Union Terrace Gardens

Aberdeen City, Scotland

The Outstanding Achievement Special Award

Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens (UTG) is one of the UK’s most important park regenerations. Set amongst many of the city’s finest buildings, it is the city's most high-profile green space. Located within a steep river valley and bounded by a railway line, it has a dramatic, challenging typography. Dating back to 1878, the 1ha park has long been central to the city’s history, and close to people’s hearts. A 2016 masterplan highlighted 22 sites for investment to drive regeneration with UTG identified as the first project to serve as catalyst for wider change. Aberdeen City Council commissioned a design team to reunite the city behind a new, inclusive design that would animate the space while respecting its Victorian character and heritage, giving the Gardens back to the people of Aberdeen. More than 6,000 stakeholders and citizens contributed to the design process and the impact of this community consultation is clearly reflected in the design which has delivered street level access at both ends of the gardens, new pavilions providing space for cafés, restaurants, bars, public toilets, children’s play area, improved lighting, exhibition and event space and public art. Ensuring that the Gardens were accessible to all sectors of the community was one of the top priorities for the community and hence a key driver behind the design of all aspects of the Gardens, with input from Arup’s Accessible and Inclusive Design Team, Bon Accord Access Panel, DEP (Disability Equity Partnership), North-East Sensory Services and the RNIB. As well as staff and pupils from SEN schools. The result is a civic space that is fully accessible and truly inclusive. Ensuring the design was as sustainable as possible saw each heritage asset considered for renovation, restoration and reuse. Minimising the use of new materials and maintaining cultural touchstones around the revitalised Gardens. All the historic granite elements have been retained and restored with the grand centrepiece granite staircase into the lower Gardens painstakingly catalogued, demounted, and rebuilt to integrate a wheelchair friendly route. New buildings include biodiverse sedum roofs and rainwater harvesting, while sustainable drainage throughout the Gardens helps to manage surface water run-off. Enhancement measures include the creation of wildflower areas, shrub borders, additional trees, and the installation of artificial refugia. A mosaic of more than 122,000 plants, including 78,000 bulbs, helps to replace a monoculture of amenity grass on the Gardens’ steep slopes, with trees and shrubs creating new habitat corridors. Since opening, the restoration of UTG has been warmly received. It is well used all year round for a wide range of activities by all sectors of the community and is clearly making an outstanding architectural and civic contribution which extends tothe wider regeneration of Aberdeen City Centre.

Judges’ Comments: 

“Union Terrace Gardens is a triumph of master planning, landscaping, architecture and external lighting.”

“With the number of stakeholders involved and the budget restrictions, what has been achieved should be celebrated.”