Architects:EFFEKT

Year:2023

Photographs:Rasmus Hjortshøj

Client: Fyresdal Municipality

Client Consultant: Faun Naturforvaltning

Contractor: Inge Aamlid

City: Fyresdal

Country: Norway

The one-kilometer long and two meters wide plank boardwalk extends on pillars all the way from the forest floor, along Lake Fyresvatn, up between the treetops, along the mountain ridge, and up to the summit of Klokkarhamaren. At the trail's end, a considerable circular viewpoint with a diameter of 50 meters provides a spectacular 360-degree view over the pine forest, clear lakes, and rock formations that make up the natural landscape.

The wooden boardwalk structure is carefully designed as a response to the curvature of the mountain, sometimes following the mountain’s ridges and slopes, and sometimes bending out, creating viewpoints and dramatic drops where visitors can feel the wind in the treetops.

The walking trail, universally designed with a gentle incline, is suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, pushchairs, and wheelchairs. It grew out of a heartfelt desire to give all people, regardless of physical abilities, the sensational feeling of walking amongst the treetops, according to Monica Sølyst, Project Lead at Faun Naturforvaltning.

The load-bearing structure as well as the boardwalk and railing are made from locally sourced pinewood. This way the structure literally blends in with existing pine trees on the mountain, sometimes giving the visual impression that the boardwalk levitates through the forest.

To fulfill the vision of creating an experience that would add to the already beautiful natural setting and not destroy it, the EFFEKT team met up with local contractor Inge Aamlid. Together they invented a simple wooden building system that is used throughout the whole tree-top walk. It uses only small and straight pre-fabbed elements, that can easily be handled with small machinery and by hand on-site, to protect nature during the building process. When joined together the segments form an organic shape that bends around the trees and along the mountain. The building system made it possible for Aamlid to build the recreational walkway on location, using local timber and local craftsmanship techniques, nodding to the logging era in Fyresdal.