
Alkerden Major Urban Park – Public Art Plan
Alkerden Major Urban Park Public Art Plan
FrancisKnight were appointed by Henley Camland to produce a public art plan for The Alkerden Major Urban Park (MUP). On behalf of the client they commissioned Christopher Tipping as Lead Artist who worked in collaboration with both FrancisKnight and Define Landscape Architects to set a broad overarching concept for the Public Art Plan.
This way of working demonstrated an exemplary, collaborative approach to placemaking, where the lead artist and design team were granted time for exploration and creative thinking within the design development process. Artist led community engagement targeted at residents and young people sparked curiosity and individual conversations. Activities included communal drawing, badge making, sharing sketchbooks, artefacts, and dipping into the artist’s library of research and historic photographs. These interactions influenced the developing narrative for the public art commission programme and filtered into the final landscape plan touching upon material, texture, colour, planting and play.
The MUP Public Art Plan enhances the Area Masterplan & Design Code as well as the existing Public Art Strategies. It adds a sense of place and purpose to the site, identifying areas for commissioning permanent and temporary public art works. Christopher Tipping will continue his work as a Principal Artist working closely with Define to look at opportunities to bring to life the expression of the landscape.
Alkerden, also known as the ‘Central Village’, provides the Market Centre to the Whitecliffe development in Ebbsfleet Garden City. Alkerden connects the whole of Whitecliffe to its immediate location and beyond and occupies a central position within the wider Whitecliffe site between Castle Hill to the east and Ashmere to the west. To the immediate west of Alkerden is the MUP, the largest green link between Alkerden and Ashmere with a north-south sequence of varying and distinct open spaces connected as one expansive linear park.
Christopher Tipping is an experienced artist who has worked in both public and private spaces. His projects focus on place & identity with creative site analysis and contextual research underpinning the design process. He takes inspiration from the natural world but is equally inspired by our built environment, how communities grow and the way we navigate & use man-made spaces.