Model Village

A child on a scooter in front of a giant wooden bird box sculpture on the Redways cycle way in Milton Keynes

Giant wooden insect hotel featuring a geometric design on a grassy verge

Brightly coloured wooden bird boxes in trees covered with ivy

Wooden bat boxes installed in tree covered with ivy

'Model Village' was an outdoor art commission in Milton Keynes for the 'Reclaim the Redways' initiative, designed to encourage interaction with the Redway cycle network and its surrounding environment. This project was supported by a COVID-19 Economic Recovery Fund.

Cabinet of Curiosity Studio created an art trail along the Redways cycle route, featuring a series of sustainable nature habitats inspired by the town's post-modern architecture. The outdoor art trail stretches between Milton Keynes Art Centre and Bradwell Windmill and includes a cluster of 16 bird boxes based on architect Ralph Erskine’s designs for the Eaglestone Estate. Additionally, there is a large sparrow colony bird box, designed to resemble the futuristic 1970s cinema complex known as ‘The Point’. The trail also features bat boxes inspired by a solar house design created by Dominic Michaelis Associates for the 1981 Homeworld Milton Keynes Expo, as well as a series of wooden insect ‘bricks’ that pay homage to the Kiln Farm industrial space designed by Derek Walker and Industry Group. To complete the collection, there is an insect hotel featuring a geometric design that echoes the newly renovated MK Gallery by 6a architects.

All objects were hand-fabricated from cedar wood, with laser-cut birch plywood used for the facade details of the Eaglestone bird boxes and Kiln Farm insect bricks. The colour palette of red, yellow, and blue, along with the rigid geometric forms, reflects the design influence of the De Stijl art movement on Milton Keynes’ architecture and design. Natural wood stains were used to colour the wood materials, ensuring that wildlife would not be discouraged from using these architectural habitats. The artwork was designed with a longevity of at least 5 years with Cabinet of Curiosity Studio involved in obtaining planning permission for the installation of the nature trail.

“Thank you so much for your work on Reclaim the Redways/Model Village. It is looking really super and with the signage, a trail and the new wildlife inhabitants it will work very well indeed and be a real draw!”

Fiona Boundy, Creative and Cultural Manager at Milton Keynes Council

Image credits

MODEL VILLAGE, 2022, Cabinet of Curiosity Studio, outdoor art commission

Photos: Chris Henley

MODEL VILLAGE, RECLAIM THE REDWAYS: CABINET OF CURIOSITY STUDIO

Milton Keynes, UK
May 2021-March 2022