principal architect: snohetta
arrchitect: Kjetil Traedal Thorsen
location: Vestvågøy in Lofoten, Norway
2007
principal architect: snohetta
arrchitect: Kjetil Traedal Thorsen
location: Vestvågøy in Lofoten, Norway
2007
Eggum is a community which lies on the seaward side of Vestvågøy in Lofoten. The former fishing village faces directly out to sea, on a small, level strip of land between steep cliffs and the sea. There are not many fishermen left at Eggum, but a good many people still live there. During the summer season Eggum is a very popular place to come to see the midnight sun. Apart from North Cape, Eggum is claimed to be the best place for such observations. The tourists gather in the area round Kvalhausen, which lies a little way past Eggum itself. Kvalhausen is a hill which was used as a radar station by the occupying German forces during the second world war. The foundation wall around the old radar station still stands. ”The Fort” as the locals call it, is a local landmark.
In winter 2004 Snøhetta won the parallel commission at Eggum, which is part of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s E10 tourist route project through Lofoten. The task was to solve the traffic situation around Kvalhausen, where a fine summer night will see very many campervans, some cars and a few buses. In addition a service building was to be designed to suit this special site.
Snøhetta’s project won with its sensitive approach to the site and its strong and consistent focus on conveying the qualities of the place as an attraction rather than primarily supplying an architectural attraction.
The project consists of a service building which lies within an amphitheatre which also allows room for car parking. In two separate areas outside the amphitheatre are spaces for campervans to assemble.