L'arbre de Flonville is a metallic wood.
It was created by British designer (Samuel Wilkinson) Samuel Wilkinson in collaboration with the Swiss design company Oloom.
This structure provides shade and seating for the Swiss on a public square in the new Flon quarter of Lausanne. Designers believe this modern interpretation of wood will be a great meeting and date place in the town square.
The tree weighs 30 tons. Steel branches support the crown of larch wood, which provides shade, and steel "roots", randomly located around, form benches. Larch was selected for its resistance to weather conditions. The crown consists of beams 40 mm thick, which are spaced 80 mm apart. The creators assure that this design provides the most pleasant shade.
At night, the design is decorated with computer-controlled lighting in different colors. The structure is 16 meters high and 16 meters wide
The dark red floor evokes associations with natural soil, especially since it is not even, but consists of mounds from 1 to 6 cm in height. That is, it imitates an ordinary meadow, which is never perfectly flat. In addition, it provides additional comfort for those sitting on the root benches.
In short, this tree embodies modern ideas about romance and connects nature with the appearance of the city. This is the perfect place to make appointments, so as not to get lost (it’s one thing, you can’t confuse it), to take a break during a walk, or just to sit and watch how life is boiling around.
