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Click
on images for larger views. [Google Earth link]
The short warm season in Northern Europe is embraced particularly
strongly by the Danes, who flock outdoors when the weather
invites them to do so. The sensation of sun and water against
skin during the summer makes up for the more prevalent cold
days the rest of the year. Given the desire to take advantage
of these conditions, and the long stretches of waterfront
in places like Copenhagen, a piece of architecture like the
Kastrup Søbad should come as no surprise.
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Designed by Fredrik Pettersson
of White arkitekter,
this bathing and diving pavilion 100 meters (325 feet) from
the shoreline, rises from
a height of 1 meter (3.25 feet) to 5 meters (16 feet) above
water in a circular, clockwise curve. Visitors approach the
pavilion via a straight walkway lined with benches and a number
of access points to the water. At the end of the walkway they
are ushered to the left and a series of curving
steps that allows access to higher points along the curve
and that act as tiers for seating. Once past the changing
rooms, the high point
affords diving platforms and views back to the shore. |
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By jutting into the water, the
raised pavilion accomplishes a few things, namely an orientation
towards the beach and the city beyond, a sense of enclosure
or embrace along the otherwise open and linear shoreline that
also buffers sea winds, and the creation of a recognizable
landmark (or is that watermark?) for the area. This last is
furthered by the addition of LED and upward-facing floodlights
on the bridge and curving pavilion, respectively. There seems
to be a certain desire to extend the usability of the pavilion
(and the warm weather) as late as possible, to take advantage
of the brief respite from cold.
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The design is striking from above
(click GE link at top) but equally so from the shore, primarily
via the rise of the curve. This blend of simple (straight
bridge and circular curve) and complex (tiering, construction,
and surfacing) makes the pavilion
at once legible and slowly revealing of hidden charms. Selective
openings in the curving outer wall, especially the one aligned
with the bridge that "reaches out" beyond the pavilion,
further express this attempt at enriching the experience of
the visitor, be they swimming or just walking. |
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Click
on images below for larger views.
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