This temporary landscape in Stratford, East London, was the second commission Livingston Eyre Associates carried out for the University of East London. It is on the site of a former car park and intended to be dismantled to make way for new buildings and a central square.

The University, while raising funds to develop new buildings for the campus within the next ten years, wanted an essentially short term landscape, which nonetheless would create a strong sense of identity for both university members and the local community.

In view of the landscape’s short lifespan, and both clients’ and designers’ interests in environmental issues, it is designed such a way that the materials could be dismantled and recycled whenever the new building construction work begins. Thus planters are built of recycled timber railway sleepers and recycled stone setts can be sold back to the supplier or reused in another scheme. Galvanised litter bins and light fittings can also be reused.

This simple but striking scheme uses an appropriate urban imagery and stridently bold geometry which succeeds in radically changing perceptions and use of this outdoor space.