The River’s Edge observation tower and treetop walk bring visitors above the landscape and out over the Missouri River through an exposed steel structure that pairs weathering steel with galvanized and high-performance coated steel components.
Located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, River’s Edge connects to Omaha’s riverfront park system via a pedestrian bridge. The project opened to the public around the Fourth of July 2026.
HDR Inc. served as architect and engineer for the project. Rebellion Fabrication fabricated and installed the tower’s primary structural steel, stairs, handrails, guardrails, and accessibility-related elements. The tower comprises two connected vertical structures; its central climbing-wall element and adjacent zip-line attraction were provided by separate specialty contractors.
The project’s material palette was developed around the visual character of weathering (Corten) steel. Availability constraints and code requirements, however, required a combination of materials and finishes. Structural weathering steel was used where appropriate, including a cantilevering observation deck extending over the river. Other elements use galvanized steel painted to resemble weathered steel, along with high-performance coating systems.
Ross Gredys of Rebellion Fabrication explains, “On the treetop [walk] is this giant observation deck that sticks out over the river. That was 100 percent structural weathering steel.”
The largest structural I-beams, particularly at observation decks, could not remain exposed weathering steel. In addition to supply limitations, Iowa code required intumescent fireproofing on those members. Rather than obscure the intended weathering-steel appearance, the project team applied a brownish-orange high-performance coating over the fireproofing to visually align with the steel as it develops its natural patina.
“The Iowa code required that stuff to have intumescent primer for fireproofing,” Gredys explains. “So it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to do weathering steel if it was going to get covered up by fireproofing. In those cases, after it was fireproofed, we found a color matched high-performance coating system.”
Other components, including smaller HSS handrail shapes, square tubing, and grated stair treads, were unavailable in weathering steel and were left galvanized. A large vertical decorative screen wall conceals portions of the exterior egress stairs and was finished with a high-performance coating.
The elevated treetop walk includes repeated bridge spans of approximately 60 feet (18.3 m), leading visitors toward the tower and its observation decks. An underlit-handrail approach developed for Omaha-based project, the Adventure Path, was integrated into the project to illuminate several of the tower’s platforms while maintaining the project’s exposed-steel aesthetic.
— With files from Rebellion Fabrication
