Madison Square Tree Huts

Madison Square Tree Huts

New York's Madison Square Garden has taken on unique treehouse feel lately due to an art exhibition by Tadashi Kawamata called Madison Square Tree Huts.

The show is a gathering of small wooden houses up in the trees, and folks passing through the park gain the sense of wonderment that these small structures trigger and shake up our notion of urban space, rural romanticism, and play.

A common question levelled at the project is: "Will the Tree Huts harm the host trees?" The answer is no: Tadashi Kawamata has honed a few techniques that allow him to temporarily build in trees without damaging them.

The unique attachment system involves wrapping tree branches in a rubber sheath and using heavy-duty racheting straps to secure the lumber to the wrapped sections. This way, Tadashi protects the trees' sensitive bark and ensures that under no circumstances is the tree bark penetrated, scraped off or otherwise harmed.