Harlow Town Park

Learning, Community and Heritage

Harlow Town Park was originally an innovative post war new town public park based around a series of existing and new features intended to respond to the needs of populations relocated from inner cities. After many years of lack of investment, a new masterplan was developed to re-imagine some of the key areas and give the much valued park new life. Kaner Olette developed the strategies for improving the linkage between the mix of buildings, introducing a new events barn and learning centre for Pets Corner and reinvigorating the 1970s bandstand. The victorian Spurriers House was given an improved setting and brought back into public use with a new cafe. Volunteer facilities were introduced into the defunct walled garden and a scheme developed for the reuse of the 1960s greyhound toilets as an orientation shelter.

To bring these elements together a colour and material strategy was devised as well as improving wayfinding which focused on opening up key vistas and changing the pedestrian circulation. The construction of each building had a specific narrative with the learning centre utilising straw bale construction with wind catcher ventilation system. The events barn took its lead from a refinement of standard and robust agricultural construction and enables a variety of activities such as the outdoor nativity plays and sheep shearing.

The resulting scheme has created a far more cohesive central core to the park that respects the important post war cultural heritage.