Heading away from Stockport’s town centre and toward its array of disused green spaces reveals a collection of small, lightweight interventions poised above the river.
As visitors stroll along the promenade, their gaze is drawn upward to observation stations ascending toward the tree canopies. These transitory structures foster a unique approach to up-close research.
The interventions are clad in timber shingles, punctuated by small ventilated gaps that provide habitat for insects and pollinators during the winter months.
Topping the buildings, corrugated copper gleams in the sunlight, serving as both a design feature and a functional element to guide and distinguish the structures. Over time, these metallic accents weather and blend into the natural surroundings, their sheen giving way to a gentle patina that mirrors the green landscape.
Embedded within the northern river bank, two tree nurseries project outward, suspended in a delicate balance. These spaces serve as hubs for cultivation, growth, and experimentation. The community area offers educational programs and hands-on activities such as planting and woodworking, while the private section provides an intimate setting for studying tree growth within the nursery’s confines.
This project endeavours to reignite residents’ connection to their surrounding green spaces, igniting a cycle of renewal and rejuvenation. As the river and rain inevitably weather the structures, they will gradually succumb to erosion, returning to the earth from which they emerged, leaving behind only faint traces of their existence as nature reclaims its domain.
