A stretch of London’s new “Super Sewer” has been transformed into a multi-colored underground garden. The ‘Loo Garden’ has been set up 50m below the streets of the capital. Darkness and the challenge of watering meant rented artificial plants were used, as well as repurposed waste materials found along the Thames. It aims to highlight the positive environmental impact the Thames Tideway Tunnel will have when it opens.
For decades London’s Victorian-era sewers have discharged raw sewage into the River Thames after heavy rain. The new sewer aims to prevent 95% of sewage spills and is due to be fully operational in 2025, after some additional construction and testing works. Tideway have said that the “ecological benefits will be significant for the hundreds of species of fish, birds, mammals and riverside flora that call the Thames home”.
The garden will be in place for three weeks before the tunnel is closed ahead of testing next year. Some members of the public will have a chance to explore the garden and surrounding infrastructure through a competition in Time Out magazine.
