Bromley Council and Crystal Palace Park Trust have delivered a major phase of the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park in south London. Appointed in 2023, HTA Design served as lead consultant and landscape architect, leading a multidisciplinary team of 20 specialist consultants from concept design through to delivery, with construction works undertaken by Maylim.

Developed with support from Historic England and a range of stakeholders, the project restores significant Victorian heritage assets, improves biodiversity and accessibility, and introduces new visitor facilities within the Grade II* registered park and garden.

Originally created following the relocation of the Crystal Palace from Hyde Park to Sydenham after the Great Exhibition of 1851, the park was conceived by English gardener and architect Sir Joseph Paxton as a destination combining science, landscape, and spectacle. Paxton's design followed a ‘journey through time’, beginning with prehistory, represented by the world's first life-size sculptures of prehistoric animals in the Geological Court, and culminating in the Victorian era, symbolised by the Crystal Palace itself.

The regeneration builds on this original concept through three interconnected approaches: restoring the park's historic assets, revitalising its landscape as an inclusive and biodiverse environment, and reimagining its role as a place of learning, discovery, and enjoyment.

Restore

The conservation of the park's historic assets forms a central part of the regeneration, addressing the deterioration of significant Victorian structures and landscapes while reinstating elements of Paxton's original design.

The Grade I listed Geological Court, including English sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins’ dinosaur sculptures, has undergone an extensive conservation programme, resulting in its removal from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. The work involved collaboration with Donald Insall Associates, Alan Baxter Associates, Sally Strachey Heritage Conservators, and the Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs.

Informed by scientific research, material testing, and detailed surveys, the conservation programme sought to retain as much original fabric as possible. Specialist cleaning, structural repairs, and 3D printing were among the techniques used to restore 14 geological illustrations and 30 dinosaur sculptures. Historic paint analysis helped identify the original colours from the 1850s, informing the restoration of the sculptures and illustrations. Approximately 300 kilograms of natural hydraulic lime were also used during the repairs.

The surrounding landscape has also been restored, revealing historic views and topography. New gravel formations around the sculptures reflect successive geological ages, reinforcing the Geological Court's original educational narrative.

The Upper Lake has been desilted and enhanced with a new pumped water recirculation system, developed by Fountains Direct. The system stabilises water levels around the dinosaur sculptures, improves oxygenation, and restores the Geological Court’s historic water features, including a mountain stream, rock pool, and waterfall.

At the opposite end of the park, the half-kilometre-long, Grade II listed Italian Terraces represent the last surviving element of the original Crystal Palace landscape at its monumental scale. Once an extensive setting of ornamental gardens and fountains, the Terraces lost their original function following the Palace's destruction by fire in 1936 and subsequently fell into decline.

The conservation programme reinstates missing elements of the Upper and Lower Terrace walls, including extensive balustrades and copings. Following consultation with Historic England, cast stone was selected for the reconstructed balustrades, while matching Bath stone and lime mortar pointing were used to repair the Terrace walls. More than 1,600 individual pieces of Bath stone and 2,600 pieces of cast stone were used during the works.

New below-ground drainage infrastructure, including gravel-filled channels, filter drains, and slit drains, directs surface water away from the 170-year-old Terrace walls, addressing a major cause of their deterioration and helping protect the historic fabric.

The restoration of Paxton's Grand Centre Walk reinstates the park's principal historic axis, reconnecting key destinations and restoring the route to its original width of 29.26 metres (96 feet). The works improve accessibility and reinforce the spatial organisation of the original landscape.

The Grade II listed bust of Sir Joseph Paxton has also been returned to its original position on the Italian Terraces, following archaeological investigations during construction.

Revitalise

The revitalisation of Crystal Palace Park is guided by landscape strategies that address material reuse, sustainable water management, biodiversity, and accessibility.

More than 7,500 tonnes of excavated soil have been reused across the project, reducing the need for off-site disposal and associated vehicle movements. Soil excavated during the construction of the new playground and maintenance building was redistributed within the park, including areas of the Italian Terraces. 

Existing sub-bases beneath the park's footpaths were also retained and reused wherever possible. Trial pits excavated during technical design confirmed that most were suitable for reuse, reducing the need for imported materials, excavation, and waste disposal while minimising disturbance to mature trees.

The desilting of the Upper Lake followed a similar approach, with all excavated sediment reused within the park rather than removed as waste. The material was incorporated behind new revetments with marginal planting and used to create 500 square metres of marginal shelves along the lake's edges, providing additional aquatic habitat and improving water quality. Sustainable drainage systems, including rain gardens, swales, and improvements to the lake infrastructure, help manage surface water and support biodiversity.

The introduction of 58,000 square metres of flowering meadows and species-rich grassland, alongside more than 64,000 herbaceous perennials, restores elements of the Victorian park's horticultural character. More than 260 plant species have been introduced to support bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Within the Geological Court, planting draws on prehistoric species, including ferns and grasses, to illustrate the evolution of plants over time. Drought-tolerant species have also been selected to improve the landscape's resilience to changing climatic conditions.

Accessibility improvements include new step-free routes, upgraded pathways, and a redesigned entrance at Penge Gate. The entrance draws on the modular geometry of the original Crystal Palace, establishing a connection between the park's architectural heritage and its contemporary landscape.

A coordinated lighting and wayfinding strategy improves visibility and navigation, connecting key destinations and supporting access throughout the park.

Reimagine

Building on Paxton's original vision of combining education and entertainment, the regeneration introduces new facilities and experiences that reinterpret the park’s heritage for contemporary visitors.

A new palaeontological dig-themed playground encourages children to explore prehistory through imaginative and inclusive play. Co-designed with local children and accessibility specialists, and developed from concept design through to construction with PlayEquip, the playground incorporates large sculptural play structures inspired by fossil discoveries and dinosaur anatomy.

These structures create opportunities for climbing, balancing, and exploration within a landscape that connects play with the park's geological and scientific heritage.

The new Visitor Centre, designed by Tate + Co, provides an additional destination for visitors. Constructed using a lightweight timber frame, the building retains the former Information Centre's concrete foundations and floor slab. This approach saved approximately 20 tonnes of embodied carbon while reducing construction work around the roots of surrounding mature trees. The building's externally positioned load-bearing timber frame also allows its internal layout to be reconfigured to accommodate changing activities and requirements.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows establish a visual connection between the Visitor Centre's interior and the surrounding landscape. Movable timber shutters filter light and allow the building's appearance to change between open and closed configurations.

The playground and Visitor Centre are connected through a heritage trail and interpretation strategy developed by HTA Design's wayfinding team. This links the new facilities with the Geological Court and the wider park, creating a coherent visitor experience that supports learning and exploration.

Natalia Roussou, Landscape Design Director at HTA Design, said: ‘Crystal Palace Park has always been a place of innovation, bringing together education, entertainment, and discovery. That legacy shaped our approach throughout the project, combining the restoration of internationally significant heritage assets with the revitalisation of the wider landscape and the creation of new experiences for future generations to enjoy.’

The works were funded through the sale of land adjacent to the park for affordable housing and a £5 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Additional funding was provided by the Garfield Weston Foundation, London Marathon Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, and Pilgrim Trust.