Paddington Walk Gardens: 3 Rooftop Sanctuaries That Travel the World Without Leaving London

Join us as we take a tour of not one, not two, but three sophisticated<a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roof"> rooftop sanctuaries</a> that travel the globe without ever leaving London. To come up with the inspiration for each garden, <a href="http://www.gillespies.co.uk/">Gillespies</a> called upon three distinct international styles known for their recognizable elements: Indonesian, Japanese and Moroccan. The result was a series of posh but welcoming spaces ranging from intimate and serene to open and flourishing.

The rooftop gardens are the "icing on the cake" so to speak for a group of new homes built as part of the regeneration of the Paddington Basin neighborhood.

Each space boasts spectacular views of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/zero-power-digital-cloud-shows-images-and-data-in-the-london-skyline/">London skyline</a>, a benefit that would certainly have been a waste not to exploit!

Special elements have been incorporated into each design to evoke the feeling of stepping into the country it was designed for. For example, the Japanese rooftop displays a Zen gravel garden at its center, while the Indonesian garden has its own lush "<a href="http://inhabitat.com/vegetated-floating-is-land-in-the-sky-goes-missing-from-uk-music-festival/">island</a>" in the middle.

The Moroccan garden features darker woods and splashes of saturated color.

The restful outdoor spaces are decked out with custom-made furniture, as well as overhead trellises, planting beds, broad walks and wall planters. Since the patios all face a westerly direction, they receive ample light all day long so there are also built-in <a href="http://inhabitat.com/ofis-colorful-lace-apartment-is-wrapped-in-a-sun-shading-facade/">shading </a>elements to give roof-goers some respite from the sun.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, the closely curated selection of plants was chosen for their ability to thrive naturally in London's climate. The conscious decision means less maintenance, less water used and less of a headache for the owners.