The central structure of the Centrepoint Garden - a part-demolished, ruinous house, where over time nature has taken over - is a visceral metaphor for what it means to be young and homeless.
The mixed planting, including so-called ‘weeds’ and a fallen tree, form a thriving, natural and evolving habitat, emphasising the important role a garden plays in making a house a home. A boundary wall is decorated with traditional topiary forms that will be familiar to most gardeners and provides an interesting contrast to the wilder planting within.
The Pointillist style of the yew paintings uses roughly 120,000 dots to highlight the number of homeless young people in the UK. Sculptor Johnny Woodford’s five bird boxes placed around the garden play muffled recordings of everyday sounds - children playing, dogs barking, clocks chiming and conversation around the dinner table - adding a familiar soundscape many of us take for granted.
