PROJECTS
The Kirstenbosch Gardens ’ Boomslang is a perfect pairing of nature and technology .
Nothing can prepare one for the experience that is the Boomslang . This is not a structure to be looked at and photographed ; its magic is only revealed to those who walk on it . It is dynamic and not static , revealing to the user a new delight and sensory experience with each of its twists and turns .
This 130m long treetop walkway , which winds its way through the Arboretum at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens , was initiated as a centenary project . Mark Thomas , of Mark Thomas Architects , explains that the project was an engineering and architectural collaboration between him and Henry Fagan , of Henry Fagan & Associates , the project engineers . “ Every decision was made jointly only after full approval by both parties ,” says Thomas . “ On top of this excellent engineering service , I was assisted by Chris Bisset , an incredible young architect and filmmaker .”
This kind of structure , essentially a bridge , has been the focus of many famous and illustrious examples all over the world over long periods of time . In many instances , these have become icons in the popular imagination as well as benchmarks of technological expertise and innovation . The Boomslang displays many of the most positive characteristics of these famous examples . In basic terms , most of these inspiring bridge structures , like the Boomslang , find their poetic expression in the lack of excess . Each structural member is used optimally in terms of its own inherent material and structural capacities . Together it forms a whole that is more than the sum of its parts . If humans observe nature very closely , while trying to mimic and understand its complexity and elegance – this is what they would find . This is also in stark contrast to mankind ’ s propensity for excess .
// FEB / MARCH 2017 21