A hybrid between landscape and building

Vestre Fjord Park is a recrea­tional lear­ning and expe­ri­ence land­scape — a hybrid between buil­ding and natural land­scape — that with a simple high-quality archi­tec­tural struc­ture contri­butes to the full expe­ri­ence of the unique site by the Limfjord in Aalborg, Denmark.

The Limfjord itself, the largest fjord land­scape in Denmark, is the grand poten­tial of the park. Here one finds ‘real’ nature — water, bird life, fish, fields, beach and meadows — that toge­ther with a wide variety of physical acti­vi­ties and outdoor faci­li­ties create the setting for new expe­ri­ences close to both nature and the city.  Vestre Fjord Park is the place where the expe­ri­ences of fjord, acti­vi­ties and park truly become one.

Diverse landscape characters

It is the balance between the natural land­scape, the planned func­tions, the new ‘water spaces’ and the users that really adds life and character to Vestre Fjord Park. The vision is to encou­rage a direct contact to the fjord by estab­li­shing better acces­si­bi­lity from land to sea. At the same time, the project aims to streng­then the story of the land­scape with a multi-func­tional buil­ding struc­ture that frames the poten­tial acti­vi­ties of the water.

The park is both buil­ding and land­scape. The park is divided into several smaller land­scape areas, each with their own iden­tity and character:

• the isthmus to the North with the buil­ding struc­ture, its faci­li­ties for sports asso­cia­tions and its unspoiled nature along the fjord
• the beach embra­cing the open-air swim­ming area with sand, water and spring board diving
• the woods and the wetlands to the west and south with its dense vege­ta­tion that close around them­selves as a contrast to the open areas of the Wedge and the Plain to the east.

A multitude of water related activities

The precise cut between the two water areas, the inner basin and the fjord itself, defines the nort­hern isthmus, binding toge­ther land­scape and built struc­ture. The multi-func­tional buil­ding struc­ture is seemingly an inte­grated part of the prome­nade, all paths clearly leading here. 

The small indi­vi­dual buil­dings bound toge­ther by the roof-scape provides spaces and faci­li­ties for a large variety of func­tions. Here one finds club faci­li­ties for local sport asso­cia­tions, a sauna, a small café, office for the life­guard, chan­ging rooms, toilet faci­li­ties and more.

Roofscape and sustainability

Besides acting as seating for the basin acti­vi­ties, the roof struc­ture offers a build-in play­ground with tram­po­lines, a slide and a clim­bing net along with a partly coated surface for jumping, running etc.

Other parts of the roof are covered in lush gree­nery that from several perspec­tives makes it appear as simply a part of the natural habitat. Remai­ning surfaces are clad in wood making the build struc­ture blend seam­lessly with the prome­nade.

Natural mate­rials and ‘honest’ details in both buil­ding and land­scape are chosen to create a homo­ge­nous balance to nature’s own colours and surfaces.

All solu­tions and products are chosen with thoughts to a minimal impact on the envi­ron­ment. All wood is certi­fied and climate adap­tion is inte­grated throug­hout both buil­ding and land­scape. Most areas of the park are acces­sible to all, even if parts of the roof are not.

History and process

Vestre Fjord Park is built on a site that form­erly held several related non-recrea­tive func­tions and elements, placed at odds with its unique surroun­dings. The area was domi­nated by a lack of aesthe­tics, spatial struc­ture and cohe­rence.

The client, Aalborg Muni­ci­pa­lity, had a vision of the park as the cata­lyst of a new strong iden­tity in the area though embra­cing the open-air swim­ming faci­li­ties in a physical, aesthetic and func­tional unity with its green surroun­dings. While streng­thening the expe­ri­ence of the land­scape quali­ties, the park was to create a contem­po­rary and multi-func­tional park and build struc­ture to include a multi­tude of diffe­rent acti­vi­ties related to beach, water, nature and other kinds of physical acti­vi­ties.  The design was deve­loped through an inten­sive user invol­vement.

Vestre Fjord Park is among the three nomi­nees for the Danish Land­scape Award 2017 and was recently hono­ured among the best new archi­tec­ture in Aalborg.