“An Unexpected Clearing…”

The Swedish Naturums aim to engage the public in an increased interest in nature. Target groups are school classes, local inhabitants, families with children, summer tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. Here, the visitor is encouraged to learn about local plants, birds, insects and animals, as well as the cultural and geological heritage of the area. The relationship between mankind and nature is highlighted from a current and historical perspective.

In 2014 Marge Architects won an invited competition to design the new Naturum of Trollskogen as an entry point and node for exploration of the Natural Reserve of Trollskogen. The Naturum Trollskogen consists of an information node, an exhibition building and a weather shelter, which function together or individually depending on the opening hours of the Naturum. From the information node, hiking trails lead further out into the nature reserve of Trollskogen.

Our winning proposal, “An Unexpected Clearing”, is interlaced between the trees, subordinate to nature. The design principle is based on an interplay between landscape and building, where forest clearings and exhibition spaces are interwoven, spatially extending into each other. The form and materiality of the buildings relate to the creeping pines and pebble beaches of the surrounding area.
Interiorially, the shape of the exhibition rooms opens up to the surrounding forest while facilitating a flexible use of space that allows exhibition areas to be subdivided in many ways. Exposed concrete comprises the floor and ceiling while the exhibition room walls are finished with panel of pine, a material that harmonizes with the wooded setting and can be easily fixed or moved according to changing needs or the specific character of the exhibitions. Views from the public areas frame and capture the forest scenery, displaying it as a key exhibition element.

Clad with masonry gray limestone with a wide joint, the façade of the exhibition building alludes to the limestone wall, typical of Öland’s horizontal landscape. By using locally sourced stone, we were able to minimise environmental impact from unnecessary transportation.