Multimedia arts project wins Sycamore Gap tree commission after public vote

Helix Arts and George King Architects have won the National Trust’s Sycamore Gap commission with a project called The People’s Tree, after a public vote and judging panel review.

The winning proposal is a participatory memorial that will use preserved wood from the felled tree for storytelling, sound and sculpture. The National Trust announced the result on 23 May 2026.

The commission was opened earlier this year as a way to create a new public artwork from material preserved after the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down. The Trust said the vote would help choose the creative proposal from a shortlist.

The project is described as a multimedia work that will bring together community participation, an archive element and an installation built from the tree’s remaining timber. Public engagement around the project is expected to follow.

The Sycamore Gap tree, beside Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, became one of the UK’s best-known landscape landmarks before it was felled. The new commission is intended to honour its legacy through a shared public artwork rather than a traditional monument.