" Kirstenbosch, as it stands, is perfect and we didn ' t want to make a big statement in the gardens."
PROJECTS
" Kirstenbosch, as it stands, is perfect and we didn ' t want to make a big statement in the gardens."
The Boomslang is not a structure to be looked at and photographed; its magic is only revealed to those who walk on it.
Thomas explains that the decking planks are H4-treated South African pine, rough sawn and sealed with Galseal initially.“ H4 CCA treatment was seen as the most effective in terms of longevity of the timber in a damp forest environment, based on the excellent performance of the treated pine used for the forest walks around Kirstenbosch. The timber for the handrails was Padauk, a central African hardwood, often used for musical instruments. It was chosen for its beauty and performance and the fact that it could be laminated to curves in both directions. It is sealed with Envirotouch exterior.”
According to Fagan, an interesting aspect of the planking is that the team decided to use narrow planks of 76 x 22, orientated with their long direction vertically.“ This allowed the planks to span between two support bearers only, and the narrow top width made them less slippery in wet conditions. In addition, all the planks could be the same size, for example they are not tapered as the walkway curves, with the gaps between the planks varying in width. This made their construction and installation more economical.”
Unusually for such a large structure, the walkway is unobtrusive in the gardens.“ In fact,” Thomas explains,“ it is quite difficult to find, and this was very much part of our plan. Kirstenbosch, as it stands, is perfect and we didn’ t want to make a big statement in the gardens. Rather, we chose to insert a fairly delicate and organic shaped structure into the forest, for people to enjoy the feeling of elevation and the incredible views.”
The Boomslang’ s gentle but controlled swaying mimics the movement of trees in the wind and, for a brief moment in time, visitors to the gardens are at one with nature.
PROJECT INFO
LOCATION: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens CLIENT: South African National Biodiversity Institute( SANBI) ARCHITECT: Mark Thomas Architects with Chris Bisset ENGINEER: Henry Fagan & Associates
// FEB / MARCH 2017 25