The project occupies the site of the former National Temperance Hospital one of several empty plots in the Euston area to be transformed by HS2 into a meanwhile garden for public use, following the pause of the UKs huge infrastructure project. It is the only one in the series to be co-designed with a local youth group, as well as the community that will use it.The Euston station leg of HS2 is currently on hold. In January 2020, the AJ reported that the governments infrastructure watchdog gave both Phase 1 of the multibillion pound HS2 rail like and the controversial Holocaust Memorial a red rating in its annual report meaning that its deems them unachievable.However, the HS2 team has turned the paused works and project hiatus into an opportunity, transforming a redundant part of the city into a neighbourhood resource inspired by a programme of community engagement taking place on the Regents Park Estate.AdvertisementThis highlighted the need for recreational and safe spaces for young local people, close to Euston Station.Working with the Camden-based charity Fitzrovia Youth in Action, MATT+FIONA gathered ideas through large-scale ink drawings and sketches, which were then developed into a plan.Forty-eight young people initially took part in this consultation, with 18 young placemakers coming together over the course of 12 weeks to develop the concept for a multifunctional pavilion to become the focal point of a garden designed by LDA Design. Source:Nick TurpinThe young placemakers developed the design and skills by fabricating non-structural elements in a workshop at the Euston Skills Centre.At 6m high and featuring a blue timber stage and seating area, the pavilions structure is a performance space designed to be experienced by as many people as possible. Access needs were also considered throughout the design process.AdvertisementThe form is defined by a series of panel shapes, fabricated by the young placemakers, with some surfaces mirrored to catch the south-facing sun. Above the stage, further overhead mirrors create visual effects.The wider public realm of the National Temperance Hospital Garden has been completed by LDA Design and features a maze of long grasses at the northern end. Parterre gardens connect the stage and seating area while small trees and drought-tolerant species add to the gardens ecological impact.Reusing materials on site, concrete foundation slabs of the former HS2 construction compound have been reappropriated as a central feature while the footing strips for previous site cabins help define the maze and parterre gardens.It is envisaged that, when the site is redeveloped as part of HS2s masterplan, the pavilion will move to a permanent location on the neighbouring Regents Park Estate.MATT+FIONA is a collective that empowers young people to be involved in the design of their built environment through buildings, learning and connecting. You can read an interview with them here. Source:Nick TurpinDesigners viewsIt has been really exciting to see a renewed commitment to youth-led decision making and co-production, in not only planning and design, but also in the physical creation of this meanwhile-use space. Young people came up with the ideas and vision for the core elements of this project, helped build the structure, and were able to develop so many skills in the process, including being able to saw, drill, hammer and paint.The Young Placemakers are thrilled to see the community now being able to use this space. This programme has been exemplary of how young people can be engaged to draw on their knowledge and experiences to design better spaces for their peers and the wider community.Ellie Rudd, Youth Leadership and Regent's Park community champions manager, Fitzrovia Youth in ActionThe youth-led co-design process for this project brought the design ideas and vision for a new playable landscape to the fore. This unique project demonstrates the true value that comes from trusting young people to contribute to the shaping of the public spaces that we all share. We are proud of the Young Placemakers whom we have worked with on this project. We have seen at recent public events the power that their ongoing advocacy for this type of work can have.Matthew Springett, director, MATT+FIONA Source:Nick TurpinLandscape architects viewIt has been great working with the young people of Fitzrovia Youth in Action, MATT+FIONA and the local community to make sure the gardens benefit the people using them. We wanted to create a fun but also high-quality space, reusing and recycling wherever possible. Ultimately, we want people, especially our brilliant Young Placemakers, to enjoy the space and to feel proud of what they have achieved.Dafydd Warburton, design director and project lead, LDA Design Source:Jon ShmulevitchLaunch eventProject dataLocation National Temperance Hospital Garden, Hampstead Road, London NW1 3FJStart on site October 2024CompletionJanuary 2025Site area 450mProcurement route MATT+FIONA appointed from RIBA Stages 0-3 through LDA Design, with a direct appointment through MDJV for technical design and delivery stagesConstruction cost UndisclosedDesign team Young Placemakers from Fitzrovia Youth in Action, MATT+FIONA, LDA DesignArchitect LDA DesignClient Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV), HS2Structural engineer Integral Engineering DesignLandscape consultant LDA DesignMain contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV), HS2 (Euston Station Integrated Project Team)