Whatman Park & Hermitage Amphitheatre

previous state

Maidstone, in the county of Kent, has historically been a major centre of communication and commercial exchanges by river, road and train. The city, which has spread along the banks of the river Medway, had its origins on the east bank where the old centre of the town and its main commercial areas are located, while the residential areas, including the more recent constructions, and many of the town's new facilities are on the west bank. The poor connections between the two banks led to a proliferation of isolated areas along the banks of the river that, despite its historical role in the history and development of the town, coexisted uneasily with it as a neglected resource from which the town had turned away.

On the west bank, the land that had once been occupied by a paper production and recycling factory was abandoned, trapped between the railway line and the river, inaccessible despite its proximity to the centre of the city. This neglect led to the uncontrolled growth of excessive and wild vegetation that presented problems of conservation because of the presence of some noxious species that hampered the natural development of a setting with a fully-grown but somewhat ailing population of trees.

intervention object

The donation of the land of the former industrial site on the west bank to the city represented a decisive impulse for the viability of a project that had had its beginnings in 1995 with the idea of integrally redefining the relation between the River Medway and the city by way of strategic interventions in different areas of the natural corridor.

The new river park, conceived and created as a structurally significant space at both local and regional levels was to contribute to the balanced development of the zone, giving new value to the river settings and enriching the quality of life for the residents of Maidstone. A work group consisting of political representatives, specialists and local groups organised public consultations in order to discover what the citizens' aspirations were in relation to the river and the different spaces along its banks.

intervention description

The construction of the Lockmeadow footbridge in 1998, joining a new recreational area and the urban centre, represented the beginning of improved connections between the two parts of the city. Alongside this new focus of attraction on the west bank, a new docks area was installed for water sports and leisure craft, while different spaces along the river were reconditioned as riverside walks and resting places. At one end of the bridge, and as part of the newly created itinerary, a public space has been constructed on the patios of a set of protected buildings belonging to the archdiocese. This southern area, the Hermitage Amphitheatre, along with Whatman Park to the north, and land that will probably be ceded to the city to relocate the installations of the local football club, are the spaces that are expected to act together in the process of regenerating the river along a ten-kilometre walk through the surrounding landscape.

The main part of this walk, Whatman Park, built on ten hectares of land belonging to the old paper-mill, from which it takes its name, is linked to the city by two new footbridges that have been built, one at either end. Below the north bridge, a light suspended walkway defines a new landing stage, while the south bridge is of a metallic structure that saves a considerable amount of light. In the preliminary work on the park, the greatest possible number of vegetable species from the site was identified. These species were to be conserved as part of the natural setting and its ecosystems once the species that were noxious for the rest of the natural community had been removed.

The central area of the park, a clearing in the middle of the green area, is the part with the highest degree of architectural formality as a gathering point and venue for the holding of a range of social events. It houses an arena, a grandstand for public functions and zones for resting, while organising the different routes through the park by way of a main itinerary that, joined with the two access bridges, is paved and highlighted at some points with low lateral walls in coloured concrete, creating a slight sensation of urban elements standing out against the green of the landscape. The fixtures in this area are exclusively in stainless steel and the lighting is at ground level, thus avoiding the urban flavour that is frequently associated with the structures of vertical lighting.

At the northern end of the park, walks, nature study areas and classrooms have been provided for schools. The tall pines in the top parts have been used as a basis for constructing a number of elevated platforms running between the trees to function as privileged lookouts for observing both the natural setting and the city. Special quiet areas are defined in different parts of the park for protected species in an attempt to favour a recovery of natural diversity and to restore wildlife in the corridor. In the preliminary phases of the project, work was done in close association with the local community in order to develop play, sports and leisure areas that would involve groups of all ages.

Given the proximity of the park to the centre of Maidstone, and to the railway stations, parking facilities for vehicles near the park were expressly limited to the minimum in order to encourage other kinds of access. The future construction of the football stadium for the local club will enable new parking areas to be included in the overall project.

intervention valuation

The new Millennium River Park at Maidstone is the result of an intensive process where all the activities and present uses on the banks of the river Medway as it passes through the city have been given special attention by the planners so that, if they appeared to be jeopardising the functioning of the natural corridor, they were to be redefined or relocated. Detailed studies of the state of the river flows made it possible to pinpoint the locations where the new connecting bridges would have the most positive ramifications for the city, while the lines of people's wishes spontaneously generated in the walks were interpreted and incorporated, and relevant points were linked through itineraries that enter the urban structure beyond the strict strip of contact with the river.

A vision of the area as a whole has enabled the regeneration of many spaces with clearly different levels of intensity in the work that has been done Respectful solutions and the maintenance of a high degree of diversity have achieved improvements in the environment and landscape that, in addition to the accessibility that has been gained, have represented not only an overcoming of the physical barrier that the river meant for the city but also its complete relocation within the urban geography of Maidstone.

Mònica Oliveres i Guixer, architect