Only a year ago, this space was hardstanding, surrounded by cars and buses. Its only natural inhabitants were the pigeons that, for the last decade, have greeted people arriving at Mayfield from Piccadilly station.
The new extension creates another opportunity to continue Mayfield’s post-industrial character through reuse and repurposing. Without the riches of Victorian beams, bricks and artefacts that shaped the first phase, we’ve had to be more inventive and open-minded about what can be given a second life.
Angular concrete slabs from Tom Massey’s Gold-winning Chelsea garden have been reused alongside 20 unusual and characterful trees selected by Tom, which previously formed part of his garden and were used to test AI tree-health monitoring sensors.
The garden also brings layers of Mayfield’s urban heritage and grit through creative material reuse. Stone sett offcuts have been repurposed, while ugly, scuffed and often graffitied concrete blocks provide protection from vehicles. As with the first phase, we’ve explored how functional industrial objects can become beautiful when surrounded by delicate planting and positioned in more informal ways.
The whole garden is permeable, with connected planting beds forming a sequence of rain gardens that slow and store surface water before releasing it at a controlled rate back into the highway drainage system.
Our approach at Mayfield is rooted in The Smiths’ line:
“Amid concrete and clay and general decay, nature must still find a way.”
As the project evolves and grows, that touchstone becomes increasingly relevant. A distinctive Mayfield landscape vernacular is emerging, rooted in Manchester, its industrial heritage, materials, nature and people.
As Mike Hood of Landsec said during his speech: “You can build a park, plant some trees and open the gates, but you can’t make people fall in love with it.”
We’ve been delighted to see how Manchester has embraced Mayfield Park over the last four years, enjoying its layers of horticulture, heritage, play and nature in the city.
Mayfield Extension: Avanade Intelligent Garden