The Wilderness Tower

The Wilderness Tower has been commissioned by Adam Williams Design to sit in the land surrounding their Somerset studios. The sculpture is located at Glastonbury Heath marshes, renowned for its peat production and spectacular wildlife habitat. Close by is an RSPB reserve which is home to an abundance of rare and indigenous birds. Following discussions with Adam, we agreed that the artwork should have a practical purpose, providing a viewing platform from which to observe the local wildlife. The structure draws inspiration from the surrounding agricultural architecture, such as water towers and bird hides, and maintains a strong connection to the surrounding environment. In addition to referencing the local vernacular, I wanted to include my interest in geometric design and its connection to nature and landscape. The structure employs a staggered and repeated decagonal shape commonly found in natural forms such as flower petals and the patterns of cracks in the earth. The decagon also appears in many architectural monuments I admire, such as the magnificent Tomb Towers in Iran and, closer to home, the eighteenth-century British folly. I see the artwork as a contemporary folly bridging the gap between architecture and art. The sculpture has its genesis in 20th Century Brutalist architecture and design and serves not as a homage to, but as a continuation of that much-maligned and disappearing movement