RESTING AREA AND VIEWING POINT AT THE FOOT OF THE RONDANE MOUNTAINS (NORWAY)
National Tourist Routes in Norway 1st prize in architectural competition
The project is located at the foot of the Rondane mountains in the middle of Norway. The site, Stadsbuøyen lies in Frekmyr nature reserve, a nature reserve protected since 1989. The point lies approximately 880 metres above sea level. By Stadsbuøyen the Rondanevegen cuts through the landscape from the historic ice age and meets the heavily forested foot of the mountains. When the main road was built, a scar in the landscape created an unnatural situation there. “The glade” grasps the meeting between these two different landscapes and interprets it. The project employs an experience of clarity, geology history, paths and grandiose views. In short, “The glade” is characterised as an architectural limiting of a scar in the landscape, in which the fragile landscape outside is supposed to grow towards. In the edge of ”the glade” balances a resting place formation in the shape of a broken plate, which is placed upon a slope to the east as a viewing point. From this viewing point you get a fantastic view to the impressive Rondane mountains, which have six summits above 2000 metres above sea level. The viewing point is connected to the “The glade” by a simple path.
The resting place formation in the shape of a broken plate and the viewing point is materialised as a 15 cm thick concrete plate (white cement), which rests on a circular wall also materialised in concrete. The broken plate of concrete has a gentle sloped (approximately 2 degrees) incline to the northwest. This creates a “floating” and airy expression, and at the same time simplifies the problem with water coming from the large plateau. At the end of the resting place formation and the viewing point, there is a band of steel, approximately 30 cm high. This protects the edge of the concrete against damage and effects the source of lighting under the plate..The source of lighting under the plate further contributes to the light expression and lifts the plate in the twilight and dark, and gives light to the area (there is no road lightning there).
The existing gravel area (the scar in the landscape) is shortened and limited against the landscape outside by a circular wall of steel. The edge defines a clear distinction between the resting area (the project) and the landscape outside. In other words, the edge defines where the area joins the landscape.
