Iconic Trellick Tower ‘Dezz Rezz’ Opens for Buzzziness

Written by Naseem Akhtar Thursday, 04 March 2010

A replica of the iconic Trellick Tower block that is designed to provide a home for endangered solitary bees will be unveiled next to its much larger design classic as part of the launch of this year's CSV Action Earth campaign supported by Morrisons.

UK volunteering charity CSV has invited Mark Harrison, Morrisons Store Operations Director, to declare the ‘dezz rezz’ officially open, ready for prospective tenants to choose their ‘flats’ on Monday 8th March. Each ‘apartment’ offers long narrow dark corridors to suit the endangered pollinators’ demands for privacy, and is south facing to provide maximum direct sunlight for the bees and their young.

The Trellick Tower has been created by sculptor, Martha Macdonald, along with volunteers at the urban biodiversity centre Roots and Shoots based in Lambeth.  It stands 1.6 metres tall compared to its 98 metre bigger brother, but comprises 31 storeys of buzzing space.  Mason, Wool Carder and Carpenter bees, among other endangered species of bees, are all expected to swarm to the tower to make it a ‘hive of activity’.  The plight of colony bees such as the honey bee and bumble bee has been widely reported, however it is a lesser known fact that solitary bees are also in decline.  Bees are crucial to the ecosystem; without them to spread seeds many plants would die out. Nearly a third (30%) of human food supplies rely on bees for pollination and the extinction of bees would result in severe food shortages and devastate economies worldwide. 

Gardeners’ World’s Alys Fowler who is supporting CSV Action Earth says:
“Bees are an important part of every garden, but sadly they are dying out.  We have all heard the plight of the honey bees but Solitary bees, which make up 90% of the bee population, are struggling as gardens become increasingly bee unfriendly and nesting spots are destroyed. So, there’s no time to waste! Whether you chose to build your own Solitary bee home, register your own project, or join another, do your bit and even grab a £50 grant to help with buying supplies, tools and seeds.”

Trellick Tower was the final high rise development designed by leading architect Ernő Goldfinger. Constructed between 1966 and 1972, it is a dominating feature of the West London landscape.  It is grade II listed, and the giant concrete edifice has featured in TV series such as Grange Hill spin-off Tucker’s Luck and music videos for Blur, Hard-Fi and Depeche Mode.  A two bedroom flat in the Brutalist style, former council owned block can currently sell for over £420,000.

Mark Harrison, Morrisons Store Operations Director,  will be cutting a mini ribbon on the tower block with a large pair of scissors. Mark says:
“I’m delighted to be opening the new Solitary Bee Trellick Tower.  We hope that it houses many residents and helps protect some of the different varieties of endangered bee.  Morrisons is proud to support CSV Action Earth and the thousands of volunteers who act to make an impact on the environment. Over the years, we’ve seen that when people contribute to change together it can deliver real benefits to the communities we share.”

The erection of the Solitary Bee Trellick Tower marks the start of a five-month campaign called CSV Action Earth supported by Morrisons supermarkets. The campaign is organised by CSV, the UK’s leading volunteering and training charity. Each year hundreds of voluntary organisations, businesses and community groups undertake projects that are of immediate and lasting benefit to the environment.

Project Manager for CSV Action Earth, Naseem Akhtar, said: “The interrelationship between bees and humans is very marked. The construction of a block of apartments for solitary bees reflects their preference for individual living and has parallels for how many humans choose to live within towns and cities. We want to show how it’s possible for everyone to encourage greater biodiversity by creating habitats suitable for many creatures, including bees."

The campaign will be showing how simple habitats for solitary bees can be created by anyone by drilling holes in pieces of untreated wood that are ideal for this type of bee.