Post by FKoE on Aug 4, 2004 13:58:56 GMT -5
WORK has finally started on an £11m plan to transform the world's oldest public park.
Diggers have moved in at the Birkenhead Park site and visitors have been promised dramatic changes within months.
And by next summer a £1m glass pavilion, the main focal piece of the ambitious project, should be completed.
Mike Garbutt, project officer for Wirral Council's Parks and Open Spaces, said: "It is the culmination of four years of hard work putting this project together and we are over the moon that finally we have now started work on the site."
Although the scheme has been in the planning since 2000 it has been besieged by problems.
In May, the pavilion had to undergo a last-minute redesign after architects realised it would overheat. The design had been agreed two years before, but the level of glazing on the building had to be reduced to prevent it turning into a greenhouse.
Designers also had to cut the size of the building by 5%. And the start date, originally set for January, was delayed.
The multi-million pound scheme will take four years to complete and includes restoration of the lakes, new planting and refurbishing some of buildings. Formal gardens, exhibition spaces, teaching areas and a cafe will also be created at the new pavilion.
When it opened in 1847, Birkenhead was the world's first public park established at public expense.
It was the creation of celebrated Victorian garden designer Sir Joseph Paxton, best known for building Crystal Palace in London, and is considered to be one of the most outstanding examples of his work.
The design inspired the building of more public parks nationally and was used as the blueprint for Central Park in New York.
The new pavilion follows the tradition of Victorian garden buildings such as the Palm House or Orangery.
"Its large public rooms will contain planting, trained to grow up an inner wall known as the green wall and will be heated by the sun.
Mr Garbutt added: "We hope the pavilion, as the first package of the four year project, will be open to the public next summer and become the focus for the park for the rest of the renovation project.
"Over the next few months the public will see some dramatic changes in the park which will eventually lead to far-improved environment for local people and visitors alike."
-SOURCE-
Diggers have moved in at the Birkenhead Park site and visitors have been promised dramatic changes within months.
And by next summer a £1m glass pavilion, the main focal piece of the ambitious project, should be completed.
Mike Garbutt, project officer for Wirral Council's Parks and Open Spaces, said: "It is the culmination of four years of hard work putting this project together and we are over the moon that finally we have now started work on the site."
Although the scheme has been in the planning since 2000 it has been besieged by problems.
In May, the pavilion had to undergo a last-minute redesign after architects realised it would overheat. The design had been agreed two years before, but the level of glazing on the building had to be reduced to prevent it turning into a greenhouse.
Designers also had to cut the size of the building by 5%. And the start date, originally set for January, was delayed.
The multi-million pound scheme will take four years to complete and includes restoration of the lakes, new planting and refurbishing some of buildings. Formal gardens, exhibition spaces, teaching areas and a cafe will also be created at the new pavilion.
When it opened in 1847, Birkenhead was the world's first public park established at public expense.
It was the creation of celebrated Victorian garden designer Sir Joseph Paxton, best known for building Crystal Palace in London, and is considered to be one of the most outstanding examples of his work.
The design inspired the building of more public parks nationally and was used as the blueprint for Central Park in New York.
The new pavilion follows the tradition of Victorian garden buildings such as the Palm House or Orangery.
"Its large public rooms will contain planting, trained to grow up an inner wall known as the green wall and will be heated by the sun.
Mr Garbutt added: "We hope the pavilion, as the first package of the four year project, will be open to the public next summer and become the focus for the park for the rest of the renovation project.
"Over the next few months the public will see some dramatic changes in the park which will eventually lead to far-improved environment for local people and visitors alike."
-SOURCE-