Kirstenbosch's Boomslang is a hit

20 Feb 2015

The idea of a Tree Canopy Walkway in the Kirstenbosch Arboretum originated about six or seven years ago as a concept to attract visitors to a part of the garden that very few people knew about or visited. At the time the project never got off the ground as insufficient funding was available. This soon changed, however, as a number of bequests were received, including R1m from Mary Mullins, and additional income from concerts was set aside.

In 2013, when the garden celebrated its centenary, the concept of a tree canopy walkway became an obvious choice as a legacy project. The appointment of the right architect, Mark Thomas, and structural engineer, Henry Fagan, was critical to the success of project. Designing a structure that would blend into the forest in an unobtrusive manner and be virtually invisible from most parts of the garden was critical. Installing a large steel-and- timber structure in the middle of a very sensitive forested area was also extremely challenging.

The success of the design's aesthetic and artistic value has led to the structure being featured in numerous international and local architectural magazines, and it has been nominated as the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa for 2015 by the CEO of the African Arts Institute.

The inverted skeleton of a snake

The design is based on the inverted skeleton of a snake, winding its way through the tree canopy and, as a result, it became affectionately known as the Boomslang. It was opened to the public in May 2014 and the Walkway very quickly went viral on social media.

Kirstenbosch was soon swamped by a deluge of visitors all desperately looking for the Boomslang. By the end of the 2014 calendar year attendance had increased by 27.5% on the previous year with attendance exceeded a million for the first time in the Gardens' 101-year history.

Income from gate takings has increased by 48%, from R16.9m in 2013 to R25m in 2014. The increased gate income has meant that the capital cost of construction of R5 million has been recovered in just eight months since the Walkway was opened.