Between the sky and the forest. Westonbirt treetop walkway
29/04/2016.
by Glenn Howells Architects. [Tetbury - Gloucestershire] UK
metalocus, CLAUDIA CENDOYA
metalocus, CLAUDIA CENDOYA
This past Wednesday, April 27, opened its doors to the public the longest treetop walk of the United Kingdom. The long platform flies thirteen meters above the Westonbirt arboretum, a botanical garden devoted to trees which dates from about 1850 and covers 243 hectares.
General view. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
Meander. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
General view. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
Meander. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
Detail. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
Detail. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
Walkway masterplan. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Site plan. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Walkway plan. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Floor plan of the crow's nest. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Walkaround floor plan. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Longitudinal sections. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Axonometric of a typical bay. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Freestanding and scissoring timber legs. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
3D model made in Grasshopper. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Photomontage. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects.
Entrance pavilion. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Paul Miller.
General view. Westonbirt treetop walkway by Glenn Howells Architects. Photograph © Rob Parrish.
The gateway, designed by Glenn Howells Architects, is the continuation of a landscape plan which seeks to enable the centenary arboretum to the general public. The project had already begun with the insertion of an entrance pavilion, designed by the same practice of architects.
The configuration of the walk, following the topography of the site, rises in a 300 m long structure from the ground level. This allows both the insertion the walk into the natural environment causing minimal visual impact, and the universal access to the elevated platform.
The configuration of the walk, following the topography of the site, rises in a 300 m long structure from the ground level. This allows both the insertion the walk into the natural environment causing minimal visual impact, and the universal access to the elevated platform.
Arboretum director Andrew Smith said: "People have been enjoying the views of Westonbirt from the ground for generations, so the time has come to offer our visitors a new and exciting way to see the arboretum by getting up close and personal with the canopy, just like our tree team."
The concern of Glenn Howells Architects for the integration of new construction in the wooded landscape has led to a design, supported by Parametric Technology, which relies on the materials with a low visual impact, as is evidenced by the support pieces and the thin metal balustrade.
Architect Glenn Howells said: “We are very proud to have designed this unique treetop walkway for the historic and internationally renowned arboretum at Westonbirt. The walkway allows all visitors, regardless of age or ability, to experience the site from the treetops for the first time. Focusing on visitor needs and materiality, the walkway is designed to disappear as a sinuous silver ribbon that meanders between trees and canopies. The aim is that this new feature will greatly enhance visitor experience and help to ensure Westonbirt's popularity for many years to come.”
More information
Architecture
Glenn Howells Architects
Engineering
Buro Happold
Client
Forestry Commission
Location
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Glenn Howells, Davinder Bansal, Darren Barbier, Ben Round, Reinhold Schmaderer. GLENN HOWELLS ARCHITECTS
Since establishing Glenn Howells Architects 25 years ago, Glenn has built a strong reputation for designing innovative buildings and shaping areas of cities.
He has led the Practice, with studios in both Birmingham and London, to win numerous major design competitions, over 120 awards from industry organisations and built a portfolio of completed projects across a diverse range of building types. He has an overview of all aspects of the practice and regularly reviews all projects during design development and construction stages.
Glenn has been closely involved with shaping the future of some of Britain’s most complex and ambitious regeneration projects. The practice has provided masterplans that have prepared the way for billions of pounds worth of investment such as Paradise in the civic heart of Birmingham, the historic Chapel Street area of Salford and the Royal Wharf project in London Docklands. The Practice has recently worked on a vision for the entire Eastside of Birmingham, an area that’s set to be transformed by the arrival of the High Speed 2 rail link.
Outside of the practice, Glenn chairs the board of the Ikon Gallery and Warwick University’s Building Committee and sits on the advisory board of Birmingham Hippodrome and the West Midland’s regional architecture centre, MADE. Glenn continues to work closely with the RIBA and CABE where he was a member of the 2012 Olympic design review committee. In the academic field Glenn is an external examiner at Sheffield Hallam University and a lecturer at the Centre of Alternative Technology in Wales.
The partners of the practice are currently Glenn Howells, Davinder Bansal, Darren Barbier, Ben Round and Reinhold Schmaderer.
