London St. Pancras International has transformed its concourse this summer with a free, immersive living installation.
Kicking off a season of sustainable summer travel, London St. Pancras Highspeed has unveiled a calming, immersive installation in one of London’s busiest public spaces, translating beautiful peatland landscapes through layered planting, materials and sound.
Millions of visitors to St. Pancras International will encounter something they wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a train station: the quiet world of Britain’s peatlands.
The Composer’s Cabin installation, created by award-winning garden designer Martha Krempel, invites passengers to immerse themselves in the space: sitting among layered peatland planting, interacting with a Steinway & Sons grand model B Spirio R self-playing piano, handling a transplanted peatland core that preserves thousands of years of ecological history, and listening to a soundscape evoking these ancient landscapes.
The Composer’s Cabin won a Silver Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2026. Its move to St. Pancras International brings the installation to one of Britain’s most visited public spaces, extending its reach and message of preservation to millions of summer travellers. The exhibition complements St Pancras International’s role as a hub for high-speed rail travel, and lower-carbon journeys.
The installation reflects London St. Pancras Highspeed’s long-standing commitment to peatland restoration and sustainability. International travel to and from London St. Pancras International and its most popular European destinations – Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris – produces, on average, 96% less CO₂ compared with the equivalent flight. London St. Pancras Highspeed’s connection to peatlands runs deeper than most – between June 2021 and October 2022, the station’s retail and passenger activity contributed directly to the restoration of degraded peatlands at Gameshope Loch in the Scottish Borders – part of a project projected to prevent significant CO₂e emissions over the next 100 years.
Sam Sage, Sustainability and Environmental Manager, London St. Pancras Highspeed, said:
“St. Pancras is one of the most visited public spaces in Britain, which makes it one of the most powerful platforms we have. This installation is about using that reach – making the case for peatlands in a way that’s genuinely engaging, not just informational. We want passengers to pause, connect with the ecology, and carry something away with them as they head off on their summer travels.”
Martha Krempel, said:
“Peatlands are some of the most important landscapes on earth, and some of the least seen. RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s move to become officially peat-free this year was a hugely significant moment for horticulture, but the real opportunity is taking The Composer’s Cabin’s message beyond the show itself. Bringing the cabin to London St. Pancras International means reaching millions of people passing through one of London’s busiest transport hubs, many of whom aren’t expecting to encounter the story of peatlands preservation at all. That’s where the conversation really starts.”
The Composer’s Cabin
Where: St. Pancras International concourse
Cost: free
Open: 09:30 – 17:00 until 21 June 2026
The public is invited to step inside, explore the installation, learn more about peatland conservation and the practical steps they can take to protect these landscapes.
