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Southbank Centre — Natura Nostra Forest

Giving Nature a chance to thrive within the brutalist architecture of London's Southbank Centre.

UK
Lambeth, London, England
Miyawaki Forest
Parks
City

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Trees

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Square Meters

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Native Species

Located within the iconic Southbank Centre's complex and in connection with Hayward Gallery, this unique project has restored a pocket of native British flora in the heart of London, supporting the well-being of both people and planet.

Planted in conjunction with the Hayward Gallery’s international group exhibition ‘Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis’, our pocket forest aligns with the aims of the exhibition by inspiring a deeper emotional connection to Nature through rewilding its urban surroundings.

Within a chaotic concrete jungle, the forest is a restorative and awe-inspiring space for the millions of people who visit London’s Southbank each year.

Forest Maker
James Godfrey-Faussett

Site
Site
12 Months
12 Months

Forest Partners

Forest Design

Southbank Pocket Forest is fully accessible to the public and situated on a 130 Sq m ground-level terrace where it is rewilding the celebrated brutalist architecture of the area.

The forest will instigate a conversation between the concrete surroundings and Nature, restoring the sights and sounds of the natural world in a place that celebrates the wonders of human creativity.

SUGi Pocket Forest visualisation at 10 years.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with SUGi on this inspiring project, which represents an important step in Southbank Centre’s ongoing plans to green the site, and which launches alongside a summer 2023 programme at the Hayward Gallery and across Southbank Centre devoted to artists who are responding to the climate emergency, and promoting an ethic of engaged care.”

Ralph Rugoff, Director, Hayward Gallery

Urban Heat Profile

Date: 25.06.2024
Time of Day: 15.30

The Urban Heat Island Effect is affecting cities more and more each year and temperetures in urban areas can go up to 12 degrees hotter. This can be reduced and prevented by planting urban forests like this. We collected the air temperatures on an unusually hot day in June at Southbank Centre - Natura Nostra Forest and saw amazing results.

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Surface Temperature Difference

Forest Update: May 2024

12 Months
Wild rose (Rosa rugosa), Dogwood (Cornus alba), Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) - the new growth of these plants have flourished to the point of bursting out of the forest, such a joy to see that they have settled so well in just 12 months.
This Rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia) has put on so much growth, it now towers already at 3 metres.
The wild rose (Rosa rugosa) is a great source of nectar throughout the whole growing season.
Snipe flies (Rhagio mystaceus) predate aphids and other small insects. Their eggs are laid in bunches in leaf litter and at the soil surface, and their larvae feed on small invertebrates that they find in moss or decaying wood.
An emerging flower bloom of a Wayfarer (Viburnum lantana), once it is in full bloom all the buds will open and the halo of small white flowers will make up a dome.
An invasive Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) that outcompetes our native ladybirds for aphids and even predates on the young of our native ladybirds.
Viburnum leaf beetle larva (Pyrrhalta viburni) - it would have hatched recently and will feed on the leaves of a Viburnum plant before pupating in the soil and emerging as an adult beetle in June/July.
The abundance and density of this forest is a characteristic of SUGi Pocket Forests and part big part of what allows them to be so successful.

Planting: May 2023

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