Denmark's 'wooden skyscraper' breaks ground
Denmark's 'wooden skyscraper' breaks ground

Work began Thursday on a 45-metre-tall observation tower in Demark’s Gisselfeld Kloster forest, an hour south of Copenhagen.

The structure will be connected to a 900 metre-long treetop walkway. Its viewing platform will be made predominantly of timber and corten steel is being used for all of the tower’s structural elements.

The “skyscraper’s” spiral design, the brainchild of EFFEKT Architects in collaboration with engineering consultants Arup, will give visitors a 360-degree view of the park. The tower, which is expected to be completed in autumn 2018, will stand in Camp Adventure, an activity park featuring tree-top adventure courses.

Despite its impressive height, the tower won’t detract from the forest’s impressive scenery, according to Camp Adventure’s business developer Kasper Larsen. “We have worked a lot on the design and have chosen colours that harmonise well with nature. So I think it will be a really complimentary addition,” Larsen told DR, Denmark’s public broadcaster.

Camp Adventure currently receives 18,000 visitors a year and it is hoped the new tower will bring in 100,000, as well as boosting tourism to surrounding areas, Euronews reports.