The Treetop Walk of Serralves Park, in Porto, offers an innovative way to enjoy this unique natural heritage, promoting awareness of nature conservation, developing educational programmes and scientific research – in particular, related to the carbon cycle and climate change – and hosting artistic events. It is a beautiful example of sustainable contemporary architecture!
Regional
Portugal
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Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
2021-09-30
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Fundação de Serralves Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Rui Last name of representative: Costa Gender: Male Nationality: Portugal Function: Director of Resources and Special Projects Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: R. Dom João de Castro 210 Town: Porto Postal code: 4150-417 Country: Portugal Direct Tel:+351 22 615 6500 E-mail:drpe@serralves.pt Website:https://www.serralves.pt/
The Serralves Foundation is a non-profit entity, of public utility, which results from an innovative partnership between the Portuguese State and civil society.
It is an international cultural institution at the service of the community whose mission is to stimulate interest and knowledge in contemporary art, architecture, landscape and critical issues facing society and its future. This is achieved in an integrated manner, using an exceptional heritage site that has been classified as a National Monument: which consists of the Park, (art deco) Villa, Museum of Contemporary Art and the Cinema House Manoel de Oliveira. In 2019 the Foundation installed a treetop walk, based on a comprehensive, interdisciplinary vision, that constantly values cultural and natural heritage, promoting contemporary art and architecture, in close relationship with the values of environmental sustainability and social inclusion. The walkway permits a vibrant experience of observation and study of the biodiversity of Serralves Park. Designed by the architect Carlos Castanheira in co-authorship with Álvaro Siza Vieira, the project is a classic example of architecture and sustainable construction, due to the way that it has been designed and implemented, considering, in particular: huge respect for the existing flora in the site where the walkway has been implanted; reuse of wood; full accessibility for persons with reduced mobility. The project encourages the development of techniques and the use of new technologies through mastery of accumulated and complementary knowledge.
It is a beautiful structure that is particularly relevant in an urban context, such as Serralves Park, since it provides an innovative way to enjoy this unique natural heritage, promoting awareness of nature conservation, fostering the development of educational programmes and scientific research activities – in particular, related to the carbon cycle and climate change – also framed in the context of artistic events.
Art
Architecture
Sustainability;
Landscape
Environment
The objectives underpinning creation of the TTW include:
1. To create an overall example of sustainable construction, in particular:
a. Respect for the site and the existing biodiversity, minimizing its impact;
b. Reuse of materials, in this case of recycled wood;
2. Promote awareness of nature conservation, by stimulating aforementioned reuse, fostering vibrant proximity to flora and fauna and the development of new pedagogical initiatives;
The TTW has been designed and built in such a manner that precluded any tree being felled, since the micropile foundations reduce the intervention area in the ground, thereby preserving the tree roots. High resistance metallic pillars made from carbon steel and low alloy reduce the structural volume and guarantee the necessary adjustment to the uneven terrain. The metallic elements have been lined with radiated, solid or laminated pine (certified, from plantation forests), treated in an autoclave, for greater integration in the natural surroundings, including trunks that support the branches that meander through the landscape. The floors and guardrails are made from reused solid wood, with a suitable strength class, to guarantee the sustainability of the construction and reuse of the wood. The wood used in the TTW may be reused in the future, in line with circularity principles. The wooden construction elements are suitable for the environment in terms of their tone, texture and material. The structure is volatile, light and reversible, as if it has been placed and generated from the environment itself, without any conflict with the surroundings. The walkway seems to offer continuity with the natural environment, preserving the landscape. The proposed maintenance solution does not require future interventions. Regarding social sustainability, efforts were made to encourage the engagement of the public and the educational community, mostly through knowledge and awareness raising actions on crucial environmental issues.
In harmony with, and inspired by, the remarkable Park, which harbours striking buildings and sculptures by renowned artists, the Treetop Walk is a beautiful example of contemporary architecture. Like the surrounding trees, the pillars resemble trunks, as if the horizontal platforms were canopies where, instead of birds, people stroll around, offering a unique experience.
It is a wooden construction that is aesthetically integrated into the naturally sloping land that invites serenity. Despite the fixed horizontal elevation of the route, it provides the experience of varying heights, due to the slope of the terrain. The structure is divided into two spaces: the upper and lower spaces. It is as interesting to pass beneath the walkway as it is to walk along it.
When exploring the Treetop Walk, visitors never have a global perspective of the entire walkway and it is possible to make alternative routes. This creates the feeling that it is bigger than it really is (it is about 250 metres long). By providing different viewing angles - over the lake, farm and woodland area - it creates various different environments. The route associated with the TTW also offers a close way of looking at and admiring the trees, appreciating their size and magnificence, enjoying continuous interactions with other forms of life, especially the diversity of birds that seek food or perches in this zone. This walkway includes rest and contemplation areas and a small amphitheatre that permits different uses, such as a short stop during a tour or a group educational activity. To ensure greater comfort, movable cork bases have been designed. The lighting system is subdued, enabling a fantastic sensation of walking through the treetops at night, listening to the sound of the birds and the croaking of frogs in the lake. TTW has been designed to integrate lighting design events promoted by the Foundation, such as Há Luz no Parque (There’s Light in the Park) or Serralves em Luz (Serralves in Light).
The way that the places have been conceived and designed affects visitors’ ability to move around, and to see, hear and communicate effectively. In this context, the Treetop Walk has been conceived with inclusive design, avoiding barriers that will create separation and undue effort, thereby allowing all visitors to participate equally, with confidence and independence.
The walkway is flat and maintains the same elevation over its entire length, in order to guarantee good accessibility for persons with reduced mobility, without the need for any other means of intervention for these visitors.
The accessibility of the space has also been conceived at the intellectual level. Autonomous visiting of the route is supported by interpretive signs that indicate the species of fauna and flora that can be found in the park. It is also possible to access mobile applications offering educational content about the space.
In addition, ever since the launch of the Treetop Walk, a specific programme aimed at the educational community and the general public has been considered, based on communication and dissemination of the Park's biodiversity and landscape. In this context, the programme includes projects such as Con(s)CienciArte (ArtConscience) - a free and multifaceted project, aimed at students from pre-school to secondary school, which aims to promote scientific literacy, drawing close to the arts and success in schools, in a process of democratisation of opportunities - and Olhares Inclusivos (Inclusive Gazes) - a project aimed at persons with disabilities, providing emotional, personal and social skills with a view to ensure adequate social integration.
Care has been taken to provide, once a month and on certain occasions, a free visit to the TTW, so that everyone can have access to the walkway, regardless of their financial conditions and as a stimulus to raise the general public’s awareness of the inherent values of this cultural and natural heritage.
The Serralves Foundation establishes partnerships with different entities, including scientific institutions. This has enabled us to understand the potential of new ways of enjoying nature, in particular through typologies such as the TTW. Given that Architecture is one of the Foundation's core areas of intervention, it organised a workshop entitled the Arch International Challenges, which spawned the initial fortuitous encounter and discussion with the architect Carlos Castanheira about creating such a structure. The project’s inherent principles, in terms of aesthetics, inclusion and sustainability, derive from the different initiatives that the Foundation is developing in order to promote reflection on these issues, involving artists, scientists, sociologists, thinkers in the most diverse subjects and the general public. Theoretical reflection and projects are sometimes developed around a specific theme, while others foster crossing of different disciplines, in particular, between art, science, technology, architecture and sustainability.
The idea of an elevated walkway and an associated programme thereby began to be consolidated. It was then presented to political decision-makers and to hundreds of Serralves’ founders – representing about 300 public and private entities.
The design and implementation teams included the involvement of people from different areas - architects, engineers, landscapers, various technicians, environmental and pedagogical strategists, etc.
Since the inauguration, there has been a surprising level of participation of citizens in general and of specific groups (students, scientists, architects, educators, etc.). As mentioned above, special care has been taken to provide free visits to the TTW, on a regular basis, thereby democratizing the respective access and stimulating the general public's awareness of its inherent values.
The TTW was born from the synergy between complementary dimensions: Architecture, Landscape, Art, Sustainability, Engineering and Preservation. These dimensions shaped the decision making and the team assembling processes, from the early stages of the design phase up until the final stages of the construction phase. There was involvement of local entities (Porto City Council), regional (Northern Regional Directorate for Nature Conservation and Forestry and the Northern Regional Directorate for Culture) and national (Institute for Nature Conservation and Florests) in assessing the project and respective licensing, in addition to the involvement of the Environmental Fund and the Ministry of the Environment, which strategically and financially supported the project. The project set out to create a dialogue between two award winning, worldwide renowned architects: Álvaro Siza Vieira, prominent figure of Serralves architectural identity, and Carlos Castanheira, main project architect. The cooperation and experience of both architects was detrimental for the success of the project. Given the care and importance that Serralves has towards the preservation of its Park, it was only natural that the construction Treetop Walk followed a zero harm principle. This was only possible due to the joint efforts of Carlos Castanheira and Serralves’ Park Team, which was critical not only in the placement of the structure but also with continuous support given its knowledge of the premises. The potential to use the TTW for educational activities was clear from the very start. In conjunction with Floradata, a Portuguese consulting company specialized in sustainability, the Serralves Educational Services developed a plan of activities in order to utilize the TTW’s exceptional position within the Park. The plan was designed to engage schools from the surrounding areas, thus creating transversal community effects that stimulate visitation and contribute to positive social externalities.
Serralves’ Treetop Walk was deemed a strategic investment to revitalize an area of the Park that was less explored by visitors: the path between the Serralves’ Villa and the House of Cinema Manoel de Oliveira was merely a passing zone before the construction of the TTW. The ambitious project behind the TTW naturally required a cross-cutting and diverse range of disciplines and complementary knowledge fields such as Sustainability, Architecture, Material Engineering, and Landscape. Additionally, there was an obvious need to align the aforementioned disciplines with specific and crucial dimensions such as the expertise and empiric knowledge on the Park’s terrain and the educational program developed by Serralves’ Educational Services – members from dedicated Serralves’ teams were integrated in the project from the conception stage in order to ensure that these dimensions were respected and effectively influenced major decisions regarding the TTW, for example its construction, positioning, possible uses and target audience. The fruitful architectural dialogue between the two architects responsible for the project – Carlos Castanheira and Álvaro Siza Vieira – was very important as it enabled the complete stylistic alignment of the TTW with the existing buildings (the Contemporary Art Museum, House Cinema Manoel de Oliveira and the Serralves Villa). The Serralves’ TTW was envisioned as a tangible form of awareness raising towards the preservation of Nature and positive environmental practices. In this sense, Serralves requested the collaboration from Floradata, a Portuguese consulting company specialized in biodiversity, ecology, environment, civil protection and risks, forest, geoenvironment and environmental contamination.
The Treetop Walk (TTW) is a structure planned to blend into the surrounding environment, helping to protect and conserve nature and biodiversity, at a practical and educational level.
A wooden construction has been developed, integrated into the living natural habitat, without felling a single tree. It is an ephemeral, volatile, light and reversible structure, as if it were placed, generated from the environment itself, without conflict or antagonism with the existing surroundings. The TTW has been designed and built in such a way that it did not require any tree to be felled, using micropile foundations to reduce the intervention area in the ground, thus preserving the tree roots. The wood is long-lasting and the structure can easily be adapted to meet new needs, extending its useful life. After decades or even centuries of use, if necessary, the wood used in the construction of the Treetop Walk can be reused for new constructions - requiring little or no energy.
The flooring and guardrails are made of solid wood from burnt forests, or from other uses, with an adequate strength class in order to guarantee the sustainability of the construction and reuse of the previously treated wood.
During the planning and construction of the structure, the community’s cultural and social needs were considered. Inserted in an 18-hectare park, the TTW permits close involvement with schools, senior citizens, persons with special educational needs and families. Serralves offers its own programme for these groups, based on the communication and dissemination of the Park's biodiversity and landscape. The TTW's proximity to the treetops, provides the opportunity for a fuller understanding of the water and carbon exchanges, relating these functions to the importance of trees.
Facilitating a different way to enjoy nature, the Treetop Walk seeks to raise visitors’ awareness of the importance of valuing natural and cultural heritage, environmental preservation and promotion of science in the relationship with different types of audience. This architectural work respects the surrounding natural landscape, keeping the treetops intact and preserving the tree roots, through a careful system of micropiles. In the entire structure, space has been left that enables the branches to grow. Great care has been taken to adapt the walkway to the surrounding vegetation, the slopes of the terrain, with almost surgical care taken when installing the structures. The flora was respected, and no trees were felled. With a length of about 250 metres, the wooden walkway varies between 1.5 and 15 metres above the ground and its layout creates different environments, thereby suggesting a scale that is larger than it actually is. The Treetop walk is an innovative project in its field because, unlike the experience that is typically offered by walkways, it enables visitors to enjoy nature in a way that was not hitherto impossible: walking among the trees at the level of the canopies. The walkway has an inherent sustainable dimension. The structural parts are made from new certified wood, derived from plantation forests. On the other hand, the non-structural parts, such as the guardrails and the flooring, have been made from recycled wood, helping to mitigate climate change and protect the environment. New methods have been studied and applied in terms of the woodworking and design techniques - whether by architects, engineers and builders – ranging from topographic surveys that use sophisticated laser technology to surgical constructive interventions in order to avoid felling trees. The horizontal elevation of the route permits access for citizens with reduced mobility and provides the experience of a rising height above the ground, due to the slope of the terrain.
From its inception, Serralves’ Treetop Walk was designed with the premise of zero harm to trees and the overall landscape of the Park. Carlos Castanheira, the architect responsible for the project, took this vision to such an extent that he ensured no tree was felled during the whole process – not even a single root was disturbed. The structure – a free flowing circuit of approximately 250 meters – uses highly resistant wood as a reference material in its construction, both recycled wood (certified and treated with specific biocides to ensure its proper use and durability) and from plantation forests. Wood is a natural, renewable material with a high rate of reuse, as may occur in the future with the TTW itself, requiring little to no energy. The foundations of the structure were laid down using reinforced concrete micro piles to minimize the construction area and consequently reduce the impact on the soil. The pillars were made in a high strength carbon steel metal structure, intended to reduce the structural volume, ensuring the necessary adjustment to the irregularities of the terrain. This irregularity gives the feeling of being levitated over the landscape with a considerable height variation between 1.50m and 15m. These principles are in line with modern green building trends such as Design for Disassembly and Design for Recycling, two core values aligned not only with the architect’ vision, but also with Serralves’ principles regarding Sustainability and preservation of its historical cultural heritage. The challenges in terms of design and construction have become opportunities for learning and deepening knowledge, combining accumulated knowledge with innovative and sustainable technical solutions. The TTW was fully developed with an inclusive, user centric perspective and with the unwavering belief that it would be an essential element to promote awareness raising towards climate change, air quality, carbon offsetting and other major environmental concerns.
The heritage assets of Serralves are jointly classified as a "National Monument" by virtue of their cultural, architectural and landscape values, and the total investment that has been made to ensure their valorisation, animation and dissemination. The construction of the TTW has helped expand its programming. The creation of a structure of this size, in such a notable Park, requires thorough analysis and investigation, in order to ensure that the applied techniques, materials and construction and design processes offer viable solutions to protect the environment and make the space accessible and inclusive, without damaging the site where the walkway has been installed. Installation of the walkway involved the collaboration of several specialists who supported the various specialist disciplines involved. This work pursued in partnership made it possible to create knowledge about how a structure of this scale can be integrated in a historic park without undermining the viability and health of the surrounding trees. The process delivers advantages at various levels, that can be replicated by others, encompassing the reuse of materials - in this case, a significant part of the wood.
On the other hand, the educational and scientific projects that are being developed (stimulated or enhanced by the Treetop Walk) may, as good practices, be inspiring for other contexts and institutions. It is very important that the impact, results and learning inherent to this project are associated with a multifaceted vision that induces the crossing of different disciplines, promoting the involvement of different agents who are committed to furthering responses to the challenges that contemporary society faces and will face, in line with the spirit of the New European Bauhaus. The Treetop Walk is proof that this approach works and can be experienced by different institutions and people, in different parts of the world, with the appropriate adaptations to the respective realities.
Serralves’ Treetop Walk project was designed in order to provide a local replicable solution to prominent global challenges such as reduced inequalities, climate action and quality education opportunities. In fact, Serralves is an international reference on sustainability and other transversal dimensions that shape society’s future – the Foundation proactively seeks to accomplish its mission of being recognized as a pivotal center of networking, ideas sharing and public discussion regarding such important and intergenerational topics. The Serralves’ Park has an area of approximately 18 acres with multiple sections that provide the perfect setting for the observation and enjoyment of diverse ecosystems, ranging from the rural scenario near the Farm to the deep forest surrounding the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Villa, with numerous indigenous trees (many of them centenarians). This astounding slice of forest is located in the heart of Porto, in one of the busiest parts of the city, Boavista. The Park plays an essential social role on the dissemination and awareness raising towards environmental/sustainable good practices, with a major focus on children from the surrounding urban areas that otherwise would scarcely have such an opportunity. The Treetop Walk was designed and built from a user centered perspective and with the goal of providing an inclusive way to enjoy the view of the whole Park. In fact, the horizontal pathway amongst the canopies is easily accessible even for those with reduced mobility. Additionally, the Treetop Walk is frequently used in the educational context – the pathway has a small amphitheater with approximately 50 seats, perfect for formal and informal education activities. Apart from its educational mission, the Treetop Walk was sustainably designed and built with the concept of minimal environmental impact (Design for Disassembly and Design for Recycling) and total respect for the preservation of Serralves’ unique cultural heritage.
