Mizzi Studios flagship cafe at Kew Gardens. Photography: James Mcdonald

Hastings Botanic Garden project partners with Kew Gardens architect

Mizzi Studio visited Hastings this month to learn more about the area’s regeneration plans and, in particular, our proposal for a Marianne North inspired botanic garden. Alexander Wilberforce, founder of the Hastings Botanic Garden (HBG) project, shares the news.

Hastings Botanic Garden is a community campaign for a botanic garden and study centre to commemorate the botanical artist Marianne North, the most famous
woman born in Hastings. Mizzi Studio is the architectural practice who created the fabulous flagship Family Kitchen at Kew Gardens (which opened in December) and the distinctive curved kiosks in the Royal Parks. We met the architects online because of a shared interest using bamboo as an architectural material! It was an honour to welcome such a high calibre design practice, which puts Nature at its core, to our project.

Jonathan Mizzi and Team checking out the Hastings Botanic Garden site

Mizzi Studio are a multidisciplinary practice specialising in bioarchitecture and biophilic design. Their ethos is to reconnect humanity with the natural world through buildings that bring warmth, colour, joy and hope. This aligns perfectly with our desire to create a landmark destination commemorating Marianne North.

The team of Jonathan Mizzi, Matthew Chilton and Tania Martin were shown around Bohemia and White Rock by Paul Barnett, Deputy Leader of the Council (in charge of Regeneration, Tourism and Culture). We also introduced them to the councillors for Castle Ward, Judy Rogers and Claire Carr, and local and county councillor Julia Hilton. All agreed on the need to revitalise White Rock and improve access from the seafront.

Photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron

Despite being born in the Old Town in 1830, the world famous botanical artist Marianne North, who had the foresight to warn about habitat loss and extinction 150 years ago, is yet to be commemorated fully in Hastings (her gallery at Kew Gardens opened in 1882). Meanwhile, proposals for a Winter Garden in Hastings date back to 1876, and have reoccured in various schemes to upgrade White Rock over the past twenty years, including the 2017 Masterplan and the Draft Local Plan (currently under revision).

With the Garden Town Hastings plans (part of the Town Deal) and the recently opened Bale House in Hastings Country Park, the creation of a botanic garden would enhance Hastings’ role as the South East’s leading coastal eco tourism destination. A botanic garden would also allow less fortunate families and children in Hastings and St Leonards to rediscover Nature, and contribute to the wellbeing of the community.

Read more about the Hastings Botanic Gardens project here.
Email: hastingsbotanicgarden@gmail.com
Facebook: MarianneNorthCentre
Instagram: hastings.botanic.garden

Also in: Green Times