The timber-and-steel SkyWalk is a newly opened structure that elevates visitors above the treeline of Malahat First Nation, north ?of Victoria, BC. Photo by Hamish Hamilton
Last August, a new tourist attraction opened in Malahat First Nation, just north of Victoria, BC. The Malahat SkyWalk is a 600-metre walkway that spirals up over the treetops, leading to a viewing deck with panoramic views of nearby mountains and sea inlets.
Unlike recent lookouts such as New York City?s Vessel, the SkyWalk relies on a gentle ramp, rather than stairs, to elevate its visitors. ?A ramp makes it into a more pleasant experience, whether you?re pushing a baby stroller, or you?re two years and you want to walk it yourself, or you have some mobility issues regardless of age,? says architect Brent Murdoch. The tower is approached by a bridge.
There?s a satisfaction in making your way up the tower through your own efforts?an experience that can?t be matched by an elevator or gondola. The design carefully calibrates that experience, starting with a pleasant arrival through the forest that leads you on a curated walking experience through the trees that lands partway up the tower. A modest five percent grade takes visitors up a widening spiral to the upper lookout. Along the way, they encounter a variety of play areas?slides, a water feature, a climbing net?creating appeal for anyone who visits. The structure?s impeccable construction and detailing are notable. So is the structure?s careful interac...