Leeds City Square: Traffic banned as new sculptural ‘forest’ changes city gateway

Commercially grown timber has been used, which can be reused when the work is taken down at the end of the year.

Artist Michael Pinsky and environmental architects Studio Bark are the creators, and it is one of 12 signature projects commissioned as part of Leeds 2023’s Year of Culture.

It takes its inspiration from the city’s origins as a forested area called Leodis more than a thousand years ago, which gave rise to the name ‘Leeds’.

Mr Pinsky said: “It’s crucial to differentiate between forests grown as crops for synchronised harvesting and forests left undisturbed to mature. Both types of forests play a vital role in carbon capture and contribute to a sustainable planet.

"For ‘Making A Stand’ our emphasis lies with commercially grown wood suitable for construction. For the last century or more, wood has been overlooked as a building material despite medieval structures adorned with wooden beams dating back hundreds of years. We want to draw attention to the potential of timber as a low carbon construction material and encourage conversations surrounding material life cycles.”

The project uses timber felled from sustainable forests in the UK where wood is grown for use in construction. Sliced into ‘fins’ by Whitney Sawmills in Herefordshire, the final stages of fabrication took place at Stage One, a specialist fabricator based near York.

Wilf Meynell, director at Studio Bark added: “The Douglas Fir trees used in the construction of ‘Making A Stand’ have been meticulously chosen from sustainable forests within the UK.

"This selection was essential as it addresses the issue of the UK’s heavy reliance on imported timber for construction. Our objective in sourcing the wood in this country is to ‘lock up’ as much embodied carbon as possible, aligning with our commitment to create a sustainable temporary installation.

"Each Douglas Fir fin can even be traced back to the precise stump in the forest using a unique code, which will enable us to track the journey of its lifecycle for many years to come.”

‘Making A Stand’ will remain in situ in City Square until the end of 2023, hosting a series of activities and events from yoga and dance to poetry and music.

The activation programme kicks off with a free ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ sessions in June, July and August with yoga, mindful movement and meditation classes that are open to all abilities, run in association with Mill Hill Chapel, and from September, Leeds Beckett University’s Leeds School of Arts will curate and deliver performances and events.