Artist’s Garden Temple Station Closure: London Sculpture Garden Faces October Eviction

The Artist’s Garden above Temple Underground station in central London is facing closure after its operator was told its licence for the rooftop site will not be renewed from 1 October 2026.

The free public sculpture garden, established by arts charity theCOLAB, occupies a 1,400-square-metre roof terrace above Temple station and has showcased large-scale work by women artists since opening in 2021.

However, an important distinction needs to be made: Temple Tube station itself is not being closed as part of the announcement. The dispute concerns The Artist’s Garden on the station’s roof terrace rather than Underground services operating through Temple.

Places for London, Transport for London’s commercial property arm, has said the terrace and station roof may require essential repair and safety work and that the space needs to be cleared so the extent of those works can be assessed.

The decision has triggered a campaign by theCOLAB, artists and supporters who are seeking to keep the cultural space at its existing location.

Is The Artist’s Garden at Temple Station Closing?

Under the current position, theCOLAB has been told it must leave the Temple station rooftop site from 1 October 2026 because its licence will not be renewed.

The situation can be summarised as follows:

Key point	Current position
Site	The Artist’s Garden, roof of Temple Tube station
Location	Temple Place, central London
Garden opened	2021
Threatened departure date	1 October 2026
Temple Underground station	Not announced as closing
Reason given by Places for London	Assessment of potential repair and safety works
Current garden status	Open during August 2026
Campaign	Effort underway to retain the garden

Westminster City Council currently lists the Artist’s Garden as open throughout August from 8am until 7pm, with no booking required.

Why Is The Artist’s Garden Being Asked to Leave?

Places for London has said that the terrace and the roof of Temple station may require essential repairs and safety works.

According to its position reported by the Guardian, the terrace needs to be cleared so the condition of the structure and the scale of any necessary work can be properly assessed.

Places for London has also stressed that the rooftop is a legally protected public open space and said it will remain publicly accessible in the future.

The organisation says it is working with Westminster City Council and other local stakeholders to explore possible alternative locations for The Artist’s Garden while considering longer-term plans for the Temple terrace.

Why Is COLAB Opposing the Closure?

The charity behind The Artist’s Garden disputes the case for requiring it to leave the site.

theCOLAB argues that the stated repairs have not demonstrated the need to permanently remove the sculpture garden and has raised concerns about what could happen to the terrace after it leaves.

Its campaign says the Artist’s Garden faces eviction on 1 October 2026 and is seeking support to protect the existing cultural use of the rooftop.

The charity is also seeking recognition of the cultural and community value of the site and has launched both a petition and a fundraising campaign connected with its efforts to remain there.

The campaign has set a target of 5,000 petition signatures.

What Is The Artist’s Garden at Temple Station?

The Artist’s Garden occupies a previously neglected 1,400-square-metre rooftop terrace above Temple Tube station, close to the Strand, Somerset House and the River Thames.

It was established in 2021 by theCOLAB in collaboration with Westminster City Council as a free outdoor space dedicated to large-scale sculpture by women artists.

The garden has hosted work by artists including Lakwena Maciver and Holly Hendry, as well as group exhibitions and smaller commissions.

Its current programme, Sculpture in Three Acts, brings together work by Florence Peake, Linder and Adeline de Monseignat. It opened on 16 May 2026 and had originally been programmed to remain on display until mid-May 2027.

The threatened October departure therefore raises questions over how that programme could continue if the garden cannot remain on the Temple rooftop.

How Many People Visit The Artist’s Garden?

theCOLAB says The Artist’s Garden has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors each year since opening.

The Guardian also reported that the project has commissioned 18 major works and collaborated with 24 emerging and established artists since its establishment.

Its unusual location forms a significant part of the project: visitors encounter contemporary sculpture on an elevated terrace immediately above one of central London’s Underground stations.

Entry has remained free.

Does the Artist’s Garden Closure Mean Temple Tube Station Is Closing?

No.

Despite searches for “artist’s garden temple station closure”, the current dispute does not mean Temple Underground station itself is scheduled to shut.

It is The Artist’s Garden on the roof terrace above the station that has been told to vacate.

The distinction is important for commuters. There has been no announcement in the sources reviewed indicating that Circle or District line trains will stop serving Temple because of the Artist’s Garden dispute.

Places for London’s reference to work on the station roof should therefore not be interpreted as confirmation of a full Tube station closure. Its current statement concerns assessment of repair and safety requirements for the rooftop area.

Will the Temple Roof Terrace Become Private?

That remains one of the most contested parts of the story.

Campaigners have expressed concern about future private development of the site. The Artist’s Garden campaign has claimed that the space risks being transferred to a private operator.

Places for London, however, says the terrace itself is legally protected public open space and will remain accessible to the public.

It has also said that the adjoining commercial space at the station is leased to cultural operator Vinyl Factory and that any future proposals for the terrace would have to preserve public access and receive the relevant approvals.

These are therefore two different issues: the future operator or use of neighbouring commercial space and the legal public-access status of the rooftop terrace.

What Happens on 1 October 2026?

Unless the position changes before then, theCOLAB says it has been instructed to vacate The Artist’s Garden site by 1 October 2026.

What happens after that remains uncertain.

Places for London says assessment and potentially essential repair and safety works need to take place, while theCOLAB is campaigning to remain at Temple and is challenging the reasoning behind its removal.

Discussions involving Places for London, Westminster City Council and other stakeholders are also continuing over both the terrace and possible alternative locations for the sculpture project.

Can People Still Visit The Artist’s Garden?

Yes, the garden remains open at the time of writing.

Westminster City Council’s August 2026 cultural programme lists The Artist’s Garden at Temple Tube station as open throughout August between 8am and 7pm, with visitors able to attend without booking.

Visitors should nevertheless check the latest information from theCOLAB or Westminster City Council before travelling, particularly as the 1 October deadline approaches.

At Last

The Artist’s Garden Temple station closure story concerns the future of the sculpture garden above Temple Underground station not the closure of the Tube station itself.

theCOLAB has been told that its licence for the rooftop terrace will not be renewed and that it must leave by 1 October 2026. Places for London says the terrace and station roof may need essential repair and safety work and must be cleared to assess what is required.

Campaigners dispute the justification for removing the project and are pushing to protect a cultural space that has operated above Temple since 2021. A petition and fundraising campaign are now under way.

For now, The Artist’s Garden remains open, and Places for London maintains that the terrace is legally protected public open space that will continue to be publicly accessible whatever happens to the current sculpture garden.

With the 1 October 2026 deadline approaching, the key question is whether an agreement can be reached that allows The Artist’s Garden to remain at Temple or whether the project will have to leave its distinctive central London home.