Copenhagen, Denmark
The following description is courtesy of EFFEKT.
This weekend the much-anticipated observation tower at Camp Adventure was officially inaugurated. The iconic 45-metre tower, located one hour south of Copenhagen, is the first of its kind in Scandinavia. It will be the centerpiece in a unique nature experience, bringing visitors closer to nature and offering a new perspective on the Scandinavian boreal forest.
Set in the historic Gisselfeld Klosters Forest – a glacial woodland characterized by rolling hills, ephemeral streams, lakes, wetlands and meadows – on its own a changeable landscape experience that is influenced by the rich bird life and the seasons changes – the experience features a 900 meter elevated boardwalk zig zagging in and out between the trees, culminating in a 45-metre tower with a 650 meter long inner spiraling ramp, which offers breath-taking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and nature.
Saturday, Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen led the ribbon cutting ceremony and made his way up the tower to the observation platform overcoming his announced vertigo. He expressed great admiration for the project which holds great potential in strengthening tourism to the area and putting South Zealand on the map.
Business Developer at Camp Adventure, Kasper Larsen, states:
“It is a great day for Camp Adventure. It has been a long challenging process from the original inception of the idea, to where we are today. But we are proud to say the result has by far overcome our expectations. We are thrilled to offer this truly unique experience on our grounds and we look forward to sharing this experience with our future visitors.”
The idea behind the elevated boardwalk leading to the tower is to make the forest accessible to everyone without disrupting the natural environment – at habitat to a wide variety of species living in harmony with nature. To achieve this, the tower was constructed from weathered steel and locally sourced oak, to blend in subtly with the surrounding natural context.
“Nature provides the real experience. We just made it more accessible and offered a series of new and alternate perspectives.” says Tue Foged Partner at EFFEKT Architects.
“The tower is shaped to enhance the experience of the visitor, shunning the typical cylindrical shape in favor of a curved profile with a slender waist and enlarged base and crown. This allows for better contact to the forest canopy moving up through the tower.” Foged continues.
The spiraling ramp to the observation deck also benefit from the hyperbolic shape. While keeping a fixed gradient, the geometry and spacing of the ramp fluctuates according to the changing curvature. The ramp becomes a sculptural element that makes the journey to the top a unique experience of shifting intimacy while offering step-free access to all visitors.
Camp Adventure’s Tower will offer a unique nature experience, not found anywhere else in Scandinavia. The tower’s top platform is 140 meters above sea level and the highest accessible point in the whole of Zealand. In clear weather there is an unobstructed view 50 km to Copenhagen and Malmo in the north and the rugged Southern Zealand manor landscape to the south and east.
The Forest tower and boardwalk opened to the public on March 31st 2019 and received more than 2.500 visitors on the first day of business.
Prior to its completion the Forest Tower won a host of awards including the German Design Council Award (winner of Best of Best in the Concept category), the 2017 ICONIC Award (Winner of the Visionary Architecture category) and South Coast Denmark’s Best Tourism Initiative in 2018.
Project Credits
Client: Camp Adventure
Architect: EFFEKT
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Contractor: Levi Jensen A/S
About Camp Adventure
Inaugurated in 2013, Camp Adventure is currently the largest high rope course in Denmark offering a range of nature-based activities such as treetop climbing and aerial ziplines. The observation tower is the first of its kind in Scandinavia and part of a major development plan to position Camp Adventure amongst the leading and most diverse nature-based attractions in Scandinavia. Camp Adventure is a privately-owned initiative that aims to attract an audience of outdoors-loving global travelers looking for high-quality experiences in nature.
About EFFEKT
EFFEKT is a research-based architecture and urban planning studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company was established in 2007 and currently employs 44 full-time staff under the creative direction of the two founders Tue Hesselberg Foged and Sinus Lynge.
With the aim of creating lasting social, economic and environmental change, EFFEKT has in recent years distinguished themselves on the international architecture scene through a number of prestigious and award-winning projects, such as GAME Streetmekka Viborg, a dismissed windmill factory transformed into a sports and culture, the visionary eco-village concept and design for ReGen Villages and the Livsrum Cancer Counselling Center.
Currently, the studio is engaged in project developments in Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Morocco, China, Korea and Australia.
