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Architects: Rever & Drage Architects
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Tom Auger
Text description provided by the architects. The bay at the northern end of the brackish lake of Sundshopen has been a popular bathing spot for the local population for generations. The shallow, sheltered water, provides temperatures in which it is possible to enjoy a swim. Recently, the area has been poorly maintained and little used. The upgrade has now made it an attractive place for swimming, fishing, and picnics, both for locals and visitors.
The central element of the site is a traditional jetty of stone and timber that stretches from the land all the way over the shallow waters and out to where the deep waters begin. Such sloping jetties have historically been part of the coastal landscape in Norway from Western Norway and northwards. The basis for the construction is that with a fixed sloping deck that goes out into the sea, you can embark and disembark boats regardless of tides.
This was particularly relevant before floating piers became common along the coast. A traditional jetty also provides protection from wind and waves, which a floating pier does not do as well. With its placement and orientation, the jetty also frames the area towards the beach and functions as an indicator of the varying water levels in the lake during the different seasons.
Another existing quality at the site was the dense patch of woodland surrounded by open farmland. This quality is emphasized by laying the path to the beach through the middle of the forest. The toilet building, with its modern form and material of aluminum, provides a contrast to the traditional pier and marks the entrance to the area.
This, in turn, gives access to a classical dramaturgy where you park the car at the north end of the area and walk through the dense forest before coming out on the open plain by the water. On the path from the parking lot towards the water, the tip of the jetty is visible as a motif at the end of the perspective as you approach the beach.
