On the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch Street sits Sky Garden, an observation deck and open-air terrace with fantastic views of London.
Sky Garden is London‘s highest public garden, a unique public space that spans three storeys and offers 360-degree uninterrupted views across the City of London with landscaped gardens, observation decks and an open-air terrace. Designed to create an open and vibrant place of leisure, Sky Garden offers visitors a chance to experience London from a different viewpoint.
Entrance is free, but space is strictly limited and visits must be booked online in advance at least three days in advance through their website. A limited number of tickets are available each day. Tickets are only valid for the date and time stated on the ticket and have a time limit of 1.5 hrs from time of entry.
The landscape designer behind Sky Garden is an award-winning landscape architecture practise Gillespies. The designers opted for a series of richly planted terraces and the planting is dominated by the drought-resistant Mediterranean and South African species. Individual plants have been chosen to work in harmony with the particular quality of light found under the roof canopy. Colour and flowers flourish all year round in the Sky Garden. Amongst the flowering plants are African Lily (Agapanthus), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) and Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) interspersed with fragrant herbs including French Lavender and Rosemary.
There is a bar and nightly entertainment, as well as two dining options including Fenchurch Street Bar and Grill.
The best time to go is in the evening when the sky turns golden as the sun sets, provided you have a clear day in London if you are lucky enough.