Games of Reflections and Geometry in the Norwegian National Tourist Routes  

25/01/2012 – In 2011, Norway’s National Tourist Routes program gained a new landmark: the Troll Wall Restaurant in Trollveggen. Designed by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, the project creates a powerful meeting point between nature and architecture.
This work is part of the National Tourist Routes, a network of scenic routes across Norway developed under the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The routes are designed to improve the experience of travelers through carefully placed service buildings, viewpoints, rest areas, and orientation points.

The program includes 18 routes throughout Norway and brings together architects, artists, designers, and landscape architects to create distinctive places for visitors in some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes.

The Troll Wall Restaurant is one of these facilities. It stands near the Troll Wall, Europe’s tallest vertical overhanging rock face, in the Romsdal Valley. The proposal by Reiulf Ramstad is closely tied to its site, giving the building a strong identity while turning it into an attraction in its own right.

The building has a simple, flexible plan, while its roof geometry responds to the majestic surrounding landscape. With its use of wood, glass, reflection, and sharp geometry, the restaurant seems to merge with the scenery around it.