Since its acquisition by the Forestry Commission in 1956, visitors to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire, have only been able to enjoy the park’s verdant surroundings in the more traditional way: from the ground up. Now the newly opened STIHL Treetop Walkway, designed by Glenn Howells Architects and constructed in collaboration with engineers Buro Happold, allows attendees to take in the park’s 15,000 trees and picturesque green surroundings from a breathtaking bird's eye view.
The Friends of Westonbirt raised an impressive £1.9m to help make this striking project a reality. Their intention was to provide visitors with a better understanding of the Arboretum and its landscape. The 300m walkway, which starts at ground level, snakes up between the trees providing glorious views over the historic Downs. At points along its path the bridge ‘bulges’ out, creating four resting and observation points, along with a ‘crow's nest’ which wraps itself around a 36m tall black pine, offering another opportunity for travellers to enjoy the stunning vistas.
Working with advanced computational parametric methods, Glenn Howells Architects opted for materials, which would complement their surroundings. Each of the walkway's timber legs is distributed evenly throughout the full length of the structure. This allows for a continuous visual flow with each post located so as to not disturb the existing trees. The steel balustrade is strong yet light, minimising the overall volume and consequently reducing its visual impact on the surroundings.
‘Focusing on visitor needs and materiality, the walkway is designed to disappear as a sinuous silver ribbon that meanders between trees and canopies,' says Howells. 'The aim is that this new feature will greatly enhance visitor experience and help to ensure Westonbirt's popularity for many years to come.’
This walkway is in fact the second addition to National Arboretum by Glenn Howells Architects. The firm is also behind the Biffa Award Welcome Building, a timber-clad centre, which was completed in 2014 and acts as an entrance pavilion for the arboretum.
The walkway gives visitors the opportunity to take in the park’s some 15,000 trees and picturesque surroundings from a breathtaking bird’s eye view
The Friends of Westonbirt fundraised an impressive £1.9m to make this project happen. Their intention was to provide visitors with a better understanding of the Arboretum and its landscape.
The 300-metre walkway, which starts at ground level, snakes up between the trees, providing glorious views over the historic Downs
Working with advanced computational parametric methods on the overall shape, Glenn Howells Architects opted for materials, which would complement the verdant surroundings
INFORMATION
For more information visit Glenn Howells Architects’ website
Photography: Rob Parrish
-
How Ichio Matsuzawa designed the almost-invisible bar defining Art Week Tokyo 2025During the art fair’s latest instalment, Wallpaper* met the Japanese architect to explore architecture as sensation, not structure
-
The story behind rebellious New York fashion label-cum-art collective, Women’s History MuseumMattie Barringer and Amanda McGowan’s multidisciplinary label has been challenging fashion’s status quo for the past decade. As they open a new exhibition at Amant, Brooklyn, the pair sit down with Wallpaper* to discuss their provocative approach
-
Mark+Fold Turns 10 with first Shoreditch pop-upBritish stationery brand Mark+Fold celebrates ten years in business with a Brick Lane pop-up featuring new products, small-batch editions and conversations with creatives
-
How Maggie’s is redefining cancer care through gardens designed for healing, soothing and liberatingCancer support charity Maggie’s has worked with some of garden design’s most celebrated figures; as it turns 30 next year, advancing upon its goal of ‘30 centres by 30’, we look at the integral role Maggie’s gardens play in nurturing and supporting its users
-
Archiboo Awards 2025 revealed, including prizes for architecture activism and use of AIArchiboo Awards 2025 are announced, highlighting Narrative Practice as winners of the Activism in architecture category this year, among several other accolades
-
Backstage at the Old Vic is all about light, theatre and sustainable actionThe theatre's new creative hub by Haworth Tompkins has completed, bringing a distinctly contemporary and colourful addition to the popular theatre space in South London
-
Tempted to try building with stone? This project will convince you of its meritsWelcome to the Future Observatory's The Stone Demonstrator, a project conceived to show off the material's strong points, now on display in West London
-
Step inside this Clerkenwell Rooftop, transformed into a minimalist urban abodeA Clerkenwell Rooftop has been transformed by Studio Felicity Bell into a minimalist modern home, featuring airy interiors and long views of London
-
Richard Seifert's London: 'Urban, modern and bombastically brutalist'London is full of Richard Seifert buildings, sprinkled with the 20th-century architect's magic and uncompromising style; here, we explore his prolific and, at times, controversial career
-
Meet Forefront, a cultural platform redefining the relationship between art and architectureForefront co-founder Dicle Guntas, managing director of developer HGG, tells us about the exciting new initiative and its debut exhibition, a show of lumino-kinetic sculptures in London
-
Corten curves and contemporary flair transform this terraced house in LondonCagni Williams Associates’ sensitive refurbishment of a south London Edwardian house features a striking and sustainable Corten steel extension
