kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

 

 

 

kosterhavet’s national park was inaugurated in september 2009 as sweden’s first marine national park. white arkitekter won the competition for a new visitor centre with its ‘mareld’ (sea-fire) proposal. sea-fire is the sea’s own light and the building, which opens up towards the water, is enriched by reflections on the water’s surface. the effect is a light show of the sea, an artificial sea-fire.

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre side view of kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

 

 

 

the visitor centre is a completely self-sufficient site with renewable energy created by sun and heat from the water, with natural ventilation and desalinated seawater to produce drinking water.

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre interior image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

 

 

 

the structure and façade mainly consists of wood. all components have been screened not to contain hazardous substances. separate analyses were carried out to discover  the effect of water flows, marine environmental consequences, the existence of protected species and the effect on the cultural environment. the area is also at risk for earthquakes, floods and rockslides, which were taken into consideration in the planning phase.

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre interior image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre interior image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre interior image courtesy white arkitekter

white arkitekter: kosterhavet visitor centre plan image courtesy white arkitekter

 

 

project credits:

 

name: kosterhavet visitor centre client: county administrative board of the county of västra götaland / national environment protection board project start/end: 2006-2009 completion: 2011 size/area: about 800 sqm BTA

 

architecture: mattias lind and ulla antonsson, head of project, agne revellé, pär andreasson, björn bondesson, mathias nilsson, krister nilsson urban planning: gunnar stomrud, head of project, sara-louise bergkvist lighting: torbjörn eliasson landscaping: lisbeth andersson environmental management: anna graaf, peter ylmén environmental consequence description: anna graaf, head of project, asa hallén, anders danielsson visualization: björn bondesson