royal botanic gardens, kew

case study : creative installations for the Xstrata Treetop Walkway

Engineered Arts were commissioned to create a unique installation for the Xstrata Treetop Walkway which opened at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in May 2008. The brief was to inspire interest and curiosity about plants, the environment and in particular trees.

The project divides into three key areas: the Rhizotron (an underground passage), the Treetop Walkway and a plaza area below the walkway.

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case study : 3D modelling to bronze casting

The interpretation design for the Treetop Walkway presented a particularly difficult challenge, 18 metres high and exposed to the extremes of weather.

We needed something that would age well, and withstand the environmental conditions, a design with a timeless quality and presence. Bronze seemed the natural material to choose.

Engineered Arts created 20 bas-relief bronze plaques on a tree-centric theme. Although the metal casting techniques employed are centuries old, the method for manipulating the imagery at the design stage was very novel.

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