A Trellick Tower For The Bees

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 168 months ago
A Trellick Tower For The Bees
16590_trellick_angle.jpg
Boiler room is just for decoration, unfortunately
Boiler room is just for decoration, unfortunately
High density living, insect-style
High density living, insect-style
High density urban living for bees
High density urban living for bees
The real thing. Can you spot the difference? Photo / fotogeneric
The real thing. Can you spot the difference? Photo / fotogeneric
The vertiginous view from the top
The vertiginous view from the top
Tubes in the service shaft allow close inspection... once the bees bother to turn up, that is
Tubes in the service shaft allow close inspection... once the bees bother to turn up, that is

An ecological centre in Lambeth has hit upon a novel idea for bee-housing: they've built a scale model of the Trellick tower for their resident bees to pollinate.

The 1.6m-tall, 31-storey tower, built from timber blocks, has holes bored into the length of it, which the centre's population of endangered solitary bees will inhabit once spring has sprung. The 'service tower' acts as an observation area, with a hinged door on the side allowing the curious to watch the bees nesting in perspex tubes.

Whether the tenancy patter will match that of Erno Goldfinger's west London icon / eyesore, with its heady mix of council tenants, Eighties vintange right-to-buyers, and architecture and design geeks, remains to be seen; if you spot a bee swanning about dressed in a black turtleneck, you'll know where it lives.The tower can be seen at at Roots and Shoots, in Walnut Tree Walk, Lambeth, SE11 6DN.

Last Updated 12 March 2010