Working within the Royal Botanic Gardens is unlike almost any other signage project. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Wakehurst combines internationally important plant collections with a more natural landscape character. Our interventions needed to help visitors navigate and discover what's on offer, while leaving the lightest possible footprint on these sensitive sites.

Our work has ranged from permanent gateway signage through to temporary installations for Kew’s Henry Moore exhibition, each requiring a different response while adhering to the same guiding design principles

Working with Kew since 2021, we first developed a family of permanent gateway signs for Kew and Wakehurst, the Gardens’ wild botanic garden and home to the Millennium Seed Bank. Drawing inspiration from the gardens’ existing character, we chose sustainably sourced oak with aluminium interpretation panels and stainless steel fixings. The modular signage system established a robust but natural character that sits comfortably within the heritage landscape.

We later applied the same thinking to temporary signage for Kew’s Henry Moore exhibition. Here, a lightweight modular steel frame provided the flexibility needed for a temporary installation. Different panel sizes and configurations are accommodated within the same family of structures, while the slender frames sit lightly within the landscape.

For both systems, minimising below-ground intervention was crucial. Rather than relying on conventional concrete footings, we developed a buried steel ground box for the permanent gateway signage that requires far less excavation but still provides the necessary structural stability, leaving a much lighter footprint on the landscape.

With the temporary exhibition, the hinged triangular frames were stabilised using discreet ground spikes and marquee-style anchors to withstand wind loading. This provided the stability while still remaining a temporary structure that could be removed once the exhibition concluded. Careful positioning avoidedr damage to tree roots below ground.

Designing for Kew means thinking beyond what visitors see. Every intervention must respect a World Heritage landscape, protect sensitive planting and minimise its impact both above and below ground.

That philosophy shaped the materials we selected and the foundations beneath them. The result is signage that respects the landscapes they inhabit, giving Kew and Wakehurst a flexible family of sign installations that can evolve over time.