The Trollstigen plateau is perched within a dramatic pass between the deep fjords that characterize Norway. The site can only be visited and constructed in summer, due to severe winter weather. Despite the inaccessible nature of the site, the project entails designing an entire visitor environment including a mountain lodge with restaurant and gallery, flood barriers, water cascades, bridges, paths, outdoor furniture and platforms – all moulded into the landscape for the visitor’s experience of the place to seem even more intimate. The architectural intervention is respectfully delicate, and was conceived as a thin thread that guides visitors from one stunning overlook to another.Trollstigen is a robust facility, dimensioned for durability with minimal maintenance and large static stresses. The major contrast between the seasons has been handled with the choice of materials. The area receives up to 7 meters of snow during winter, placing extreme demands on static strength.Structures and details are designed to withstand the extreme stress without compromising on the visual slenderness.Cast-in-place concrete and corten steel are the main materials. The steel oxidizes and gain its own a patina over time. The concrete has been treated with several different techniques. With the nuances the treatment gives the material, it is possible to address each micro-context in relation to the use and placement. All the materials are carefully chosen so the architecture is to be characterized by clear and precise transition between the architecture and the natural landscape.The architectural project is very comprehensive, both in program, complexity and extension. Likewise, the project’s environmental strategy encompass its construction footprint, high durability and sustainability of materials and products, reducing operational energy and water consumption and utilizing primarily locally sourced materials. The site covers an area of approximately 600.000 m2 with the visitor centre measuring approximately 1.800 m2.
Links:
- https://vimeo.com/66860243