The best roof garden in the City of London. Why is it closed to everyone?

[Paul Lincoln]

Great Arthur House, the centrepiece of Golden Lane Estate was not only London’s tallest residential tower when completed in the 1950s but it had and still has, a superb roof garden. These pictures give some indication of its size and attraction.  It provides superb views over the City, it has a beautifully-designed pagoda, roof for two trees, areas for sheltered seating and a small pond, fed by the huge curved roof that gives the building its personality.  And, it is closed to….everyone.  It has become slightly newsworthy locally over the past couple of weeks  because someone has managed to get up there and added a couple of graffiti tags.

Why is it closed? Allegedly because there were a number of suicides twenty years ago.

Roof gardens have become fashionable again.  The one on the recently-opened One New Change is pretty amazing and pretty corporate.   The roof garden on Great Arthur House is intimate, residential, almost cosy.  One of the residents who visited on a rare occasion when it was opened two years ago remembers deckchairs on a Sunday afternoon.  There is little public space in the City, Great Arthur House roof garden could be a special place for everyone who lives here. View a video of the roof garden.

 

[Joyce Rothwell]

Being one of the residents who lives immediately below the roof garden, my objection to it being opened is the fact that we can hear every footfall above us, even above the TV and the traffic noise.  We are always aware when anyone is on the roof, ie. Metro TV, or various workmen (who tend to leave taps running and cause water ingress!).  This is not to mention unknown people who manage to get onto the roof at all hours of the night to show their friends the view and shout at the tops of their voices!  It is all very well for people who live on other parts of the estate to have romantic ideas of what the garden could be because "roof gardens have become fasionable again", but it is the people who live directly below it who have to deal with the consequences.  If anyone can dig out the original spec for the estate, I think you'll find that the roof garden was originally intended for the use of the residents in Great Arthur House who lived on the upper floors only and was never intended to be an area for general use.

[Michael Bojkowski]

Hi Joyce

I used to live on the 14th floor just below you so I think I understand the sensitivity around this issue (and it is kind of creepy to have relative strangers roaming around your building).

If there were some ground rules set and people knew it was a space for quiet contemplation instead of a kids playground or somewhere to take your mates at the end of the night I think that would make a difference. People have a lot more respect for one another's space on this Estate then most places I've lived in London. 

What I find sad is that at present no-one gets to use it, not even the privileged few at the top of GAH and don't you think it would be great to see those planters in use and have well chosen plants growing on the roof instead of mould and weeds.

The city will only care about preserving that space, and preventing outsiders graffitting all over it, if the residents do first.

[Paul Lincoln]

Joyce

Thanks for this reply.  I am not for a moment suggesting that the roof should be open all the time and I  am absolutely not suggesting that it should be used illegally.  I think that a few Sunday afternoons in the summer with careful stewarding, would be enough.  What would your thoughts be on that?

Paul

[Joyce Rothwell]

Sunday afternoons, with stewarding, soft-soled shoes and speaking in soft sentences would be alliterally (is this a real word?!) acceptable.

[Lee]

I agree with you Paul. I don't see why the roof garden couldn't be opened for a an hour or two once a month during the spring/summer. To over come health and safety concerns residents could volunteer as stewards and there could be a limit to the number of people allowed onto the roof at any time.

 

I think we should push for this to happen.

 

Can the gardening club organise volunteers to act as stewards/manager rotas? 

 

 

[Jax]

I agree, it should be opened up thats why it was designed for everyone to appreciate the views and space. we should definitely find out why this is always closed. It is bound to be some weak health and safety issue.

Why does the gardening group have to do it? they are not the only residents on the estate.