Snøhetta and WERK Arkitekter have completed a new maritime center in Esbjerg, Denmark. The circular timber center, dubbed “The Lantern,” houses multiple watersport clubs, boat storage, training facilities, a large workshop, and social functions, and is described by its designers as “a new landmark lighting up the Danish west coast.”

Having won a competition for the scheme’s design in 2019, Snøhetta and WERK used the building to pay homage to the maritime tradition and significance of Esbjerg’s port by translating the geometry and craftsmanship of local boats. The rhythm and repetition of the building’s facade are inspired by wooden boat construction, with a rippling motif inspired by the effect of throwing a stone into water. In addition to reflecting the water’s energy, the changes in the angle of facade panels create varying shadows inspired by the shapes of kayaks.

The wooden rhythm continues on the roof, where solar panels are integrated into a belt around the top edge. In total, approximately 40 miles of European thermo-treated pine trees were used to construct the building’s facade and roof.

Inside, the 30,000-square-foot center’s upper level contains various clubs for rowing, kayaking, sailing, diving, and triathlon, as well as common areas, an educational center, and training facilities. The lower level, connected to the sea via a bridge, houses boat storage and workshop space.

At the heart of the scheme sits an elevated circular public terrace. Connected to the first floor, the terrace is accessed via two amphitheater-like staircases, from which visitors can access views of the surrounding maritime activities within smaller wind-protected terraces.

Throughout the building’s facade, large windows focus daylight and visibility inwards, while round-shaped holes in the central terrace bring daylight down to the lower level’s core to create a visual and social vertical link. At night, meanwhile, a warm glow shines through the facade windows, lighting the center up like a lantern.

“With a vision to create a space that unites the poetical with the practical, the Maritime Center aims to find a balance between the mesmerizing and never-ending movements of the sea and practical everyday chores,” said the design team in a statement. “A symbiosis between the beautiful and the raw, the elegant and the robust.”

Conscious of its exposed maritime condition, the center was designed with the possibility of high-water flooding in mind. The structure of the lower level is formed of in-situ concrete to withstand water damage, while the wooden facade is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions.

News of the scheme’s completion comes weeks after Snøhetta unveiled a new design for the Westchester Square Library in the Bronx. The firm has also recently shared updates on progress at their urban farm design in Hong Kong, and their revitalized garden at 550 Madison Avenue in New York.