Skjervet
Skjervet is a cooperation between Fortunen AS and Østengen & Bergo Landscape Architects. Skjervsfossen is situated by the former highway connecting east and west of Norway. Over two sections divided by a terrace and a road bridge, the landscape and waterfall drop 135 meters. The project, Skjervet, consists of a nature trail connecting several viewpoints of the upper waterfall, a new parking area with picnic and restroom facilities, and two universally designed pathways leading to the edge and bottom of the drop.
Skjervet was initiated by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, who later included it in their portfolio of National Tourist Routes attractions. Among these projects, there are many examples of spectacular viewpoints where eye-catching architecture creates a new landscape image. Skjervet is a collaboration between Fortunen AS and Østengen & Bergo Landscape Architects. Østengen & Bergo wanted to form a project based on the premises of the dramatic nature in Skjervsfossen. Instead of leading the public to one point to view the waterfall from a certain distance and angle, the project invites visitors to teem into and enjoy the landscape by a nature trail and several viewpoints. All of them offer different experiences of the waterfall; either it is by looking at wild river flow just before it drops, feeling the dizziness standing on the edge of the fall or listening to the rumbling of the cascade in the lush forest. At the bottom of the valley, a universally designed pathway leads into the foot of the fall. Here visitors will experience the extreme power of the water, and be completely showered in periods with high water level in the river. In sum, the project seeks to give a broad perception of the waterfall, and thus – create a spectacular feeling and personal experience of Skjervsfossen more than spectacular architecture. This is a part of the vision of treating the landscape as fragile. To make landscape architecture that work silently and naturally together with the nature.
The terrain is steep and was almost impossible to walk in, and a trail made of natural stone became a central nerve of the project. It connects the different experiences of the waterfall and places of interest, creating a meeting of nature and culture. The trail is formed in terrain, and represents a different design than the more stringent formed universal pathways and service area with parking, restroom and picnic facilities. The abrupt rising figure of the rest-room building creates a landmark seen from the road, but it does not interfere with the landscape and waterfall view once at the parking area. It is formed in a sense of humbleness for the nature, placed direct to the shore of the river.
The building concept is a piece of rock from the surroundings moved to the actual site. The shape makes it a non house, being a sculpture of the solid rock.
Local natural stone is the main material in the restroom building, service area and nature trails. The color scheme is carefully adapted to the environment, with robust designed fences in rebars and benches in concrete. Tufts of removed grass where stored during construction and put back in place afterwards. Both in design and execution phase, the rough landscape and rich vegetation by the waterfall has been treated as fragile. Our intention has been to make gentle interventions who look like they always been in this terrain – despite their modern form.
Where Norwegian landscape contractors made the straight lines and precise walls of natural stone, Nepalese Sherpas shaped the natural stairs of stone in terrain. The combination of contemporary form, ancient craft and local material, we hope create a timeless dimension to the project.
