Nature Centre Hareskoven | EFFEKT architects

The visitors centre is situated in the pristine forest of Hareskoven in the vicinity of Copenhagen. It is a portal to the almost 1 million visitors that uses the forest annually. It hosts a 1000 square meter large visitor centre with café, exhibition space, rental, learning and research facilities and a caretaker’s residence. The building is shaped like a star resembling the pathways in the forest that surrounds it. The pathways used to be a part of the old kings hunting grounds. They could provide a panoramic overview over the position of the prey in the forest. Now they serve as a historical memory and are a beautiful and unique feature of Hareskoven. Landscape and building: The building is designed in a simple gesture. The star shaped roof is a lifted landscape creating a series of panoramic rooms looking on into the forest. In two of the five wings the roof slopes down to the ground making it accessible and part of the forest. Visitors can then either choose to walk through or over the building when entering the forest. The floor is carved out of the hill proving varied parapet along the facades. The typology is carefully positioned so that in two places the floor and surroundings are in level providing a level free access to the central lobby and exhibition space and access into the forest. Inner life: The central lobby is the collective and organic shaped space of the building. It hosts the exhibition and multipurpose space. Each wing then contains a separate function and can function independent with a local entrance when necessary. The regular shape of the independent wings allows maximum functionality of each room. The envelope is a three layer glass facade for maximum energy performance and transparency at the same time. All inner walls are covered with wood resembling the surrounding trees to give the feeling of still being inside the forest.