Making Waves

KASTRUP SEA BATH - DENMARK Architect: Fredrik Pettersson White arkitekter AB Image credits: Ole Haupt A sculpture to walk on. And dive from. The architect responsible, Fredrik Pettersson, created the platform which stands on discreet legs one metre above the surface of the sea, a hundred metres out from the shore. The visitor crosses a long bridge to reach a circular installation that gradually rises up out of the sea. It is topped off with a trampoline at a height of five metres – which the inventor has yet to try… “My idea was to achieve a sculptural, dynamic form that can be seen from the land, from the sea and from the air,” says Pettersson. “The silhouette changes as the spectator moves around it.” The aim was to use the shape to build in functions such as changing, sunbathing and bathing areas in a simple design that compares favourably with the wide expanse of the sea. The circular construction offers shelter whatever the wind direction, and all the platform’s 870 square metres of wooden deck are at the disposal of the visitors. Azobe timber was chosen due to the material’s durability and strength in salt water. It is not attacked by shipworms and has the same lifetime as steel. The lighting has been added to emphasize the sculptural design. There are both LED spotlights along the bridge out to the ‘shell’, as well as upward-facing floodlights that illuminate the inside of the structure, producing a spectacular and beautiful effect at dusk and in the dark. Even at times when only winter bathers dare to enter the water.

There is nothing private or exclusive, rather it is a facility open to everyone, regardless of age, physical mobility or needs. After 50 years of discussions on what to do with the area, the White project quickly converted a mistreated and shabby industrial beach environment into a living and integral part of the community.