rintala eggertsson architects: zigzag

aerial view of the zigzag wall all photos by pasi aalto courtesy rintala eggertsson architects

zigzag wall by rintala eggertsson architects is the first of three elements to be realized in a public artwork project for the øya health centre in trondheim, norway. the triangular shaped park has been a rundown spot in the city for many years. however, with recent urban development in the area, the municipality of trondheim wants to revitalize it to benefit general public use.

the proposal by rintala eggertsson architects was to introduce a spatial element which would articulate the park space into different zones, emphasizing directions and visual axes of the area. zigzag creates visual distinctions between walkways and resting areas for the public. the rhythm of the triangular spaces scales down the park area and slows down the movement of passersby. the construction of the wall itself is made from 10-12 mm plate steel sections with red lacquer coating and smaller sections in corten steel. the wall builds up from 20 cm to 200 cm and provides spatial variation and different types of benches at different heights for public use. the end of the wall faces the health centre and works as a form of wayfinding, directing pedestrian traffic towards the entrance of the main building. aerial view of the zigzag wall

the wall breaks-up the triangular shaped park into zones

detail of bench seating built along the wall

zigzag is made from steel sections with red lacquer coating and smaller sections constructed from corten steel