Located in the south-west region of Latvia, in the districts of Nīca and Rucava, the Pape Nature Park is a famous site for its rich wildlife, and for being situated along the migration route of many rare birds.
Krill proposed a watch promenade instead of a watch tower, a slowly ascending bridge offering a beautiful view to the landscape, while keeping the impact on the ground to a minimum. The design not only eases animal movement around the area, but also guarantees wheelchair accessibility.
At the end of the promenade, the choice can be made to either shelter between the wings covering the platform, or to move on to the highest point and look between the openings, hidden behind lattices, to the birds.
The promenade will be constructed out of Latvia’s most common and sustainable building material: wood. In order to achieve low maintenance costs, the timber is treated with the well known Japanese technique: charred Sugi, an eco-friendly and extremely durable option. Using charred wood to replace a burned structure may seem unusual, but it is therefore a solid reference to the recent history of the site, it is highly practical, and it enhances the elegance of the design. In the bridge, the charred wood is used as a cladding to cover the balustrade, a laminated wooden beam. At the place of the platforms, the charred wooden laths, used as brise soleil, double in function: they are as well part of the bearing structure.