A Visitor Center to Support the Public to See the Passing Salmon
Beneath the Kvåsfossen waterfall in Lyngdal, Norway is a salmon ladder that opened in 2014. As part of the ladder, an underground artificial pool was included to allow the public to see the passing salmon. Due to the public interest and for practical reasons, a visitor center was built.
The plot just above the salmon ladder provides a spectacular location at the edge of a cliff with the Lynga river at the bottom. As such, this visitor center provides a striking contrast between being at the edge of the cliff, as opposed to down below in the underground salmon ladder. In addition, the building is surrounded by dense oak forests, which adds to the distinctive character of the location.
A part of the experience is to walk the path along the river up to the waterfall, cross an old bridge and pass through forest back to the site. With the main road nearby, the building also acts as a noise barrier, such that the landscape can be enjoyed without being disturbed by the traffic.
The top of the building is barely visible from the roadway, providing a signal that there is something of interest on display below.
The sloping roof is in a 1970s style similar to houses in the nearby village. The ventilation units on the roof have a double function as signs.
From the parking lot, the building opens up internally and is much larger than the first impression from the entrance area. The apparent limited size viewed from the east gives the impression of a residential building, whilst the actual size is much closer to a public building. The external cladding is impregnated with traditional tar-based stain that gives it the smell of an 150-year old building, yet the color is modern in appearance.
The space the public enjoys the most is by the window facing the dramatic cliff edge. The floor is sunk immediately in front of the window to provide a sitting place, drawing visitors closer to nature.
The different windows in the building provide varied views of the river as one moves along the cliff edge.
This building is both small and large. It is both modern and traditional. It represents both comfortable places for contemplation up on the cliff’s edge, and raw encounters with the dripping wet infrastructure of the fish ladder underneath it.
Project: Kvåsfossen / Location: Kvås, Vest-Agder, Norway / Architect: Rever & Drage Architects / Design team: Tom Auger, Martin Beverfjord, Eirik Lilledrange / Client: Kvåsfossen – Sørnorsk Laksesenter / Area: 450m² (only visitor center) / Completion: 2017 / Photograph: Tom Auger
