into the landscape  - seljord workshop by rintala eggertsson architects, with students from NABA,
politecnico di milano and fredrikstad scenography
all images courtesy rintala eggertsson architects

finnish firm rintala eggertsson architects held a workshop with students from NABA,
politecnico di milano and fredrikstad scenography school in october 2009, during which
they designed and constructed three structures around the lake seljord in telemark county
south norway.

the structures had three main reasons to be built, firstly to be used as stopping places for
travelers and tourists, secondly to serve as meeting points for the local inhabitants, and thirdly
to comment on the local stories of a sea serpent, a continuing myth with frequent observations
spanning over a hundred years of time.

at the same time, the workshop was also part of larger activity, a project called seljord
and sågene, coordinated by springer kulturstudio, organized to revitalize the local economy
and to invite more people to move to the area which today suffers of desertification and aging
processes.



the viewpoint  is situated on the northern side of the lake on a hillside, offering a scenic
view over most of the lake and valley. the project is a group of six spaces or rooms
forming a circle in the edge of the forest and the bare bedrock.

the smoke sauna  was built in a bay on the southern side of the lake by the road. it is
standing on pillars due to flooding, consists of sauna room with smoke fireplace and a terrace.
the building acts as a wall creating a more private situation on the lake side, turning a more
closed side to the road. owing to a ramp from the road, it is possible to enter the sauna also
with wheelchair.

the fishing camp is to be found in the tip of tellnes peninsula, roughly in the center of
the lake. the installation was carefully located in a bedrock crack in order to maintain
the open landscape as it was. it offers a bridge for easier communication, a roofed shelter
and a fireplace.

the main material used was wood, with a natural stone fundament. the three installations,
also support the largest project, a viewing tower to be built later closer to seljord center
by the lake shore.





students gathered around the project