Canary Wharf Crossrail Station forms one of the most significant transport hubs on London’s Elizabeth Line, serving a rapidly expanding commercial district that accommodates more than 100,000 daily workers and visitors.
The landmark Crossrail Place development integrated major transport infrastructure with retail, leisure, and a striking 5,300 m² botanical roof garden positioned above the station structure, four levels of which are constructed below dock water level. Its location near the Greenwich Meridian is reflected in planting beds divided between Eastern and Western flora.
To support the long-term success of this high-profile landscape within a ship-like, semi-open roof structure, the project team required engineered below-ground infrastructure capable of delivering healthy tree establishment within a structurally demanding podium environment.
GreenBlue Urban worked closely with landscape architects Gillespies, planting consultants Growth Industry Ltd, and contractor Blakedown Landscapes to develop and install integrated tree pit and root management solutions capable of meeting both the biological requirements of the trees and the project’s high structural engineering demands.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Canary Wharf Crossrail Station forms one of the most significant transport hubs on London’s Elizabeth Line, serving a rapidly expanding commercial district that accommodates more than 100,000 daily workers and visitors.
The landmark Crossrail Place development integrated major transport infrastructure with retail, leisure, and a striking 5,300 m² botanical roof garden positioned above the station structure, four levels of which are constructed below dock water level. Its location near the Greenwich Meridian is reflected in planting beds divided between Eastern and Western flora.
To support the long-term success of this high-profile landscape within a ship-like, semi-open roof structure, the project team required engineered below-ground infrastructure capable of delivering healthy tree establishment within a structurally demanding podium environment.
GreenBlue Urban worked closely with landscape architects Gillespies, planting consultants Growth Industry Ltd, and contractor Blakedown Landscapes to develop and install integrated tree pit and root management solutions capable of meeting both the biological requirements of the trees and the project’s high structural engineering demands.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Through early-stage technical collaboration and specification support, GreenBlue Urban helped ensure the proposed systems would provide adequate soil volumes, long-term pavement stability, and consistent tree performance across heavily trafficked public areas.
The planting scheme was required to perform within a complex structural build-up above operational rail infrastructure and dock-edge construction. Key constraints included limited soil depths within the podium structure, high load-bearing requirements from paving and intensive public use, the need to maximise usable uncompacted soil volumes for tree growth, long-term protection of surrounding hardscape from root-related damage, and the delivery of consistent establishment conditions across a diverse planting environment.
Through early-stage technical collaboration and specification support, GreenBlue Urban helped ensure the proposed systems would provide adequate soil volumes, long-term pavement stability, and consistent tree performance across heavily trafficked public areas.
The planting scheme was required to perform within a complex structural build-up above operational rail infrastructure and dock-edge construction. Key constraints included limited soil depths within the podium structure, high load-bearing requirements from paving and intensive public use, the need to maximise usable uncompacted soil volumes for tree growth, long-term protection of surrounding hardscape from root-related damage, and the delivery of consistent establishment conditions across a diverse planting environment.
To meet these requirements, GreenBlue Urban designed and supplied an integrated package of structural soil cell and root management systems. StrataCell structural soil cell systems were installed beneath paved areas to create load-bearing underground rooting zones, enabling large volumes of high-quality uncompacted soil to be incorporated while maintaining structural performance at surface level.
ReRoot root management systems were used to guide early root development, directing roots downward and away from adjacent hardscape to improve long-term stability and reduce the risk of surface disruption.
GreenBlue Urban’s engineered below-ground infrastructure plays a critical enabling role in the success of the scheme, providing the soil volumes, structural support, and root management necessary to sustain healthy tree growth while protecting surrounding surfaces.
The collaborative approach taken throughout the project ensures the landscape can establish successfully and continue to mature as designed within one of London’s most intensively used urban environments.
Award winning Scheme:
To meet these requirements, GreenBlue Urban designed and supplied an integrated package of structural soil cell and root management systems. StrataCell structural soil cell systems were installed beneath paved areas to create load-bearing underground rooting zones, enabling large volumes of high-quality uncompacted soil to be incorporated while maintaining structural performance at surface level.
ReRoot root management systems were used to guide early root development, directing roots downward and away from adjacent hardscape to improve long-term stability and reduce the risk of surface disruption.
GreenBlue Urban’s engineered below-ground infrastructure plays a critical enabling role in the success of the scheme, providing the soil volumes, structural support, and root management necessary to sustain healthy tree growth while protecting surrounding surfaces.
The collaborative approach taken throughout the project ensures the landscape can establish successfully and continue to mature as designed within one of London’s most intensively used urban environments.
Award winning Scheme:
