An old courthouse in London will soon be home to the largest rooftop forest in Europe.
Roots In the Sky, a 1.4 acre rooftop forest of 125 established trees and over 10,000 plants, involves the radical reimagining of the former Blackfriars Crown Court as a highly sustainable, net zero, next-gen workspace, with 430,000 sqft of contemporary and sustainable office, commercial and community space.
Roots in The Sky will be London’s first office building to deliver an urban forest rooftop with extensive access for the local community and the public, with community gardens and collaborative neighbourhood uses, a rooftop restaurant, bar and swimming pool, and private terraces. All the plants on the rooftop will benefit from a passive water capture and irrigation system.
Set to be one of the largest urban roof gardens in Europe, the building will make a significant contribution to London’s ambitious targets for greening, biodiversity and sustainability. Also, Londoners with a green thumb will have access to gardening sheds and beds to grow plants. There will also be a community seed bank and barn.
The spectacular looking refurbishment, set to start next year, aims to bring together the community with panoramic views across London.
Fabrix, an architecture, design and technology company that transforms underused urban spaces, are running Roots in the Sky.
All photos courtesy of Felix Roots in the Sky.