Rindberg Geo Trail
In 1999, a massive landslide destroyed several family homes in Sibratsgfäll, leaving its traces in the landscape and in the village’s soul. 15 years later, the community has learned to live with the fact that their surroundings are in motion. An informative trail invites people to get in touch, to see and feel the power of nature. In cooperation with the design team at Super BfG, Innauer Matt Architects developed the creative and constructional concept for the various stations of the Rindberg Geo Trail.
Eight objects were placed in selected spots around Sibratsgfäll, linking the emotional side of life with the movements of nature in the region. How do we deal with the innate lop-sidedness of (human) existence and the way we sometimes cling to a certain status quo? How can we learn to live with the fact that everything is always changing, in motion?
We consciously made the trail stops simple, yet striking and refrained from making this a complex, information-oriented multi-media experience. The Rindberg Geo Trail is an emotional, sensoric, sometimes irritating encounter with the archaic powers of nature. Our objects are the clear, definite human imprint we left in this special landscape.
Therefore, the formal design is abstract, using sharp-edged lines, planes and objects that have a strange, unfamiliar air to them. This idea is also reflected in the material we used throughout the trail. Stainless steel with its shimmering look makes a sharp contrast in green surroundings; it is durable, does not deform in heat or cold, will never develop patina that would allow the objects to blend into their surroundings. This way, the disaster that hit this village and the way people dealt with it will still be remembered even when the scars in the landscape and in people’s hearts have faded over time.
