Jubilee Gardens

The park first appeared on the public radar in 1951 when it was the site of the Festival of Britain’s prime building, the Dome of Discovery, as well as its striking temporary landmark: the Skylon. When these temporary buildings were dismantled the site became a car park. It remained so until 1977 when a park was laid out for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The construction of the Jubilee Line extension and of the Golden Jubilee Bridges led to the deterioration of the gardens, which have since been put under even greater pressure as South Bank has become recognised as a top tourist destination attracting some 25m visits a year. The recent transformation of the Gardens has been managed by an innovative partnership, the Jubilee Gardens Project Board comprising of Lambeth Council, Southbank Centre, previous owner of Jubilee Gardens, the Jubilee Gardens Trust, which is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Gardens, and Transport for London, which provided funding towards the project on behalf of the Mayor.