The new garden will transform a former plant nursery, previously inaccessible to the public, into a two-acre tranquil garden that will deliver significant benefits to nature. It is due to open in 2026, to coincide with what would have been the late Queen’s 100th birthday.
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Regents Park Garden
A beautiful new garden at the heart of The Regent’s Park, commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
One Place, Many Stories
Landscape Design
Enhancing Visitor Experience in the New Regent's Park Garden
Work is now underway to transform a disused plant nursery in the heart of The Regent’s Park into a beautiful two-acre garden to mark what would have been the late Queen’s centenary year. The garden, designed by HTA Design LLP and their team including Horticulturalist Dr Noel Kingsbury and Tate + Co architects, will complement nearby historic gardens within the park, drawing inspiration from their design principles while introducing innovative sustainability practices. Key features of the garden will include a circular pond enhancing wildlife habitats, a central promenade with an accessible platform over the pond, and a vibrant flower garden showcasing species significant to the late Queen*.
At the southern main entrance, visitors will be greeted by a large pond with seating and a pergola, creating a welcoming and serene entry point. The central promenade will be bisected by a meandering path which will lead the visitor through a series of beautiful landscapes. Additionally, a network of small-scale informal paths will allow visitors to wander through the planting and explore the garden further.
A disused water tower will be transformed into an accessible viewing platform with panoramic views of the garden and its surroundings. The tower will provide habitats for birds, bats, and invertebrates, serving as a unique educational tool for visitors to explore the natural oasis of the new garden and the wider park.
How would the new garden support local ecosystems?
The new public space will deliver a huge boost to biodiversity and sustainability through several key features, including a new pond and ephemeral wetlands, trees, hedgerows, and meadows, all featuring wildlife-attracting plants. The selection of plants and trees is carefully chosen to adapt to the UK’s changing climate. The new garden will also include plant species that were significant to Queen Elizabeth II’s life. Additionally, the straight path running through the garden symbolises her unwavering loyalty and service, with each end of the path offering a moment of quiet reflection.
Sustainability & Building Physics
What specific low-carbon options have been integrated into the park's design?
Sustainable practices will guide the garden’s development, such as reusing steel from the former nursery greenhouses to create elements of the new pergola and repurposed water tower. Soil science consultancy Tim O’Hare Associates is collaborating to create growing mediums from site demolition materials.
HTA Design’s Sustainable Futures team is providing comprehensive sustainability consultancy, covering BREEAM Infrastructure Assessment, Whole Life-Cycle Carbon assessment, and setting Circular Economy principles for the new garden. Through LCA, the impact of using or retaining different project or site elements can be evaluated to identify lower-carbon alternatives for the entire project lifecycle (cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle). Low-carbon features include sustainable concrete and biodegradable plant pots. We crush and mix recycled concrete sub-base with soil to enhance aeration and support climate-responsive, drought-tolerant planting palettes. Beyond material specification, our research into carbon sequestration informs our selection of plants and trees. This involves a calculation method informed by research into plant characteristics and soil sub-type composition, allowing us to incorporate selected plants and improved soil into the model effectively.