Bogs are typically composed of peat, a soil-like material comprised of partly decomposed vegetable matter. Vegetation in the bog thrives, dies, and returns to the earth. Mēness, the Latvian god of renewal, through death and rebirth, stimulates growth.
GREAT KEMERI BOG VISITOR CENTER
The pine trees that surround the site, which can reach heights of 25-30m, invoke a columnar effect. Dozens of minuscule columns raise the Great Kemeri Bog Visitor Center off the site, invoking a columnar effect from within. Dynamic routes and spaces are created by this, allowing for visitors and exhibitions to interact with the columns as they see fit.
The Great Kemeri Bog Visitor Center rises gradually, much like the existing topography does amongst the site. Visitors are able to meander through the exhibits, with the end destination being the elevated café that overlooks the remaining site. The visitor center rises, and the people within it, alongside the nearby forest.
Besides acting as structural supports for the visitor center, the columns permeate out, or in to, the building, invoking the feeling of a forest. Spaces and paths are created by the outdoor columns. Camping can occur within said spaces; tents can inhabit a grouping of columns, hammocks can be strung between columns.Dynamic playgrounds can also inhabit the man-made forest; monkey bars, swing-sets, tether ball, and so on. Group gatherings for picnics, as well as tables themselves, can be integrated to the columns.
The Great Kemeri Bog Visitor Center is composed of natural materials. CLT floors and walls are encased with thatch on the exterior. The columns holding up the building are composed of wood. A sequestration of carbon will occur during the buildings lifespan. A contemporary take on Mēness, as centuries pass, the Great Kemeri Bog Visitor Center will begin to decay, returning to the earth, and in turn, stimulate life and growth on the site.
In collaboration with:
Fall 2018
Meriel Vogliotti