The restoration of Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens is one of the UK’s most important recent park regenerations. It has involved finding new purpose while strengthening its existing charm.

Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens is one of the UK’s most important recent park regenerations. Situated in the heart of the city, the two and a half acre park originally opened in 1878 as pleasure gardens, designed by the architects who built many of the surrounding listed granite buildings.

The decline of Union Terrace Gardens in the late 20th century reflected the wider deterioration in the condition of central Aberdeen. The park became a magnet for anti-social behaviour and its future the subject of a divisive struggle across the city. Proposals included filling in the valley with a shopping mall. The Friends of the Gardens won a hard-fought campaign.

LDA Design was commissioned by Aberdeen City Council to lead a multi-disciplinary team to reunite the city behind an inclusive design that would animate the Gardens while respecting their special Victorian charm and character.

Community engagement included personal contact with over 6,000 stakeholders. Public concern pivoted to a groundswell of support and the resulting masterplan received an unprecedented 91% approval rating from the citizens of Aberdeen.

A key move was to make a steep-banked park accessible for the first time: the grand centrepiece, a granite staircase into the lower Gardens, was rebuilt to also provide a wheelchair friendly route. Ecology in the Gardens is now enriched with wildflower area and a tapestry of more than 122,000 plants and 88 new trees.

Families, runners, walkers and skateboarders have reclaimed the Gardens. A central lawn provides space for larger gatherings. Bucking a trend of council closures, the Victorian public toilets have been restored and facilities provided, vital for any inclusive modern city green space. Three new pavilions provide spaces for cafés and cultural activity, and neglected archways have been transformed into gallery spaces so the Gardens are well used during the evening as well as the day.

Kirstin Taylor, Director, LDA Design said:

“Reinventing a historic park for the 21st century means finding new purpose and meaning while strengthening the existing drama and charm. LDA Design was very clear about what needed to be achieved – to create more inclusive Gardens that comfortably balance existing natural and heritage assets with contemporary interventions. It’s a highwire act that needs careful design and management. This job came with the weight of a city looking on. The good news is that Union Terrace Gardens has been made to work for a new time and that’s to be celebrated.”