Naturum Oset

Naturum Oset

Naturum Oset is a visitor centre that tells the story of how a heavily contaminated, forgotten landscape was brought back to life, and a place where current and future generations can continue to help their sanctuary flourish.

Design that nurtures

Over one hundred years ago, Hjälmarmen was the site of Sweden’s largest landscape projects. The intention was to establish land for agriculture, but the crops failed and the area gradually became a dumping ground for industrial waste. After 20 years of landscape restoration, the Oset-Rynningeviken nature reserve is thriving; becoming one of the region’s most popular weekend destinations in the process. Naturum Oset is a competition-winning visitor centre that tells the story of the area’s regeneration, and allows current and future generations to participate in the continued nurturing of the nature reserve.

Client: Örebroporten
Location: Örebro, Sweden
Status:
Construction start 2021
Visuals: White

The shores of Lake Hjälmaren was once the dirty backwater of Örebro. Today, the area is a much-loved natural reserve with rolling hillsides and lakes as far as the eye can see.

The brief for the open competition stressed the importance of designing an exemplar scheme with heavyweight sustainability credentials. Another factor was that the visitor centre needed to be easily accessible from Hjälmaren. Naturum Oset takes its inspiration from the historical landscape transformation, and promotes active local involvement in the protection of the reserve. Additional overnight visitor pavilions are also planned among the tree trunks, allowing guests immerse themselves fully within nature.

Taking ownership of the landscape

The new centre allows visitors reflect upon the diversity of lakes and the rolling green glades of the landscape. Naturum Oset is not one single building, but a cluster of pavilions. The largest of these pavilions are partially subset into a hillock, yet the distinctive form of the asymmetric roofs remain visible. The lakes will be developed over several levels in harmony with the land. An orangery will replace the old harbour office so that visitors can participate in the cultivation of plants and trees on the hills.

Merging into nature

Naturum Oset is designed to have the energy efficiency of Passivhaus at a Miljöbyggnad Gold standard level. Achieving harmony with the surroundings is paramount; both for the ambitions of the centre and mediating the visitor experience, as well as in terms of environmental impact. The main gallery exhibition room and assembly halls offer unobtrusive views across the emerging landscape and lakes, while locally sourced materials and roofs clad with solar cells ensure a low impact visitor centre for generations to come.

Contact & Team

Oskar Widlund

Oskar Widlund

Project manager, Office director

+46 766 39 46 24

Martin Ehn Hillberg

Mattias Lind

Hanna Linde

Linn Roldin

Rickard Nygren

Britta Wikholm

Britta Wikholm

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