The Wild Forest Lookout

In the past, the top was decorated with a wooden triangulation spire, which was removed in the 1970s for safety reasons. Some sources even speak of a tower even older.

On the site of the existing viewpoint, we are proposing a new observation tower. The concrete structure chosen for the new lookout tower is not complacent experimentation. Combined with modern technology, UHPC's concrete allows it to design architecture that approaches the subtlety of steel structures but has the aesthetics of a natural material. The building is designed to make the minimum possible demands on the construction technique. The individual parts can be handled without the use of heavy equipment. The cross-sections of the individual concrete elements are in the dimensions of wooden planks. In terms of expression, the new design is similar to the existing tower, but the innovative construction allows for maximum subtlety of the building. The elements are connected by steel locks. Each element of the structure is adapted to allow two people to handle it. This makes it easier to assemble on site. Another advantage of concrete is its chemical stability, without the use of any surface treatment.

Selected materials, individual structural elements and the entire structure are designed for maximum durability. The used material minimizes technical interventions during the lifetime of the building. In the natural conditions of the upper parts of Boubín, the lifetime of the wooden structure is low, requiring periodic corrections and related interventions in a naturally valuable location. Therefore, we decided to use UHPC construction material in the project. Its benefits will be well applied in the most valuable area of the Protected Landscape Area. Thanks to the well-chosen construction material and sensitive design, we can present the most basic ideas of correct construction in the most valuable natural sites. Modern, but with respect for the environment we are in. For our design, ecology and sustainability of the building is hidden above all in the minimization of the volume of transported material, in its long life and in the simplicity of the construction itself.

The tower has no cladding. Concrete doesn't need a shell. Due to the wild mountain environment, it will soon begin to disappear under a layer of lichen and moss and will soon blend into the surrounding environment. Moreover, the absence of cladding allows light to penetrate the tower, just as light naturally shines through the trees and branches.

The observation tower is both a telescope and a microscope, from which you can see into the crowns of rare trees and the distant peaks of the Alps. We want the observation tower on Boubín to become an example of how to behave properly in a valuable natural environment. Together with the state administration authorities, we learn to get to know nature, to observe it, but not to disturb it. The observation tower is both a telescope and a microscope, from which you can see into the crowns of rare trees and the distant peaks of the Alps.