The Moose Tower (Elgtårnet) offers a unique experience with obernight stay in the world’s only Moose Tower. Experience this unusual outdoor adventure in Norway.
A series of five architectural interventions is being proposed in the valley of Espedalen in inland Norway, with the intention of enticing tourists to get out of their cars to explore and experience the local area. With funding provided by two local mountain hotels (Ruten Fjellstue and Dalseter Høyfjellshotell), the first completed was Elgtårnet (Moose Tower) – a 12-m-high lakeside viewing platform with overnight lodgings for six visitors.
Other attractions in the area:
Norway’s Largest Open-Air Museum Outside Oslo
Hafjell Bike Park
Exciting Modern Architecture in Lillehammer
The Moose Tower is designed by RAM Architecture, based nearby one of Norway’s most beautiful valleys, Gudbrandsdalen. It is a company with strong ties to Norwegian nature and traditional methods of construction. Using wood as a primary material, architects at RAM strive towards creating precise and modern design features in every project.
In the 12-meter-high Moose tower, you get close to nature and wildlife where you can enjoy a spectacular and unusual outdoor adventure.
The tower provides accommodation in its most basic form, stripping back to the bare bones of hospitality with neither running water nor electricity. On three sides, beds are cantilevered from the structure, protected from the tree tops by panes of glass. The final elevation incorporates the dramatic series of ladders that guides the public to the viewing platform at the highest level.
For RAM Architecture, the successful combination of tradition and clean, inventive outlines has resulted in a collection of esteemed projects. In the moose tower’s lounges with large windows, you get close to wildlife in a simple, yet spectacular way without disturbing the animals.
“The idea was to create a unique overnight experience for a small number of guests in a remote location, combined with a public viewing platform. The form of the building was generated through early sketches of how to efficiently place beds around a small space. We wanted each bed to have a panoramic view of the surrounding area,” says Sam Hughes at RAM Architecture.
The architects’ design may be inspired by tradition, but they make a point of always interpreting that tradition into a clean, light and interesting expression. The company’s location makes it completely natural to make use of all the fantastic wood found in this part of the country, and incorporate that into their vision.
The Moose tower forms part of Lillehammer and Gudbrandsdalen’s cultural concept “Into Norway – Home of Culture”.
“The remote location made access to the site difficult. By using modular elements, we reduced the amount of production work required on site, as well as the number of materials being transported. We explored different types of prefabricated panels throughout the design phase. During one of our early site visits with the client, we looked at some of the historical buildings in the valley and the idea crystallized – a real eureka moment – that a log-type construction made sense.
Its long history and strong connection with the valley satisfied all the criteria for the modular system we were trying to develop. The overall aesthetic is a result of the structural principles we applied. The influence of local traditions firmly anchors the identity of the tower into its regional context, even though we interpreted the past in the form of a contemporary design,” says Hughes.
Unusual Outdoor Adventure in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg