Trollstigen Visitor Centre by Reiulf Ramstad Architects, Norway

View of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre - a concrete and glass building with a geometric design surrounded by mountains and a river which is flowing over multiple levels

(Image credit: PRESS)

published 21 June 2012

This year's unusually cold Norwegian spring has tried its best to put a spanner in the works for the opening of the new Trollstigen Visitor Centre. Snow was falling as late as the first weekend of June, so when Wallpaper* visited the site a few days later, the workmen were busy clearing metres of snow and ice from the building's sloping roofs.

The Visitor Centre, which opened last weekend, is a new addition to the existing Trollstigen Viewing Platform, both designed by Reiulf Ramstad Architects, and is part of the National Tourist Routes in Norway. Situated in a mountain pass - at an elevation of around 850 metres - between the towns of Valldal and Åndalsnes in Western Norway, the Trollstigen Visitor Centre and Viewing Platform provides spectacular views of the Trollstigen road - the 'Troll Ladder'.

With an incline of nine percent and 11 tight hairpin bends winding down a steep mountainside, the road opened in 1936 after eight years of construction. It has subsequently become one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions.

The central building of the Visitor Centre contains a café and information point. Designed to resemble the shapes of the surrounding mountain peaks, it is formed from two shells and built from glass, steel and concrete to cope with the violent mountain climate. The shells fold across each other to provide a glass-walled shelter with spectacular views of the landscape. The building's surfaces alternate between being as smooth as ice and as rough as rocks, echoing the complex natural forms of the Norwegian mountain landscape.

The other building, containing service facilities, a kiosk and a souvenir store, is structured like a defensive wall, acting as a manmade flood barrier for when the crystal-clear River Istra soars with meltwater during the spring.

In fact, water has been a key element in the architectural design. A series of stepped pools with angular thresholds that expand the water's surface, help control the flow of the river around the new buildings. 'Much of the uniqueness of Nordic culture, and Norwegian culture in particular, is based on our relationship to water,' says Reiulf Ramstad. 'At Trollstigen, water can be experienced as snow on the mountains, as a glistening mirror, as a swirling but controlled cascade or as a dramatic waterfall, all of which is reflected in the Visitor Centre's design.'

View of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre and a path by a river surrounded by greenery and mountains under a blue cloudy sky — From the Visitor Centre, a path leads out to two viewing platforms

View of a rusted steel door and shelter at the Trollstigen Visitor Centre under a blue cloudy sky — The centre is built from glass, steel and concrete to cope with the harsh mountain climate

Interior view of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre featuring dark coloured walls, spotlights, floor-to-ceiling windows, pillars, wooden tables and black chairs — The main building houses a café and information point. The tables, with oak tops and legs in lacquered black steel, have been specially designed for the building by the architects

View of the landscape through openings of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre. Mountains, rocks, greenery and a river can be seen under a clear white sky — Parts of the structure acts as a manmade flood barrier for when the River Istra soars with meltwater during the spring

An open top viewing platform with concrete floors, rusted steel walls and a glass panel. A mountain can also be seen under a clear white sky — Like the main buildings, the viewing platforms are also built from glass, steel and concrete

Close up view of a concrete wall and bench at the Trollstigen Visitor Centre under a clear blue sky — The building's surfaces alternate between being as smooth as ice and as rough as rocks, echoing the complex natural forms of the Norwegian mountain landscape

View of a layered pool with steps and a surrounding barrier. Large rocks and greenery sit behind the pool area — A series of stepped pools with angular thresholds that expand the water’s surface, help control the flow of the river around the new buildings

Close up view of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre's concrete exterior. The building is surrounded by water and a snow covered landscape — The buildings are designed to resemble the shapes of the surrounding landscape

Close up view of the snow covered Trollstigen Visitor Centre under a blue sky. There is a person in a red jacket standing on the building and the mountains are also covered in snow — The mountain pass in which the Visitor Centre sits is closed much of the year and normally opens at the end of May until early autumn. Snow was falling as late as the first weekend of June, so when Wallpaper* visited the site a few days later, the workmen were busy clearing metres of snow and ice from the building's sloping roofs

Light falls house shelving — During the winter, the buildings – and the road – are completely covered in snow and are only accessible for those on skis

View of snow covered mountains and buildings with reflective panels during the day — Some of the buildings, which contain service facilities, a kiosk and a souvenir store, are structured like a defensive wall and act as a manmade flood barrier for River Istra

View of the snow covered landscape from a rusted steel bridge and path with side rails that crosses a river — When we arrived, the snow had just been cleared from parts of the path leading out to the viewing platforms

View of a river along with a snow covered path and mountains — The mountain pass is at an elevation of around 850 metres, between the towns of Valldal and Åndalsnes in Western Norway

View of an elevated viewing platform that sits above the Stigfossen waterfall. A mountain can also be seen under a blue cloudy sky — The viewing platforms sit above the Stigfossen waterfall, which drops 320 metres down the mountainside

View of the mountainside steps with rusted steel barriers that lead to the viewing platforms — The viewing platforms can only be accessed by foot and are often covered in snow early on in the tourist season

View from a rusted steel viewing platform of the Trollstigen road which winds down the mountainside. There are three people on the viewing platform — The Trollstigen road has an incline of nine percent and consists of 11 tight hairpin bends winding down a steep mountainside

View of steps with rusted steel barriers that lead to a viewing platform. The steps are surrounded by mountains and a white fog can also be seen — The building of the mountain pass began in 1928 and was a huge challenge, as the area was steep and prone to landslides and flooding. The road was finally opened on 31 July 1936 by King Haakon

A viewing platform surrounded by mountains under a cloudy sky — The Visitor Centre and viewing platforms are part of the National Tourist Routes in Norway

A rusted steel viewing platform with glass barriers surrounded by a white fog. There is a person in a red jacket standing on the platform looking out — Glass panels allow spectacular (if sometimes foggy) views even for those who can only crawl to the edge of the platforms

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