ESPENES REST STOP, HARDANGER, NORWAY LIGHTING DESIGN: LIGHT BUREAU
Designed by Code Arkitektur as part of the Norwegian Scenic Routes initiative, Espenes is a rest stop beside the Sørfjorden, a 38km-long fjord on the road between Kinsarvik and Odda in northern Norway. Housing toilets and seating facilities for hikers and visitors, the simple geometric stainless steel structure measures 64m long and 4m wide, while its 12 roof modules varying in height. It is both inspired by and symathetic to the powerful setting of the fjord and the mountains.
‘The double-curved roof construction has a horizontal roof line [a] reference to the fjord, and an undulating roof line, which is a reference to the mountainsides,’ says Code Arkitektur. ‘When you rest under the vaults, you experience different sections of the landscape space together with the changing reflections of the light in the steel.’
The lighting concept, an IALD Award of Excellence winner by Light Bureau (it also won both Platinum and Green in the
Build Back Better Awards 2023), is rooted in the same principles. ‘We set out to create a visible landmark after dark in tune with the local landscape,’ explains Light Bureau’s UK design director Arve Olsen. ‘Our lighting design is inspired by the location and the surrounding nature: the cool moonlight that illuminates the mountain tops and the nearby glacier in contrast to the warm, human light.’ The light levels are dimmed to reduce the impact on the surroundings and local ecology, and also to minimise glare, preserving the stunning view from the rest stop. The remaining architectural lighting is balanced against the dimly lit roof – less than 40W is used to illuminate the entire 50m-long roofline.
The scheme is also not afraid of the dark. The road that leads to the rest stop remains unlit and the lighting of the rest stop area is limited to the structure, with darkness also maintained in the car park and access road.
The use of colour temperature delineates the indoor and outdoor spaces. The steel outer walls and columns – the roof and wall surfaces are shaped by hand and welded together from 6mm thick steel plates – are lit with a cool light framing the view towards the interior, bathed in warm light. ‘As lighting designers, we aimed to accentuate the sculptural shape through an interplay of light, darkness and contrast in the colour temperature,’ says Olsen.
The ceiling surface is lit asymmetrically to create two different visual impressions depending on the direction it is viewed from and allowing the reflections in the steel to produce a play of light. ‘The intensity of the light on the steel wall had to be experienced visually,’ explains Olsen. ‘Therefore tests were crucial to ensure good detailing and to see the actual effects of light.’
The steel walls are kept free of equipment and all technical installations
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