It is possible to descend from the tower using the barrier-free ramp or the tunnel slide with a length of 80 m (262 ft).
The unique feature of this project is the artificially created root cave below the tower, which offers insight into the world of the national park beneath the Earth's surface.
As with all five previously built eak lookout towers, WIEHAG GmbH from Altheim, Austria was again in charge of the planning, structural engineering, manufacture, and assembly.
Structure
The lookout tower has the shape of a truncated cone that opens outward as it increases in height. The outer diameter is about 23 m (75 ft) at the bottom and about 37 m (121 ft) at the top.
The structure consists of an outer ring made of twelve curved glued-laminated timber beams. These are positioned at equal distances from each other in rotational symmetry.
The tower can be accessed from the treetop trail, which leads through the cave beforehand. A wooden spiral structure with a maximum gradient of 6% leads to the viewing platform. It is attached to the timber columns by steel cantilevers. Three longitudinal glulam beams with timber planking are attached between each of the steel cantilevers.
In the center of the tower is a steel pylon made of a round tube, fixed at the bottom. A spiral staircase made of steel, and a tunnel slide, are attached to it. The spiral staircase serves as an emergency and escape staircase.
The lookout tower is stiffened by a circumferential web made of steel diagonals and ring structures.
| Client |
Erlebnis Akademie AG www.eak-ag.de Stezka korunami stromů Krkonoše www.stezkakrkonose.cz |
| Architect | Architekturbüro Josef Stöger stoeger-koelbl.de |
| Planning, Structural Engineering, Construction | WIEHAG GmbH www.wiehag.com |
| Structural Analysis of Foundations | STATIKA Jihočeská stavebně konstrukční kancelář s.r.o. www.statikacb.cz |
