Tåkern Visitor Centre by Wingårdhs

Amy Frearson | 9 November 2012 7 comments

This thatched visitor centre by architects Wingårdhs sits beside the shallow waters of Sweden's Lake Tåkern, the annual nesting habitat for over a hundred species of bird (+ slideshow).

Traditional building techniques were employed to cover the walls and roof of the building with golden reeds, which will fade to grey over time to to match the nearby bird-watching tower that Wingårdhs completed in 2009.

The thatched exteriors are typical of the temporary hides constructed by bird-watchers and they provide nesting materials and hiding places for small birds such as pipits and wagtails.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Despite its traditional cladding, the visitor centre has an asymmetric form that folds around an entrance courtyard.

"This is quiet architecture, using traditional local materials to break new ground with crystalline geometry," explain architects Gert Wingårdh and Jonas Edblad.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Timber lines the walls inside the visitor centre, while a skylight runs along the ridge of the roof, bringing in natural light as well as allowing visitors to look up to the sky.

A series of wooden bridges and boardwalks connects the building with the bird-watching tower and car parking area, making each building accessible to visitors in spite of the bumpy terrain.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Other thatched buildings on Dezeen include a conceptual skyscraper and a domed bar.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Photography is by Åke E:son Lindman, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here's some more information from Wingårdhs:

All the way out where the forest ends and the reeds begin, a visitor center hovers low on piles set carefully into the water’s edge. The building is clad in thatch, camouflaged like a birdwatcher’s blind, hiding its contents from the natural world that surrounds it.

This is quiet architecture, using traditional local materials to break new ground with its crystalline geometry. Steep roofs transition seamlessly into walls. The steep pitch gives them longevity. The ridge, where a thatched roof is most vulnerable, is transformed into a glazed skylight.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

The visitor center is the main feature of a series of measures that celebrate Tåkern’s qualities. The path to the building passes a number of landscape exhibits that reveal, for example, changes in the environment. A short distance away stands a bird-watching tower, designed as a sibling to the visitor station.

Above: site plan - click above for larger image

The whole scheme is interconnected by boardwalks that make the terrain accessible for all. A 140 meter long ramp makes it possible to reach the five meter level by wheels.

Above: site buildings and elevation - click above for larger image

Among the many exhibits is an aquarium that joins the interior of the visitor center with the pond that has been advantageously exposed next to the building. The center has a closed, sheltering form, resulting in minimal energy consumption. A few strategically placed generous openings connect the building with its surroundings.

Above: floor plan - click above for larger image

Location: Lake Tåkern, Sweden
Main building: 680m2

Above: long section - click above for larger image

Address: Glänås, Sweden
Architect: Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB trough Gert Wingårdh, Jonas Edblad. Team: Ingrid Gunnarsson, Aron Davidsson, Jannika Wirstad and Peter Öhman.
Plan: Ödeshög municipality