Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens opened to the public in 1879 to much fanfare; its grounds and follies were fitted with all the pomp and excesses of the Victorian era, such as ornately detailed cast iron fences and gazebos, and balustraded monumental stairwells. The two-and-a-half-acre park is located squarely in the Scottish coastal city’s center within a drained river valley, offering striking views of the predominantly granite-hewn streetscape above. However, the years had not been kind to this urban oasis, and by the 1980s its many dark recesses attracted illicit activity, resulting in nationwide notoriety.
In the late aughts, as the condition of the park worsened, the Aberdeen City Council—with the help of deep-pocketed residents—launched the City Garden Project, an initiative to rethink the grounds as a new cultural civic space. The proposed dramatic transformations, by the likes of Diller Scofido + Renfro and local firm Halliday Fraser Munro, which included the filling of the park valley, foundered. Ultimately, British landscape architect LDA Design and Glasgow-based design architect Stallan-Brand were selected for a more sensitive approach, highlighting the park and city heritage while improving accessibility and landscaping, as well as other amenities.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.