Floating Structure Offers Paddlers Easy Access to Fjord
With 300,000 members, the Norwegian Tourist Association (NTA) promotes an active outdoor lifestyle. Located 26km south of Oslo, its Breivoll Gård (Breivoll Farm) location is a mecca for local paddlers. And with its new floating launching and storage structure from SF Marina, it’s now easy for kayakers, canoeists and paddleboarders to explore the scenic beauty and calm waters of the Bunne Fjord.
Designed by Aarhus, Denmark-based AART Architects, the floating structure dovetails perfectly with its natural surroundings and the Nordic aesthetic: pleasingly clean and simple with ample use of wood. It’s accessed via a short bridge from the SF Marina floating dock array.
Measuring 13m W x 16m L, the structure is built on SF Marina floating concrete dock pontoons. Maintenance-free and virtually unsinkable, they are incredibly strong, as evidenced by their use as a foundation for a two-story, 33-room floating hotel in Sweden. The NTA paddling site is anchored to the seabed using chains and concrete anchors.
The front of the structure has a large preparation area ending in four fingers that create three launching bays. Each finger angles slightly upward, allowing paddlers to ease into the boat safely using both arms. Because of the inherent stability of SF Marina floating pontoons, the wood-decked surface is rock solid.
Inside the 78sq m building is storage for 40-50 boats, where the NTA offers kayaks and rowing shells. On the roof is a popular sun deck. A unique feature is that rental is completely self-service; booked online, the paddler gains entrance with an access code.
”Breivoll Farm was a fun project to work on,” said Michael Sigvardsson, SF Marina CEO. ”Collaboration with the AART architects and engineers enabled us to create something unusual and special together that is sure to become a model for other popular paddling destinations.”
