Public courtyard Tunbridge Wells
Public courtyard Tunbridge Wells

The Amelia Courtyard

US$0.00

Tunbridge Wells

This commission was won in 2021 through an open global competition. Catriona Rowbotham was one of seven artists chosen to enhance a new cultural and community building through their artworks. The competition brief was complex in many ways, asking for a ‘curated courtyard’ – a flexible arrangement of planters to be placed in a part shaded paved courtyard space that reflected the history of Tunbridge Wells and its place in Kent. It was to provide pollinator friendly planting, to be used as a learning space for pollinator workshops, drawing classes and gardening classes and to respond to the arrangement of the new building and other artworks. These include a new café space, metal courtyard gates, sculptural drinking fountain and wall art. The brief also asked that the artists worked with local community groups to produce the artwork and provided a detailed breakdown of how the fixed and given budget would be spent. My response was to divide the courtyard into three zones; The Orchard, The Hop Terrace and the Woodland Contemplation Area. Next to the gates, The Orchard reflects Kent’s rich heritage as the Garden of England with apple trees in large black planters to tie in with the metal gates, and mobile planters on castors around them, filled with wildflowers and herbs. The Hop Terrace leads out from the café in the sunniest part of the courtyard. Here, planters with hop poles have hops climbing up them as well as other colourful companion planting. The Woodland Contemplation Area is in the shadiest part of the site and provides quieter seating areas next to the wall art. Planters incorporating built in benches are filled with woodland shrubs and perennials such as Dogwood, ferns and sweet violets reflecting Kent’s ancient woodlands. Before winning the competition Catriona approached Sherwood Men’s Shed to build the timber planters and The Monday Growing Group run by Kent High Weald Partnership, who use their allotment space to benefit the group’s mental health. Catriona worked with both groups during the project, undertaking detailed collaboration with Men’s Shed who manufactured the benches as well as planters and visiting the Monday Growing Group who are growing some plants from seed. The new building opened in April 2022 and houses a museum, gallery and library as well as providing spaces to register births and deaths and access other council services. Due to the careful and inventive commissioning and curation the building and its courtyard already feel like a vibrant part of the community.

Tunbridge Wells

This commission was won in 2021 through an open global competition. Catriona Rowbotham was one of seven artists chosen to enhance a new cultural and community building through their artworks. The competition brief was complex in many ways, asking for a ‘curated courtyard’ – a flexible arrangement of planters to be placed in a part shaded paved courtyard space that reflected the history of Tunbridge Wells and its place in Kent. It was to provide pollinator friendly planting, to be used as a learning space for pollinator workshops, drawing classes and gardening classes and to respond to the arrangement of the new building and other artworks. These include a new café space, metal courtyard gates, sculptural drinking fountain and wall art. The brief also asked that the artists worked with local community groups to produce the artwork and provided a detailed breakdown of how the fixed and given budget would be spent. My response was to divide the courtyard into three zones; The Orchard, The Hop Terrace and the Woodland Contemplation Area. Next to the gates, The Orchard reflects Kent’s rich heritage as the Garden of England with apple trees in large black planters to tie in with the metal gates, and mobile planters on castors around them, filled with wildflowers and herbs. The Hop Terrace leads out from the café in the sunniest part of the courtyard. Here, planters with hop poles have hops climbing up them as well as other colourful companion planting. The Woodland Contemplation Area is in the shadiest part of the site and provides quieter seating areas next to the wall art. Planters incorporating built in benches are filled with woodland shrubs and perennials such as Dogwood, ferns and sweet violets reflecting Kent’s ancient woodlands. Before winning the competition Catriona approached Sherwood Men’s Shed to build the timber planters and The Monday Growing Group run by Kent High Weald Partnership, who use their allotment space to benefit the group’s mental health. Catriona worked with both groups during the project, undertaking detailed collaboration with Men’s Shed who manufactured the benches as well as planters and visiting the Monday Growing Group who are growing some plants from seed. The new building opened in April 2022 and houses a museum, gallery and library as well as providing spaces to register births and deaths and access other council services. Due to the careful and inventive commissioning and curation the building and its courtyard already feel like a vibrant part of the community.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Public courtyard garden design sketch perspective
 
 
 
 

Click images to enlarge

 
 
 

“Your design was shortlisted from the other entries by Luke and myself as it had responded to the brief the best, we could see the flexibility that we had asked for and that it drew on the heritage of Kent in the planting choices that were proposed. We also liked the reference to Paley Park in New York because it linked what was going on in Tunbridge Wells to the wider world. From the shortlist you were then selected by our judging panel, which consisted of project stakeholders including staff, councillors and curators but which Luke and I did not sit on.

The process went as expected as you engaged well with the community groups that you said you would. We really appreciated that, as well as engaging with local community groups to build the planters and to grow some seeds, you also used local suppliers for the plants and pots. We wouldn't have done anything differently. We had to change a few things, responding to issues on site or requests for additional flexibility but you responded to all of those changes as we went along.

The planters and plants make the courtyard space, without them it would be awful! It makes a brilliant space for passing conversations. People really appreciate sitting among the plants, the staff eat their lunch out there. Our research curator, Ian Beavis, has an entomology specialism and he been taking note of all the caterpillars etc that we have had since the courtyard planting was installed so that's also been really interesting. We also like that there are a number of edibles in the planting - it's always nice to be able to give visitors a bunch of parsley! Personally, it's my favourite part of my day when I come out to do the gardening once a month and I see all the changes - it's good for the soul isn't it?”

Polly Harknett, Cultural Projects Manager, The Amelia