Danish practice AART Architects have won an international design competition to create Denmark’s Rowing Stadium; a new venue for both the public and elite athletes that will be situated on Bagsværd Lake, outside of Copenhagen.

The concept behind the studio’s winning design – which will be surrounded by water and forest on all sides – is that the “classical disciplines of rowing intersect with other forms of leisure.”

“It is much more than a rowing stadium,” AART said in a statement. “It’s a sports centre that mixes various kinds of sports with social and scenic experiences. It shows that sport – for the elite and the public – is not just about strength and stamina, but also social well-being and mental health.”

The focal point of the complex will be an open rowing centre from which athletes and members of the public alike can train, attend workshops, socialise and sign up for a variety of sports and activities. This tiered structure, clad in timber, will extend from the stadium’s boat house. The semi-transparent facade will “reveal its life to the surroundings”, while also providing a transition between the expansive view over the lake and the denser area of forest.

“The sloping landscape flows through the building and opens it up internally,” said the architects. “When moving around inside the building, one thereby has the sense of being situated in the field of tension between the lake and the forest – for example, both the foyer and the boat hall offer views into the forest and across the lake.”

The public will be encouraged to use the large ‘activity space’ surrounding the centre, in addition to a promenade square in front of the boat hall and a long stretch of nearby public parkland.

A referee tower will also be constructed for the stadium, featuring an integrated climbing wall and pull-up bars for outdoor training. Designed to be a landmark for the lake and the new facility, the sculptural structure will resemble one of the forest’s soaring trees; using vertical wooden slats to create an affinity with the rowing centre and to contrast with the horizontal lines of the spectator stands.

AART Architects are enjoying something of a hot streak in design competitions. Last year they won a prestigious commission to expand the Viking Age Museum in Oslo, Norway – one of the country’s most popular museums – with a bold, circular design.

AART Architects win design competition with bold vision for Oslo Viking Age Museum