The public has been invited to vote for its favourite finalist concept in the contest, which will commemorate the lost tree with a new intervention constructed using wood saved after its felling.

The contenders include George King Architects, which in 2023 won an open design competition for a willow tree-inspired Covid memorial in Sheffield city centre.

Planned to complete in 2028, the project aims to ‘honour what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to so many, while inspiring deeper connections between people and nature’.

Sycamore Gap was a 120-year-old tree which served as an important landmark in the North East until it was illegally chopped down three years ago.

The six shortlisted artists or collaborations are:

Helix Arts x George King Architects, based in the North East – The People’s Tree, A Shared Story
Alex Hartley and Tom James, based in Devon & London – Viewpoint
Mary Dalton, based in Hampshire – Sycamore Gap Black
non zero one, based in London – SEEDS
Sam Williams Studio, based in Sussex – Stories of 1000 trees
Trigger, based in Bristol – Twirl

Annie Reilly, public engagement director at the National Trust and chair of the judging panel, said: ‘Over the past two years, we’ve heard extraordinary stories about what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to people – from moments of celebration and milestones to quiet memories of loss, connection and reflection. It became more than a tree; it became part of the emotional landscape of the nation.

‘We always wanted to make sure that the tree had an extraordinary legacy, and the wood is now ready for artists to work with, after being carefully stored so it could season over the past 28 months.

‘This vote is now the opportunity for the public to help shape the ongoing story. Each of the six proposals honours the tree in a different way and we want people to choose the idea that captures what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to them.’

The final selection will combine 30 per cent public vote and 70 per cent judges’ score.

Other members of the judging panel include Sarah Munro, Creative Director at The Baltic, Newcastle; Miles Richardson, expert in nature connectedness, Derby University; Sandy Nairn, National Trust Trustee; and Rosie Thomas of the Northumberland National Parks Authority and representative of the Sycamore Gap Board.

The shortlist

Alex Hartley and Tom James – Viewpoint
Viewpoint is an elevated platform, made from the Sycamore Gap wood, which will lift people up into the space where the tree once stood, before going on a national tour. The artists want to use this platform – and the power of this wood – to hold a conversation about the future of the UK. They say: ‘Come and climb the Viewpoint and get a new perspective on the country.’

Helix Arts x George King Architects – The People’s Tree: A Shared Story
A community engagement programme across the north of England, building an archive of stories, national touring exhibition and a sound sculpture near the Gap where people can listen and reflect on what the tree meant to the region and the nation.

Mary Dalton – Sycamore Gap Black
Using the wood to create artists’ materials – including charcoal, inks and pigments – leading to the production of new works and a resulting touring exhibition that shares the story of the tree across the UK.

non zero one – SEEDS
A nationwide artwork where participants enter a lottery to receive a specially made sycamore seed inlaid with wood from the tree, and take part in an interactive experience, inviting them to connect with nature and consider our changing landscapes.

Sam Williams Studio – Stories of 1,000 Trees
A nationwide storytelling project collecting the stories of 1,000 trees and bringing them back to Sycamore Gap, creating a shared space for reflection, memory, and reconnection with the landscape.

Trigger – Twirl
An event at the Gap – participants will carry large, paper wind-powered sycamore seeds in a live sonic experience: a sound bath made up of instruments made from the tree, a human chorus and a temporary wind harp installation. Participants will receive a special sycamore seed carved from the wood of the tree.