FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2003

TALKING ECO-TECHNOLOGY

Tony Beckwith, Lee Valley Park

“Lee Valley Park is a park which stretches from east London to ware in Hertfordshire. It is 25 miles long and covers 10,000 acres. It’s funded by precept tax, embracing 37 councils in Herts, Essex and London.”

“I’d like to talk about a particular development called Gunpowder Park. It lies south of Waltham Abbey and 20 minutes from Tottenham and is a former Royal Ordnance site. The work we do involves taking over contaminated land and regenerating it. From the beginning, we try to work with artists alongside the designers. Gunpowder Park covers 225 acres and includes a wetland area and a working farm. We want to place a research field station there and we want its construction to be very much a part of the 225 acres. The research station will be buried, and inside there will be 94 square metres of multi-functional space.”

“ So the surrounding landscape will become an open-air studio. We’re trying to develop Lee Valley as a cultural corridor. This new development will be about bringing art and science together in its broadest terms; we want our site to be a catalyst.”