London Wetland Centre

November is perhaps not the best time to visit the London Wetland Centre in Barnes, however despite many of the native birds having migrated away a visit was duely made. The wildfoul centre was created on the site of a former water works and covers 43 acres on the edge of London. The site has a population of more than 180 species of birds as well as bats and other wildlife. Visitors are invited to view the wildlife from a series of 'hides' built into paths around the centre which offer views of the wetlands. Other areas include the themed 'world wetlands' showing snippits of different wetland environments from across the globe.

A large part of the work carried out at the Wetland Centre is in educating visitors and for this purpose there is a large visitor centre with interactive activities for children, also including a theatre showing a video of the history of the site.

Although the wetland centre did have a lot to offer I feel a lot of the information presented could have been done so in a more friendly form. The information about plant and animal speicies was often limited and presented in a form that was more likely to appeal to children. I left with an impression that although interesting the site had little to offer unless one was a birdwatcher or young child.

Royal Victoria Square

Close to Thames Barrier Park in London's Docklands is another innovative landscape site.

Like Thames Barrier Park, Royal Victoria Dock was conceived by the LDDC (London Docklands Development Commission) and is situated on the north bank of Victoria Dock. There are many comparisons between this site and Thames Barrier Park, due largely to the fact that parts of the design team were the same.

This site has a particular focus on history and is dominated by the huge former dock cranes which have been retained and tower over the space. Features such as the regimented blocks of trees are reminiscent of Mile End Park, while the structures have a similar minimalist feel to them. Unfortunately this site too seems to lack visitors. Despite being adjacent to the entrance to the Excel exhibition centre there were barely any people using the area on my visit. This made the site seem very distant and impersonal- particularly the large patch of rough empty grass at it's heart.

Some of the detailing here is very good, however the space still seems to lack purpose and no resounding feeling of quality comes through. Many of the ground surfaces appear unattractive also. In fact I believe that the site itself takes the backseat as the dock cranes and the impressive bridge across Victoria Dock capture all the attention.

A Brief Look at Europe

Although it may not look much, this really grabbed my attention. During some works on a public square in Frankfurt the railings have been covered in a photographic canvas- and what a vast improvement it makes over leaving all the building works visible. This fence becomes more of a feature than the usual eyesore.





These boardwalks in Zurich provided an attractive peaceful walk along the banks of the river, set down at a level close to the water. At certain times of year they can flood, forcing pedestrians
to use a higher level path. They provide a great contrast to the busy city despite being just behind the main streets and make one feel at home with the natural river environment.



This interesting square is situated outside Milan's Cadorna Station. The large abstract sculptures are of a needle and thread which disappears under the road only to reappear among jets of water in a large central fountain. Also note the tram- I became rather obsessed with these amazing rickety old things!




Probably the most interesting Landscape site of the trip was in Marseilles, close to the harbour. A large site had been graded with a variety of steps slopes and levels. Many interesting pieces of furniture had also been used to provide seating areas and to screen walls. Perhaps the most interesting element of all was a terrace which was covered in equally spaced 'oversized' pots. Each pot was taller than myself and rather than containing the usual plants instead was occupied by a sizable tree.