Apr 18, 2024

RHS at Depot Mayfield

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The Depot in Mayfield Manchester was 'hyper greened' for The Royal Horticultural Society's first ever Urban Show.

Depot Mayfield in Manchester sits north of the Studio Egret West designed post-industrial 'Mayfield Park'. The Depot was once part of a former railway station, and prior to The Mayfield Partnership regeneration project, had been destined for demolition.

Thankfully, it has now been saved. It is currently thriving as a 10,000 capacity venue and over this long Spring weekend it became host to the RHS's first ever Urban Show.

As part of the event, guided tours of the recently completed park were on offer to members of the public. A shout out to Tara Hiley, Duncan Paybody and Max Aughton from our studio for assisting in these tours.

Mayfield Park, the first new city-centre park to be created in Manchester for over 100 years, features open lawns, riverside walkways, three new bridges over the River Medlock, play areas and a variety of seating opportunities, ensuring all members of the community have spaces they can visit and enjoy.

A naturalistic planting design has been implemented across the park that can adapt to changing climate conditions. This includes sequences of different plant arrangements, planting beds, and grasslands, to create journeys through distinct character spaces. Planting is mindful of both dry and wet extremes. The plant mixes create a visually striking yet functional landscape that is able to withstand the spectrum of different environments of the site.

A new destination play area provides a key focal point at the eastern end of the park. A highlight of the design includes a fully-accessible play tower and slide, which allows children in wheelchairs to also enjoy the play space alongside their friends. The towers were inspired by the archaeological remains of octagonal.