Kotten - a modern trail centre

Following the total destruction of the old trail centre in a fire in 2013, Kungälv municipality arranged an architectural competition for a new, modern trail centre in the Fontin area of Kungälv municipality. Tengbom's Kotten (the Pine Cone) proposal won first prize in the architectural competition for the new building.

The new, modern trail centre includes a café, lockers and dressing rooms. The outside environment has also been given a facelift with a new playground, outdoor gym and a handicapped-accessible pier at the lake.

Kotten is oval in shape with an expressive facade and sedum roof, which blends in with the surroundings. The building is mainly constructed of wood, with a pine façade that will naturally become grey over time. The interior is a contrast in warm birch plywood. High demands were placed on fire safety and environmental friendliness.

We wanted to create an iconic and harmonious building that would stand as a symbol for outdoor activities and exercise. Our landscape architects have made the building feel as natural as possible by preserving as many trees as possible in the surroundings.

Due to the stringent fire and environmental requirements, OrganoWood was used as a comprehensive cladding material for the first time in Sweden. OrganoWood is both rot and fire-resistant without the use of chemicals.

The special facade was created with small, lightweight, rough wooden boards mounted across different levels to produce a three-dimensional feel. Kotten is about 600 square meters.

Kotten was inaugurated in December 2015 and is nominated for the award, Construction of the Year (Årets Bygge) 2016, in Sweden.

Kungälv municipality

Architect: Christofer Ödmark
Design team: Christofer Ödmark, Hans Lindgren, Hannu Kettunen, Karin Zetterberg, Yara Karkouh, Ulrika Pålsson, Malin Forsberg, Åsa Erkman, Kajsa Åström, Malin Ljungblad, Annette Johannesson, Lukas Toll, Fredrik Simu, Emelie Berndtsson.