Proposal for Visitor Center is a subtle addition to the living heritage
The UNESCO heritage site Stevns Klint Visitor Center conveys the discoveries, experiences, and stories embedded in the striking cliffsides and seascapes that surround it. Our design proposal for the visitor center is a destination in itself.
Stevns Klint is a natural attraction that speaks to the distant past of the earth, contrasting the span of human history with the near-incomprehensible geological history of our planet.
With our proposal for the new Stevns Klint Visitor Center, we wanted to create a design that could be a destination in itself, based on the very special nature of the UNESCO heritage site.
Our vision proposed two core physical elements that together make up the visitor center: A new exhibition building showcasing the history and character of the cliffs, and an extension of an existing chalk barn, which folds into the characteristic slopes of the quarry. The visitor center is carefully accommodated in the lower part of the quarry, making only minor adjustments to the existing terrain. The two buildings embrace a new meeting place
Historical layers
The 21 kilometers of Stevns Klint’s white chalk cliffs stretches from Bøgedal in the north to Rødvig in the south.
Our proposal focuses not only on the building but on the life around and within the cliffside. The local wildlife, the fisherman at the water's edge, the view from the sea, the family on the Trampest path and the passing pleasure boats are all parts of a whole; defining aspects of Stevns Klint. Through new routes for pedestrians and cyclists with different focus points on fauna, culture, nature and raw materials, visitors can experience the natural and cultural depth that defines Stevns Klint.
The center must function both as a mediator of the geological stratification in Stevns Klint, and as a meeting place both inside and outside the center's opening hours. The duality of the program means that the proposed building’s expression and function must mediate between being the narrator of Stevns Klint's great history, while also leaving open spaces for more everyday activities.
The new building creates a delicate and resource-conscious imprint in the existing quarry. Based on the local building culture, the chalk cliffs are re-imagined as building material both inside and outside.
The competition was won by Practice Architects.