This Naturum is located on Flatruet, a plain near Mittadålen with beautiful panoramic views. This naturum will educate visitors about the surrounding landscape, as well as inform them about the rich Sami culture. Not only serves the area amazing views, throughout the year there is a great change of seeing reindeer on this location.

The main aim of the building is creating a frame for the visitors, through which they can enjoy the landscape without being distracted by the cold or non-natural elements. Chosen is to create a building that is simple of shape and is transformed by the wind. In this area the wind is usually coming from the east (during the summer from the northeast, in wintertime from the southeast). Therefore the building is shaped according this direction and placed on Flatruet with the entrance facing west.

 

 

Floorplan

The floorplan is based on an open space in which the exhibition is held and a closed box within this space. In this closed box the functions of the building are placed. The box contains public and private functions. Also the temporary exhibition is placed within the box on the ground floor, creating a ‘dark’ exhibition area. Within a small strip of the box, supporting functions are placed such as stairs and elevators leading to the second floor. On the second floor the lecture hall and the private staff areas are located. This function-box will be made out of concrete, while the rest of the building will be made out of wood. This to trigger the senses and to emphasize the difference of function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light and view

With experiments I determined how people can get focused and curious using light in architecture, and I used this knowledge to create the floorplan. Because of that, only a slight piece of the bright panoramic window in the back of the building is visible while entering. This pulls the visitors in and makes them curious to the view. After that the visitor will take the other route back since this route is wider, while seeing the remaining pieces of the exhibition. The route of the visitor is also highlighted by a strip of light coming from the roof. This strip of light is placed next to the outside-facades, because on these walls the exhibition pieces will be placed. With the use of light, the visitors will be focused on these elements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The windows placed within the building have different functions. As described before, the large windows on the short facades will provide panoramic views, and the roof windows will highlight the route and the exhibition pieces. But it is also important how the building is perceived from the outside when people drive by. A closed long façade will not make the visitor curious, but an entirely open façade will conflict with the previous described elements. Therefore the interior is only partially visible from the outside, and the windows are placed in such way that only the people from outside can look in. Only on the second floor the visitor can have a panoramic view through these windows. The façade windows are placed according to the wind movement and because of the horizontal movement, they emphasize the route as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floorplans, sections and elevations: