Kajakhuset

Jury’s statement

Kajakhuset is a recycled structure. As a pavilion, it tested abstract spatial qualities; now it has been transformed into a flexible, multi-purpose room. Having toured exhibitions in Italy and Austria, the structure has finally settled in the Sörmland archipelago. Six 80-year-old pines were cut down to produce its cladding. The general rhythm of the structural frame has been stretched out, like a concertina, to form a sympathetically designed long room between the hill and the shore.

The pine logs were frame-sawn on site. The personality of the planks on the façade was fully embraced and, with its system of discreetly plugged fixings, the result is a beautifully tactile surface. The attractively natural form, coupled with the texture of the saw’s horizontal marks, gives the exterior of the building a unique look. The roughly sawn surface mediates between the natural features of the site and the interior of the building. That interior has a more refined finish. Here, the finely sawn Douglas pine frames and solid oak floor combine effortlessly with the simplicity of the plywood panelling. Where the wood has broken, loving repairs have enriched the building in a sustainable way.

 

Get news & inspiration from Swedish Wood

Sign up and get information about publications and other news from Swedish Wood by email.

Sign up for the newsletter