the Norwegian coastline
Located near the Norwegian town of Sarpsborg, close to the border with Sweden, the recently opened Solberg Tower and Park complex sits in a large clearing in a thick forest, beside the Norwegian coastline
(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

Located near the Norwegian town of Sarpsborg, close to the border with Sweden, the recently opened Solberg Tower and Park complex sits in a clearing in a thick forest, beside an unspoilt strip of the Norwegian coastline. It was a setting too good to pass by and one that presented Canadian-born, Norway-based architect Todd Saunders with his most creatively free venture to date.

The clients - the Norwegian Highway Department together with the Regional Government – first approached his practice a few years ago. Interestingly, their aim was to develop the brief alongside its designer – a rare chance for the architect to be involved at such an early stage in a public commission, directly affecting not just the structure’s shape but also its use.

The team had to reconcile the site’s strengths – the amazing views towards the sea, the wealth of ancient Viking rock engravings in the surrounding forest and the accessibility of the location, thanks to the adjacent motorway that links the two neighbouring Scandinavian countries together – with its main challenge, namely the noise pollution created by the latter. The idea of offering a space that would connect people with nature, be a cultural hub for the area, as well as a peaceful stopover on tiring car journeys, quickly started to take shape.

To create this quiet resting area, Saunders incorporated a spiralling ramp into his design that leads visitors to the tower, while cutting off a serene slate-and-gravel paved area of about 2000sqm from the road. Within those limits he designed seven small CorTen steel-clad semi-open pavilions containing visitor information and details on the close-by Viking engravings. At the same time, the simple concrete and wood structure of the Solberg Tower – which translates as ‘sun mountain’ - rises 30m high, overlooking the dramatic coastal fjord views.

Solberg Park’s pavilions will also function as temporary exhibition spaces and, while highlighting the area’s rich natural beauty and history, will also be a much-needed cultural attraction for the whole region.

Designed by Todd Saunders

Designed by Todd Saunders, the aim of the complex is to offer a space that connects people with nature, is a cultural hub for the area, as well as a peaceful stopover on tiring car journeys along the nearby motorway

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

cutting off a serene slate-and-gravel paved area of about 2000sqm from the road

To create this quiet resting area, Saunders incorporated a spiralling ramp into his design that leads visitors to the tower, while cutting off a serene slate-and-gravel paved area of about 2000sqm from the road

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

seven small CorTen steel-clad semi-open pavilions

Within those limits he designed seven small CorTen steel-clad semi-open pavilions

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

Viking engravings

These contain visitor information and details on the close-by Viking engravings

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

temporary exhibition spaces

The pavilions will also function as temporary exhibition spaces

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

‘sun mountain’

Solberg translates as ‘sun mountain’

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

tower made by concrete and wood structure

The tower is a simple concrete and wood structure

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

dramatic countryside and fjords

It rises 30m high, overlooking the dramatic countryside and fjords

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

peaceful courtyard

The peaceful courtyard, seen from the tower

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

The complex

The complex will be a much-needed cultural attraction for the whole region

(Image credit: Bent René Synnevåg)

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).