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Both spaces were opened to shoppers at the department store’s Oxford Street location on Saturday (3 May). The exhibition, entitled Stories of a Shopkeeper, is being held on the third floor of the store and takes visitors through John Lewis’ inception in 1864 right through to the ‘future room’ – a space that explores the store’s futuristic prospects.
The garden space will host a variety of events in the evenings, including a pop-up cinema, sit-down restaurant and sports nights. Interactive fine dining charity events will be available between 13 May and 8 June for £130 per person, where eight chefs will cook an exclusive menu for 20 diners each night.
Permanent features of the garden include a band-stand, a fresh juice bar from Joe and the Juice and a children’s vegetable patch. The Royal Horticultural Society’s national young designer of the year Tony Woods worked with Pretty Green to create a fragrant and eye-catching garden design that encapsulated John Lewis’ traditional British style.
Kate Morrison, client services director at Pretty Green, said: "The John Lewis roof garden has been an exceptionally exciting project for Pretty Green and allowed us to create something which not only looks beautiful but that really enables John Lewis to give thanks to its customers.
"150 years is such a landmark and it just wouldn’t have been possible without the public so it was really important for us to make sure that they could enjoy the result of the garden."
Rachel Swift, head of marketing at John Lewis, added: "Our 150th anniversary felt like the perfect opportunity to create a unique space at our flagship store to not only celebrate our heritage but also to create something incredibly contemporary and beautiful and more importantly a legacy for the future."
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