Belgian studios BuroLandschap and De Gregorio & Partners have created a circular track called Cycling Through The Trees as part of the cycling network in the province of Limburg.
As its name suggests, Cycling Through The Trees is a raised path that takes cyclists up to a height of 10 metres above the ground so that they can ride amongst the treetops.
The circular path in Belgium has been shortlisted for infrastructure project of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.
Cycling Through The Trees is a circular raised track
Built for tourism organisation Visit Limburg in the Pijnven nature reserve, the structure is a double circle that is 100 metres in diameter.
The three-metre-wide path is almost 700 metres long and rises at a gentle gradient to a height of 10 metres before descending back to the forest floor. The cycle track is in a forest in Limburg
Landscape architect BuroLandschap and architect De Gregorio & Partners designed the structure to enable people to engage with the forest but were mindful that the attraction should have the least possible impact on its surroundings.
To reduce the impact on the forest, the structure was built using a single crane that was mounted at the centre of the circle. The weathering steel structure was built with screw pile foundations meaning that no concrete was used.
Several trees did have to be felled and these were incorporated into a rest stop built near the attraction.
It gently rises to 10 metres high
"The most importa...