The Rhizotron (The New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil)

‘The Rhizotron’ of The New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil is an immersive, artistic interpretation of a scientific rhizotron. Designed to invoke a sense of descending into the soil and inspire children to engage with the subject. The visual impact of the dominating, orange structure is immediate and the narrow, dark doorway entices the visitor. The striking shape of the building’s roof reflects the polygons of cracked clay. The journey underground is emphasised by tree and meadow planting on the roof and the downward, stepped approach. The double-wall insulates the inside, which is lined with wattle-and-daub and an earthen floor. As visitors enter, they feel a drop in temperature. An earthy smell permeates, sounds are muffled and tree roots hang from the ceiling. Adults stoop under the child-sized doorways. The darkness is lifted only by illumination from an abstract film-artwork playing on the wall. ‘Ziemia’ is an animated
maginary journey through woodland soil (Zuzanna Kołodziej). Leaving The Rhizotron, you are encouraged to ‘Journey into Soil’ and the mood turns playful as your progress up the exit ramp, activates the ‘rain-shower’. Several structural options were ruled out by restricted access and build time of a few days. The large roof area and narrowness of the showground gateway, necessitated a four-module design. Each piece was slim and light enough to be ‘HIAB-ed’ and bolted together quickly
he planting tray ‘roof’ of the Rhizotron is a structural steel plate, welded to the underside of steel channel and I￾sections, calculated to secure the 5m cantilever. For rapid installation, easy removal and relocation to its permanent home - the posts are supported by a flat steel sub￾frame which loads onto sunken concrete spreaders. The posts are concealed between the Rhizotron ‘skins’.