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Sherwood Forest's amazing new tree

Updated on: 16 January 2007

The Major Oak may soon have competition for the title of the largest tree in Sherwood Forest.

If Sherwood: the Living Legend wins the £50m of BIG lottery funding up for grabs in the Autumn, 'Make', a London based firm of architects lead by Ken Shuttleworth will design and build a new visitor complex for Sherwood Forest.

'Make' fought off stiff competition from five of other leading architects with their design proposal called simply - the Tree!

The timber tree and supporting buildings will feature exhibition spaces, a shop, cafe, tourist information point and tree top walkway. In its 'roots' will be a conference space, cycle hire shop and education centre. Whilst at the top of tree, there will be a restaurant and viewing gallery.

The tree's surrounding grounds will feature picnic areas, car parking, plus a range of outdoor educational and demonstration areas.

The new complex will be environmentally sustainable and use renewable energy resources to provide power to the complex and reed beds that will treat all the waste from the visitor complex. The centre will also recycle rainwater for use within the centre and use a Biomass boiler ran on sustainable fuel.

The 60ft tree will be made of wood and have a steel internal trunk for strength, wherever possible local, natural and sustainable materials will be used in it's construction.

Ken Shuttleworth, who learned his trade in Leicester and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from De Montfort University, said: "We're absolutely delighted to have won this very important competition for such a wonderful site. The Tree celebrates the spirit of the forest and will provide the public with a fantastic gateway to the UK's most famous forest, while spearheading the wider regeneration of the Sherwood area."

Austin Brady, Chair of Sherwood: the Living Legend Project Management Board, said: 'I am delighted that we have secured such an exciting and striking design for the new visitor complex that will spearhead our lottery bid for Sherwood Forest. What better landmark to symbolise the forest and its legends, than a structure based on the image of a huge gnarled and ancient oak!

'The winning concept will deliver everything that future visitors to Sherwood Forest will need, topped off by a spectacular view over the ancient forest canopy from the building’s viewing deck.

'Picking the winning concept is really just the start of the hard work. All the partners involved in the bid will be working closely with the architects, designers, local authorities and local communities to get all the practical details sorted - everything from traffic management to ecological impact will need to be agreed in good time for the main national TV lottery vote later in the year.'

1300 members of the public responded to the request for comments on the design competition over the Christmas and New Year period. The public rated designs C, F and E the highest – with design F being the Tree!

The unanimous decision to appoint 'Make' was taken by a selection panel on behalf of the Sherwood: the Living Legend management board. The board includes representatives from all the partner organisations behind the bid including the Forestry Commission, Edwinstowe Parish Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Notts County Council, the Sherwood Forest Trust and Natural England.