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The 5th Ardennes
Kurgi Observation Tower
Kurgi, Latvia
Public - Cultural
Competition
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2020
Horses and mankind have had a deep connection for thousands of years and for generations they have played an integral role in the life of Latvian and Baltic people. Our design is at its core an exploration of this relationship which aims to showcase the wonderful complexity of the species and its different breeds, from their simplicity and elegance to their power and endurance. Our tower is a celebration of the passion the owners show towards their horses, which places them at the heart of the tower and design.
The core of our concept explores the four key values of Power – Speed – Endurance – Free Spirit to which we believe horses represent. Free spirit is at the centre of this concept as this truly encapsulates our belief of what makes horses so unique animals. When these four circles merge together, a horseshoe shape can be extracted and it is this geometrical design which forms the foundation of our shape.
The horseshoe was invented for the purpose of helping mankind particularly in agricultural work by protecting their hooves from damage in situations conversely created by mankind such as farm work or riding on hard surfaces such as roads. This dependence on horses is especially evident in the case of the Latvian Ardennes; a powerful, workmanlike breed which is so close to extinction.
1st Floor
2nd Floor
3rd Floor
4th Floor
5th Floor
The tower and the farm are clearly connected by horses, in which both also act as a reminder of the equine history in Latvia, and particularly the Latvian Ardennes.
Kurgi Farm’s efforts in protecting the Ardennes breed and wish to educate people about its cultural significance is represented in the tower through the use of patterns in the elevator depicting the history of the Latvian Ardennes horse and its recent path to extinction through fewer and fewer horse legs on the shaft the higher it goes.
This concept can be observed from the outside as people are moving around the pattern and from the inside as the lift rotates 360° before arriving at each floor, suggesting the horses are powering the elevator, just as they have powered economic growth in the region for generations.
Once the elevator reaches the top floor, only four horse-legs are shown, representing the remaining four Latvian Ardennes left in the world. The future of the breed is therefore in the hands of these four remaining horses and left to the visitor to reflect on with the hope that the numbers will grow over the coming decades, helped by the work being done by the Kurgi Farm.
The handrail represents the deep connection between humans and horses throughout history. Each strip in the handrail, formed of individual pieces of local vernacular wood, each represents a different person looking over the horses. Each wooden strip spread surrounds the running horses at the centre of the tower symbolising the human desire to watch the majestic beauty of the animals, as well as their purpose throughout time of serving mankind for agriculture, war, means of transport and sport.
As the visitor climbs the tower, they will switch between the inside and outside ramps of the zigzag horseshoe form. Through walking on the outside, they can freely view the surrounding landscape of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, taking in the spectacular scenery. When walking on the inside, the visitor is directly confronted with the running Ardennes horses and their decline in numbers over time. This continual visual transition between outside nature and the interior of the tower represents the entrenched connection that the Latvian Ardennes have with the surrounding landscape.
1.
Fundament
Columns
Beams
2.
Pre-welded
Ramp
3.
Poles
Roof
4.
Flooring
5.
Handrail
6.
Cladding
Steel is used to form the core structure due to its durability and ease of maintenance. It is galvanized to prevent water damage and standard profiles used to reduce costs as well as using pre-welded parts.
Local wood (pine and birch) is used to construct the steps, handrails and interior of the tower as Latvia as the predominant forest species are 39.4 % local pine and 28.4 % local birch. This not only compliments the central ecotourism concept of the tower using renewable and environmentally friendly resources, but also through combining nature with the structure, creates a warm atmosphere and a sense of local identity whereby people can feel at home.
Insulating glass is used principally on the top floor and in the elevator due to the need to maintain heat for as long as possible due to the low annual average temperature of only 5.9°C, falling to -4.6°C and - 4.7°C respectively in January and February.
Flat mounted solar panels are installed on the roof to provide all necessary energy consumed on the site and fit with the sustainable image of the farm and biosphere reserve. Excess energy production in the summer will be sold to the local energy grid. During the colder winter months, electrically powered underfloor heating convectors are used to heat the room and provide a natural, warm circulation of air creating a comfortable indoor temperature. If necessary, windows can be opened to cool the room.
Section 1
Section 2
