John Hope Gateway, RBG Edinburgh

The landscape proposals for the new gateway of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh integrate the new Visitors’ Centre into the setting of the botanic gardens. The height, shape and massing of the building responds to the existing contours of the site. The relatively low position of the building reduces the visual impact from within the garden. Conflict with valuable existing trees from the botanical collection has been carefully avoided. A formal treatment of the entrance and sloped promenade into the garden provides a clear sense of hierarchy and direction. The space serves to educate users within the internal and external spaces of the building, and within the landscape temporary exhibitions can take place. Sustainability aspirations were key to the team and client and were targeted under the headings of sunlight, energy production, waste and surface water treatment, water supply, lighting, material selection, life cycle assessment, maintenance and the ‘Green Guide to Specification’. A biodiversity garden, developed in collaboraton with the botanical garden, provides a quieter and sensual experience with an array of botanical species and winding pathways cutting into the hillside.