Kivik Art Center - Refugium, Illusion | GIPP arkitektur

A pale concrete structure is embedded in the lushness of a slope. Secretive, it does not immediately reveal itself to the visitor.

The entire form is gathered around a nave made out of massive wood; between wood and concrete, a passage and an inner space are spun. As a staircase carves its way through the volume, it binds the structure even more tightly together, while it connects to the ground. The passage opens up into the inner space, where the wooden core forms a niche, a bench. The ceiling opens up from the wall to reveal a thin slice of sky, a cut, through which light trickles down and both rain and autumn leaves are allowed to be part of the space. The boundary between what is inside and what is outside is blurred.

The idea is to inflict as little damage as possible on the site, conceptually as well as visually. The foundation is laid at the back, which allows the structure to rise above the ground and leave a large part of the site untouched. The materials, wood and concrete, are allowed to age in the hope that over time, the experience of both space and place will be further enhanced.

 
Team: Petra Gipp, Maria Videgård, Kalmar Hjalmarsson