Tylösand Life Guard Tower

Tylösand Life Guard Tower

The lifeguard tower at Tylösand is an aesthetic landmark project focused on something as crucial as public safety. Situated at an impressive angle of 67 degrees and standing eleven metres tall, the lifeguard tower at Tylösand beach is the embodiment of vigilance, ever alert, ready to leap into action.

Guardians of the Shore

Designed to withstand harsh conditions such as salt storms and blowing sand, the tower is made of sharp-edged concrete, reinforced with stainless steel and anchored six metres deep into the bedrock. The design vision was to create a simple, timeless aesthetic that will age gracefully over time.

At night, the underside and pylon of the tower are elegantly illuminated. The ladder, which follows the slope of the tower, ends in a lockable access hatch that is seamlessly integrated into the concrete surface. The glass railing extends over the concrete slab, its reflections helping to visually reduce the thickness of the concrete. Etched dot patterns on the glass hide any potential dirt. The overhanging roof not only provides weather protection, but also shades the lifeguards from direct sunlight throughout the day.

Client: Kommunala industristaden
Place: Halmstad, Sweden
Project start/end: 2007-2008
Status: Completed 2008
Photo: Lars Nilsson

All of Scandinavia’s lifeguards are trained here, and during the bathing season, the beach attracts over 45,000 daily visitors.

The lifeguard tower has become a much-photographed icon of Halmstad beach life. On a typical summer day, Tylösand beach attracts around forty thousand visitors. The tower also symbolises the lifeguard school, which trains lifeguards for the entire Nordic region, and serves as a command centre for the lifeguards who work along the four-kilometre stretch of beach. The construction was carried out by concrete and construction students under the supervision of the County Labour Board.

Tylösand is considered one of the world’s finest beaches. Each summer, hundreds of incidents of drowning and illness occur along the shoreline. The old tower had become obsolete, and we designed a new one, starting with the needs of the lifeguards and also considering what could symbolically represent their mission.

The challenge was to create something that looks deceptively simple. The Lifeguard Tower is a minimalist structure packed with modern technology. The aim was to minimise the number of components and reduce the structure to its bare essentials.

The concrete work is a triumph of engineering and aesthetics, with ultra-modern fittings in untreated concrete. The new “command bridge” includes two spaces designed with climatic considerations in mind. For example, the overhanging roof limits solar gain and sliding hatches allow airflow to be controlled according to wind direction.

In the evening and at night, the structure is highlighted by atmospheric lighting. The new lifeguard tower is undoubtedly a distinctive landmark.

Contact & Team

Jimmie Ahlgren

Jimmie Ahlgren

Project manager, Marketing director, CMO

+46 703 83 24 15

Lars Nilsson

Ansvarig arkitekt

Jimmie Ahlgren

Jan Sandström

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