Dorte Mandrup winds walkway around Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre

Danish studio Dorte Mandrup has completed the Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre in the Netherlands, creating a "360-degree experience" overlooking its coastal site in Lauwersoog.

Situated within the UNESCO-protected Wadden Sea area, the wood-clad research centre was designed to be a new landmark for the Dutch village, functioning as both an exhibition space and field station for the care of seals.

It is the second of three projects to be completed by Dorte Mandrup in the heritage-protected area. For its latest design, the studio looked to subtly reference its maritime surroundings, wrapping the building in a spiralling walkway that offers uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape and harbour.

"Over a period of more than eight years, the Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre has evolved through continuous refinement and change," studio partner Kasper Pilemand told Dezeen.

"What has remained constant from the outset is a strong emphasis on its relationship with the harbour and the pier, as well as the surrounding landscape."

"This informed the main concept and inspired the idea of a 360-degree experience," he added.

Fronted by a paved courtyard, the two-storey centre has a tiered wooden structure, which has been lined with glazed openings and rhythmic columns.

Dorte Mandrup prioritised the use of reclaimed building materials for the structure, using upcycled hardwood for the centre's solar screening, along with the use of 203 mooring posts to construct its canopy.

This exterior is also intended to weather over time to get a silver-grey patina that mimics the harbour's existing wooden structures.

"The choice of materiality evolved alongside the building itself, shaped by the conditions of the time," Pilemand said.

"During the development of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre, the Netherlands experienced a paradigm shift in construction practices, with an increased focus on and commitment to circularity and material reuse."

"This context informed material decisions throughout the building," he continued.

Inside, the Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre opens up into a spacious reception hall where large steps that double as seating space lead to the upper floors.

From here, visitors ascend through the exhibition spaces, which include a "seal wing" and glass openings that allow visitors insight into the laboratories.

The studio also recently completed a Danish crafts college using a palette of exposed brick and timber.

Elsewhere, Schulz and Schulz designed a concrete museum connecting a cluster of historic buildings in Germany and ZAO/standardarchitecture has created a snaking concrete art gallery in Hangzhou.

The photography is by Adam Mørk.

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