GeoCenter and Boardwalk, Møns Klint

In 2003, PLH won an open international competition for the design of a new visitor centre at Møns Klint. In the Summer of 2007 the GeoCentre was opened - with ongoing work until 2013. Every year around 250,000 people visit the place.

Category

Culture

Location

Møns Klint, Denmark

Year

2007 – 2013

Status

Completed

Size

3,000 m²

Client(s)

GeoCenter Møns Klint

Team

COWI A/S, GODesign, Alectia A/S

A story about nature - in dialogue with the place

Nature is the source of inspiration for the architectural concept. The vision has been to create an environmentally sustainable building that fits into the surrounding landscape, and allows nature to tell its own story.

The GeoCenter is gently incorporated into the natural landscape and rests as a wing, which has landed at the top of the cliff in a clearing in the forest. To respect the vegetation and scale of the landscape, the entire exhibition area has been dug into the existing hillside, so that the volume visible above the terrain appears harmonious and light.

The restaurant has expansive glazed walls that face towards the view over the cliff top and Baltic Sea, whilst the exhibition area, which portrays the geographic history of the area is underground in a cave-like space with limited natural daylight.

The many natural materials used in the building provide a good indoor climate, together with being environmentally friendly and easy to maintain. They also reflect the “raw” elements found naturally in the cliffs and forrest.

The passive design features of the building, such as orientation to the sun, form and materials contribute to reducing the energy consumption of the facility. The restaurant and entry hall are naturally ventilated with an advanced automatic system that adjusts to weather conditions. At the same time, the underground exhibition areas only use LED-lighting, which was a first for Denmark.

Contact:
Søren Mølbak
+ 45 2720 0591
sm@plh.dk

GeoCentre received Vordingborg Municipality’s architecture prize, Archizincs international zinc prize and was nominated for Forum Aid (Nordic architecture prize) and World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

As a natural extension of the visitor centre’s welcoming of guests, accessibility was extended in 2013 right out to Freuchens Pynt, in the form of a 267 meter long boardwalk designed by PLH that weaves between the beech trees down towards the cliff. It is conceived as a relatively unpretentious timber deck that gently makes its way through the surroundings, drawing little attention to itself except for its function. Four information points are created underway, from GeoCenter to Freuchens Pynt, where there are views to Dronningsstolen to the north, and an opportunity to experience the unique nature reserve of the cliff and historic landscape. The challenges of the hilly terrain in regard to accessibility have been integrated into a holistic solution for design, flow and experience, as was the case for the GeoCentre.

The boardwalk has received praise from the head of the Disabled association in Vordingborg, Anders J. Andersen, who hopes that it will become a model for disabled accessibility and integration across the country.

Watch TV2 East’s report, (in Danish) ‘Experience Møns Klint from a Wheelchair’ (link der åbner nyt vindue: http://www.tveast.dk/artikler/oplev-moens-klint-i-koerestol)

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