Skreda rest area

Location: Skreda, Lofoten, Norway

Year: 2018

Status: Built

Client: Norwegian Scenic Routes

Photo Credit: manthey kula

Award: Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2019

The project is a complete transformation of an existing rest stop from the 1980’s, dominated by an over-sized traffic area. The site was organized in, and between an artificial terrain of nature-like mounds and boulders which obscured the view to the Lofoten seascape. The new project aimed to establish an inviting floor where from where travelers can enjoy the beautiful view across the water. The platform is subordinate to the landscape, yet its convex geometry contributes to place the visitors in an exposed, but secure position in the center of the large open space.

The platform is constructed of steel sheets spanning between cast concrete foundations. The foundations form floors for the furniture, ramps, and stair. The furniture consists of benches, tables, and railings, all structurally interdependent, all made from bent standard flat steel bolted or welded together to form stable elements. There are thirty different surfaces to sit on and by. Each piece has a different pattern in solid colors. The surfaces are highly reflective, mirroring the ever-changing sky.