Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK [MAP]
Designer: Marks Barfield Architects
Project Type: Industrial Landscape
Completion Date: 2008
Visited: 28.06.2014
Access: Kew Gardens station – connected to the London Underground District Line and London Overground between Richmond and Stratford. Kew Bridge station – connected to South West Trains from Waterloo, via Vauxhall and Clapham Junction.
Kew Gardens, not such an obvious choice for a secret garden but on a recent visit this treetop walk was uncovered.
Nestled in between the forest are vast structural columns cleverly disguised as tree trunks, remnant of Gaudi’s work at the Sagrada Familia. Mark Bardfield Architects are responsible for this sensitive design approach, with even the materiality reflecting that of tree trucks.
At 18m high, this epic walkway has a lift or the more challenging 118 steps to transport you to the treetops. Along the 200m path, there are several ‘passing’ points and a few viewing platforms with seating.
What makes this experience so fantastic is being up in the trees, a completely novel viewpoint, generally reserved for birds and squirrels. Seeing the different greens and leaf shapes from above was incredible.
Absolutely incredible.
The Secret Garden Atlas 