Endless Stair gives new view of hardwoods
18 September 2013Endless Stair, the American tulipwood sculpture which is the landmark project for this year’s London Design Festival, is now open to the public.
Situated on a high-profile site in front of Tate Modern, the structure is a series of interlocking stairs, all made from cross-laminated tulipwood.
It was designed by de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM) and engineered by Arup, and is the third collaboration between the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and the London Design Festival.
Speaking at the official launch on Monday, the US ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, described the sculpture as an “engineering triumph”. He said it celebrated creativity and sustainability, and he praised AHEC for the life cycle assessment it had completed on the project.
AHEC European director David Venables said the sculpture demonstrated to architects and engineers the potential for using hardwoods, and tulipwood in particular, for cross-laminated timber and their application in construction.
Endless Stair is open daily from 9am to dusk until October 10. For more on this project see the next issue of TTJ.
