The village of Seljur in the Telemark province in eastern Norway is famous for the legend of a monstrous snake that allegedly took a fancy to the lake of the same name, located nearby. Stories about her have been circulating for several centuries and have become an integral part of the daily life of the local population; the snake even received the name Selma.
The municipality of Seljura decided to use the situation for the benefit of its hometown and commissioned Rintala Eggertsson Architects to design a special observation post. The wooden tower resembles either a submarine periscope, or a giant snake rising from the water. The tower is located in the southeastern part of the lake, almost at the water's edge. Nearby there are two amazing pines, under the crowns of which you just want to make a small halt. There is a wooden flooring from the building: it passes between the trees and rests against a small cubic volume of the exhibition space, also made of wood.
Still, the main character of this performance is stunning nature. Therefore, in addition to the main observation deck at the very top of the tower with a spectacular view of the lake, the architects have provided for two more "windows". One allows you to observe a favorite nesting place for birds, and the second allows you to closely examine the lush crowns of old trees.
And one more important touch: at night, the tower is illuminated from the inside. The wall boards are loosely fitted to each other and easily let light through, so that people going up and down the stairs themselves turn into ethereal fantastic shadows, if you look at the tower from the outside - the line between the real and the seeming is completely erased.
