The Garden of Spirituality and Friendship is a project conceived and managed by the Edinburgh Interfaith Association, led by the indefatigable Joe Goldblatt, for the purpose of promoting community cohesion. Halvorsen Architects was invited to design the garden, which will be mainly for public use – for relaxation, meditation and contemplation.
Originally the garden was to be located in the small walled garden adjacent to the Edinburgh World Heritage office in Bakehouse Close, in Edinburgh’s Old Town. This had the advantage of being very central and an oasis in an otherwise built-up area. However, we had to change site, and one in Regent Terrace, Edinburgh, next to the Burns monument, was offered as one of four choices. It took little time to realise that this was an incredible site and by far our preferred option. The views are outstanding, both of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags but also towards the Firth of Forth.
The low-level design has been kept to an minimum, both in respect of the fantastic views, but also at the request of the planners and conservationists. Hard paving will accommodate wheelchair users and provide a space for small gatherings and performances. The garden’s proximity to Scotland’s National Centre for Music, to be located in the Old Royal High School, make it an ideal site for small outdoor concerts.
The paving is to be of stone, in keeping with surrounding buildings, notably the adjacent Burns Monument. It will be laid in patterns that reflect the layering and fault lines visible in the rock of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags.
Seating will be introduced around the edges of the garden – to include everything from long curved benches to individual seats. All furniture is to be made of hardwood by the Grassmarket Community Project, in a style that reflects the life cycle of a tree.
The site has a steep slope away from the road and the existing topology is being kept. Paving and seating are concentrated along the northern border of the site – the highest part of the site with the best views. The existing area of open lawn, popular with local residents, will remain. However it will be turned into a ‘living lawn’ – one which includes several species of wildflowers and is better for biodiversity. This has been developed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and is being widely promoted to replace municipal lawns across Scotland.
The design reflects on geologic time and man’s relative ephemerality, inspired by the visible rock formations in Holyrood Park formed during the Carboniferous period around 360 million years ago. Salisbury Crags are cliffs formed by a horizontal igneous intrusion of dolerite, which formed after the main lavas and the volcanic vent at Arthur’s Seat.
As a garden of spirituality and friendship, the connection to nature will be prominent – including cycles of growth, harmony, renewal, and the nurturing of both nature and spirit.