London Heathrow Airports and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have unveiled a unique, hand-made 12m2 (130ft2) botanical tapestry, depicting global flora in intricate and colorful detail.
The botanical installation has been created to celebrate the partnership between Heathrow and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and marks the milestone of £25,000 (US$31,000) raised for Kew’s work in conserving the world’s plant life.
The woven structure, designed, developed and assembled by textile artist Vanessa Barragao, takes inspiration from the globe’s natural ecosystems and features six plants from some of Heathrow’s most popular destinations and key areas of conservation for Kew, including: Maidenhair tree and Bulbophyllum Orchid from China and Indonesia; Coffee and Cola from Africa; and Lady’s Slipper Orchid and Pasqueflower from Europe.
The hand-made creation took more than 520 hours to weave, weighs around 40kg (90 lb), and measures 12m2. Commenting on the tapestry, developed using 8kg (18 lb of jute and cotton and 42kg (93 lb) of recycled wool, Barragao said, “I hope that people enjoy getting up close and personal with the tapestry in Heathrow as they head off on their summer holidays and I’m looking forward to seeing their reactions to this installation. It’s been great to learn about the work Kew carries out and discover more about the important conservation of plants and fungi.”
The Botanical Tapestry is in Heathrow Terminal 2 from Wednesday, 17 July for six weeks before being moved to a permanent location in the terminal. Themed craft sessions for kids and adults alike will be available over the holidays and travelers in all terminals can also enjoy botanical inspired cocktails at select restaurants.