Fleming Way (The Base)
2022
The micro park sits directly behind the nearby bus stop and, as well as enhancing the experience of waiting for the bus, serves to provide a place to sit and rest complemented by bespoke artwork created by sculptor James Hopkins.
This relatively small park area takes advantage of the limited space made available by the developers of The Base and may eventually form part of a future superhub bus shelter.
The site is located along Fleming Way, which is a primary east/west route within the north of the Business District. It is south-facing and set directly in front of The Base, an industrial development consisting of two warehouses. Zone 2 (blue)
At the heart of the space is a striking piece of public art, Ascent and Descent by artist James Hopkins. The sculpture uses transforming numbers to playfully reference flight, countdowns, and the site’s historic connection to Virgin Atlantic and nearby Gatwick Airport. As you move past it, the numbers shift from 1‑2‑3‑4‑5 to 5‑4‑3‑2‑1, creating a sense of motion and lift‑off.
Artist: James Hopkins - https://www.jameshopkinsworks.com/
Before it was developed as a logistics facility in 2021, The Base was originally acquired and developed by US pharmaceuticals company Upjohns Pharmaceuticals in the mid-1950s who occupied the site for over 40 years.
In 1999 Virgin Atlantic acquired it to create a 210,000 square feet “base” (hence the name) for their state of the art training facility for cabin crew. During Virgin’s occupation, The Base was used in the 2008 James Bond movie Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig for filming the scene where Rene Mathis joins James Bond at the upper class lounge bar of their Virgin Atlantic flight to Bolivia.
