London Ferris Wheel Treehouse

London Ferris Wheel Treehouse

I received a few e-mails lately about crazy house pictures from friends and family. Normally, I'm not one to perpetuate that kind of stuff but one image caught my eye (Thanks Pam!).

I don't know who to credit the image to, being contained in an anonymous forwarded e-mail, but it is a pretty amazing shot. Or, is it?

I thought about how improbable a tree house like this would be: The tree would be mechanically disadvantaged by the leverage of the structure being so far out. Trees are best at bearing weight straight down, not horizontally, and balancing weight when building in a single tree is essential for a sturdy and safe treehouse.

This image has to be the product of some fantastic trickery, I thought. Then it struck me: That glass bubble looks familiar. I think I've seen it before... somewhere... ah, yes, I have it. With a quick Google Images search for "london ferris wheel" I found the incriminating evidence.

The treehouse hanging over a cliff is actually a Photoshop illusion. Upon closer inspection, I can see the artifacts that come with photo manipulation (especially around the cave door and stairs). So, there it is, mystery solved.

The concept is neat, though, as it kind of reminds me of the Free Spirit Spheres, built on Vancouver Island, but with more glass. Maybe if such a capsule were suspended between two or more trees this concept would be more viable. But, not necessarily over a cliff, thanks.

Update: I received an e-mail from Melanie with information on the source of this image. Snopes lists it as Afrodite's Eye created with Photoshop by Norrit for worth1000.com's Bizarrchitecture 4 contest. Thanks for the info Melanie!

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