acre park will see a four-fold increase in the amount of planting and dramatically enhance biodiversity, with 25% of the area featuring green space that is accessible to all. Wellbeing and inclusivity have been vital considerations throughout the design process, driven by the ambition to make a vibrant space that encourages engagement and interactivity. A comprehensive analysis of pedestrian movement helped to identify barriers to access – including steps, changes in level, lack of visual contrast and changes in tactility, and poor signage – in order to provide a space that is accessible to all. A strategy of ‘awesome’ planting is proposed that will offer seasonal variety and an ever-changing sensory experience that ensures the park will never be the same place twice.