its construction at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden (South Africa) will be finish by March and with the formal opening to the public in April.
The
walkway meanders through the Arboretum, also known as the Enchanted
Forest, in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. The 130 metre long
walkway is made from galvanised steel and timber, and will stretch 11
metres above the ground. Due to the snake-like twisting, the skeletal
structure and its position above the trees, the walkway has been
given the nickname ‘Boomslang’.
Kirstenbosch
National Botanical Garden, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s
Table Mountain, there
are over 7 000 species in cultivation, including many
rare and threatened species.
Kirstenbosch
lies in the heart of the Cape Floristic Region, also known as the
Cape Floral Kingdom. In 2004 the Cape Floristic Region, including
Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site – another
first for Kirstenbosch, it is the first botanic garden in the world
to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. Kirstenbosch is
the largest of a country-wide network of nine National Botanical
Gardens administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
The
pathway will wind and curve through the branches and tree trunks in
much the same way as a boomslang or tree snake would do.
- The structure is comprised of a structural spine and ribs, inspired by the form of a snake’s skeleton.
- When completed, the walkway will take visitors from the forest floor through the foliage of the tree tops and eventually ascend above the canopy to give spectacular views across the mountain.
- It will be 11 meters above the ground.
- The walkway is envisioned as a sinuous, lightweight, non-intrusive steel structure.
- It will have a slatted timber deck.
- The galvanised steel structure will be painted to attract moss and growth.
- The structure will be supported by steel columns intertwined with creepers.