Inspired by the design and construction of churches he saw while traveling the world, Barry Cox decided to construct a cathedral of his own. But not just any cathedral, Cox’s unique house of worship is made entirely out of trees!
Cox, using his Treelocations business (which transports living trees using a mechanical tree spade), started constructing the tree church in his backyard in New Zealand in April 2011.
Tree Church
“I walked out my back door one day and thought, ‘That space needs a church,'” he told Stuff. “And so it began. I cleared the area in April 2011 and made the iron frame, drawing on all the research I had done over the years of studying churches. I wanted the roof and the walls to be distinctly different, to highlight the proportions, just like masonry churches.”
Tree Church
Four years later, the tree architect’s unique creation has grown into into a breathtaking church!
Tree Church
Cox used cut-leaf alder for the roof. The species is both flexible and sparse, which is an important factor since it allows sunlight to stream into the church, giving it an enchanting natural light source.
Tree Church
For the walls, he used Copper Sheen trees for their sturdiness and color (which resembles the color of stone). A Dublin Bay rose plant was also added for a touch of romantic color. Cox trim his church every six weeks to keep the walls looking like actual walls.
Tree Church
The tree church also has an extensive garden with shaded areas and labyrinth walk that are simply picture-perfect! Truly a marvel to look at.
Tree Church
Check out this video for more incredible footage of the Cox’s unique and stunning tree church!
Credit: Treelocations
Tree Church │ Via My Modern Met