Little Dorrit Park and Peace Garden: a sensitive reimagining of a historic inner-city park inspired by its Dickensian heritage
Situated in the Borough and Bankside ward of Southwark, Little Dorrit Park draws its name and character from Charles Dickens’ 1857 novel, whose title character was shaped by the author's own childhood experiences in the area. Root And Erect’s proposals respond to this literary and social history by subtly embedding references into a renewed spatial and material language.
A hotly contested green space within a dense urban setting, the proposal rebalances the park to include a new playground, youth zone, better lunch facilities and generally a higher quality park for recreation. Zoning and sightlines are improved and pivot around a central social square. A Victorian Garden provides quiet respite.
A hotly contested green space within a dense urban setting, the proposal rebalances the park to include a new playground, youth zone, better lunch facilities and generally a higher quality park for recreation. Zoning and sightlines are improved and pivot around a central social square. A Victorian Garden provides quiet respite.
Historical features are reinterpreted within the new scheme, inviting users to connect with the park’s narrative past while experiencing it through play and everyday use.
Alongside its heritage framing, the project seeks to improve ecological performance and inclusion within a dense urban setting. Biodiverse planting and small wildlife habitats will be introduced to provide seasonal interest and support local ecosystems.