Taking In All of Mother Nature

Not all clients would be as adventurous as the National Tourist Routes in Norway (Nasjionale turistveger), seeing that they’d tasked a simple public washroom in Granvin to two very distinctive architectural teams, Fortunen AS and Østengen & Bergo Landscape Architects AS.

With a vertical drop of 70 metres, the cascading Skjervsfossen is one of Norway’s national treasures that demands attention in the midst of Skjervet’s lush greenery. That said, an additional service building is no small matter either as its concept should make wild nature accessible to visitors without any compromise. Once that brief was at hand, award-winning architects Fortunen AS joined hands with landscape architects Østengen & Bergoto accentuate and enhance the experience of Skjervet’s natural landscape, where the two restrooms in the service building would contain an element of surprise and inspiration.

Nestled in the serenity of the landscape’s forestry, the design-forward R&R building was nothing but synonymous to the surrounding terrains, thanks to its rock-like appearance and outstanding structure. In the layout, Fortunen AS had also planned for the building to bear two different sides — one which looked like a piece of the mountain and the other that glistened with its reflective wall surface made of natural stone. Inside, however, was a contrasting interior comprised of deep and warm-coloured plywood. If daylight were to pierce through the glazed section of the wall, the moving Storelvi river’s current, forest, mountain and sky would be in full view for anyone’s enjoyment.

Having factored in the breathtaking views of the river, Fortunen AS proposed the idea of locating the structure on an open landscape, so that visitors could enjoy wide views of the steep mountainous walls as well as the vast valley. With the help of Østengen & Bergo, their peer’s architectural structure seamlessly transitioned into the outdoors with a trail lined with natural stones, making it a scenic pathway leading towards Skjervsfossen.