One giant tree is all Visiondivision needed to concoct this incredible concession stand design, dubbed Chop Stick. The Indianapolis Museum of Art recently commissioned the Stockholm-based architecture firm to create an innovative concept for 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park, an area where Indianapolis residents find respite from the city and can immerse themselves in both nature and art.
According to the firm, “The design is based on the universal notion that you need to sacrifice something in order to make something new.” They selected a 100-foot yellow poplar tree, the Indiana state tree, as the base for the design. Visiondivision worked closely with woodcutters and structural engineers to plan out the project and to ensure that the cuts made into the wood would be stable and lasting. They tested various options first by computer in order to ensure a balanced final product that would stand for years to come.
Every bit of the tree was used for the project. The tree's bark was removed, flattened, cut, and kiln dried to be used as durable bark shingles for the building's exterior. Other components were formed out of the wood, including structural pillars and studs for the kiosk, swings hanging underneath, chairs and tables where visitors can sit and relax, and even pressed leaves and flowers from the tree that decorate the front glass windows. Finally, the kiosk will offer Yellow Poplar syrup that was extracted from the bark. Ultimately, even the firm was surprised by the many new functions that were revealed to them as they worked with the tree.
via [Inhabitat]
