But no, we're not going to compare to that other tower.
It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between a certain tower in the Hudson Yards in New York City and the Camp Adventure Forest Tower designed by Copenhagen's EFFEKT Architects. Jesus Diaz of Fast Company does a hilarious job of it.
Denmark is pretty flat, and you really can't see the forest for the trees. But now there is a lovely 900 meter boardwalk leading up to the 45 meter tall tower, with a 650 meter long spiral ramp.
© EfFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
The idea behind the elevated boardwalk leading to the tower is to make the forest accessible to everyone without disrupting the natural environment - a habitat to a wide variety of species living in harmony with nature. To achieve this, the tower was constructed from weathered steel and locally sourced oak, to blend in subtly with the surrounding natural context.
© EfFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
Unlike that other tower, this one has no stairs and is accessible to anyone, although some might need a bit of a push. According to Camp Adventure,
The spiraling ramp to the observation deck also benefits from the hyperbolic shape. While keeping a fixed gradient, the geometry and spacing of the ramp fluctuate according to the changing curvature. The ramp becomes a sculptural element that makes the journey to the top a unique experience of shifting intimacy while offering step-free access to all visitors.
© EfFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
As Tue Foged Partner at EFFEKT Architects notes in the press release, it is less about taking selfies and looking in and more about looking out on the way up and at the top, which is the highest point on the whole of Zealand (which I thought was the whole island including Copenhagen and which has higher points, but that is evidently considered the capitol region). On a clear day you can see all the way to Malmö, which has its own twisty tower.
© EfFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
Nature provides the real experience. We just made it more accessible and offered a series of new and alternate perspectives. The tower is shaped to enhance the experience of the visitor, shunning the typical cylindrical shape in favor of a curved profile with a slender waist and enlarged base and crown. This allows for better contact to the forest canopy moving up through the tower.
© EFFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
Camp Adventure looks like fun too, with "the largest high rope course in Denmark offering a range of nature-based activities such as treetop climbing and aerial ziplines," not to mention this lovely looking boardwalk.
© EfFEKT, Camp Adventure, Rasmus Hjortshøj
But no, we're not going to compare to that other tower.
