Highgate Bowl
Carefully considered interventions and a lightness of touch breathe new life into a derelict horticultural glasshouse in North London’s Highgate Bowl, creating a much-loved community garden and versatile events space. The project was undertaken under HASA Architects.
Sensitive interventions take the form of a folded landscape of external and internal pathways, together with a stage, rooms and furniture pieces, which guide visitors through the large open bays of the restored yet still fragile glasshouse. Roof glazing was restored or replaced, with selected panels in frosted glass, while the metal framing was cleaned and repainted in dark grey.
The internal “skin”, made of white Osmo-oiled CNC-cut birch plywood, creates vertical and horizontal joinery components that reference the original structure’s frame and panel construction. These plywood elements were designed in a modular configuration, stepping down with each bay across the sloping site to create a buffer zone that protects the fragile structure, while also providing a clear contrast to the dark glasshouse framing.
The project was delivered to a fast-track programme and completed on site in just six weeks for the opening of the Chelsea Flower Show.
“Intelligent, low-cost interventions have transformed the derelict glasshouse, bringing this beautiful and forgotten piece of the city back into public use so it can be enjoyed for years to come.” – Mark Stevens
