Canada’s New Discovery Walk Creates a Death-Defying Way to Experience Nature

Posted By Diane Pham On April 16, 2011 @ 12:42 pm In Architecture,carousel showcase,gallery | 4 Comments

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Experiencing nature is a pretty straightforward undertaking - it requires little if any technological ^[6] intervention to take in all the grandeur the environment has to offer. But a hike into the depths of the forest is not what the architects at Sturgess Architecture ^[7] have in mind for those who come to Alberta, Canada ^[8]. They recently took first place in a competition to design a new tourist attraction with their Discovery Walk -- a sky-high design that suspends visitors thousands of feet above the earth upon a transparent walkway. More than a mere concept in the clouds, the project is already under construction and will be completed by the end of the year.

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Overlooking the Sunwapta Valley along the Columbian Icefields in Alberta, Canada, the Discovery Walk has been designed as an extension of the landscape. It melds with the cliffs and protrudes outwards from the rugged mountainside with an ever-changing, bold geometric form. A viewing platform stretches far out over the valley to give views of the glaciers below, while adding a bit of a death-defying element to the design. Overall, the walk provides visitors with a shelter ^[9] against the elements, that also serves to astound them with what surrounds them.

While we won’t argue with the dynamic design of the Discovery Walk, it does bring into question the use of building ^[10] technology as a vehicle to experience nature. Is this design actually bringing individuals closer to the natural environment, or is it in fact creating another barrier?

+ Sturgess Architecture ^[7]

Via ArchDaily ^[11]

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URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/canadas-new-discovery-walk-creates-a-death-defying-way-to-experience-nature/

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[5]  : http://inhabitat.com/canadas-new-discovery-walk-creates-a-death-defying-way-to-experience-nature/discovery-walk-4/?extend=1

[6] technological: http://www.inhabitat.com/technology

[7] Sturgess Architecture: http://www.sturgessarchitecture.com/

[8] Canada: http://inhabitat.com/ian-macdonalds-meadow-house-melts-into-the-canadian-landscape/

[9] shelter: http://inhabitat.com/shigeru-ban-develops-modular-shelter-for-japanese-displaced-by-earthquake/

[10] building: http://www.inhabitat.com/architecture

[11] ArchDaily: http://www.archdaily.com/120850/discovery-walk-sturgess-architecture/

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