The Aurland Lookout

For my first proper post I though I would write about one of my personal favorites, the Aurland lookout in Norway by Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen. The Aurland lookout is a 30 meter long timber ramp that invites visitors to advance into the open space and discover spectacular views of one of the largest fjords of the west coast of Norway.

Oddly enough the last time I thought of this particular project, I was sat in the shade of a tree on a very warm day in Joyner, Qld. This tree was on the edge of a path that separated a rugged expanse of bush from the One Mile Country Club and its perfectly manicured golf course.

Sat there looking at these two distinctive landscapes, I began to think that despite two very contrasting qualities, both landscapes offered incredibly beautiful sights.

In my personal experience, there is a tendency to oppose landscapes perceived as “natural” and landscapes that are considered “man-made”; with many considering what is “natural” to be more beautiful than what is man made. In this case however, despite these two landscapes being at the polar opposites of this “natural/man-made” spectrum, it was beyond me to say one was more beautiful than the other.

This made me consider what I should be looking to achieve as a landscape designer with regards to aesthetics. Should I prefer a "natural" aesthetic to a designed, "man-made" aesthetic? Should I prefer "man-made" to "natural"? Should I combine the two? This initially led to three simple thoughts on how the “natural/man-made” balance could influence the aesthetic of a place:

• A case where in the composition of the landscape, the “man-made” element is largely responsible for the beauty of the landscape. The aesthetic contribution of the "man made" element is superior to that of the "natural" element.
• A case where in the composition the natural element is largely responsible for the beauty of the landscape. The aesthetic contribution of the "natural" setting is superior to that of the “man-made” element.
• A case where in the composition of the landscape both elements combine equally to create a beautiful landscape. Neither the “natural” nor the “man-made” element is aesthetically superior.
  

Although these three distinctions can make sense theoretically, it is perhaps not so obvious to understand their application in practice; in fact they are overly simplistic. Additionally, a priori none of these combinations seem necessarily more beautiful than another.

Nonetheless, to me this highlighted the definite value for designers to develop a sensitivity towards these considerations. It is important to recognize the aesthetic value of a landscape previously untouched by the designer and to recognize when and where introducing new, "man-made” contributions is beneficial and when and where it is not.

It is in using this sensibility that the landscape designer successfully creates beautiful landscapes where through his influence, the natural and the made-man combine to transcend their individual beauty. It was when trying to imagine a good example of this that I thought of the Aurland lookout; in my eyes one of the finest displays of the use of such sensitivity.

:: All images by Todd Saunders