TIDEWAY: LONDON’S FIRST 360° SUBTERRANEAN GARDEN INSTALLATION

The new Tideway London Super Sewer will reduce the amount of waste pumped into the Thames by 38 million tonnes per annum. To celebrate the wildlife that will thrive along the banks of the Thames because of this infrastructural feat, Tideway wanted to create an unmissable PR moment. JOY! Collective were commissioned to create a fully immersive magical garden experience 50 metres below the streets of London, in the sewer itself!

We love a challenge, and this project was full of them: Being a brand-spanking new tunnel, drilling was an absolute no-go. There wasn’t a flat surface in sight, and there was a steady stream of groundwater at the base of the tunnel. There was no natural light to sustain plant life, and the only access was via a hand-operated crane with a lift box attached.

We set about designing a self-supporting framework made from CNC’d plywood sections that secured together to create a circular frame, which clung to the 9-metre-wide tunnel to support our installation. The structure included a platform at the base to allow guests to wander through the scene with dry feet.

It was important that this secret subterranean wonderland remained true to Tideways’ commitment to improving the natural habitat and ecology of the Thames. No single-use products were included in the making of the installation, and all materials were natural, reusable or recyclable, aligning with their goals for a more sustainable London. We worked with plant specialists to design planting that reflected those native to London and the Thames, carefully selecting, ethically sourced, hired faux plants to dress the set. We incorporated oversized theatre flats, dye-cut and hand-painted to look like giant flowers in order to create a sense of scale and fantasy. The 360° experience was fully immersive; ethereal lighting was designed and elevated by haze machines to create a mystical fog, natural scent diffusers radiated smells of grasses and wetland, whilst a nature soundscape was composed by Rob Lewis and played through an audio system.

13 Creatives, 3 days, a wooden rib-cage, and a whole lot of JOY! Later… Our subterranean Eden was a reality.