Park Pavilion De Hoge Veluwe National Park

Otterlo, NL

Can a pavilion enhance the experience of nature?

Park Pavilion De Hoge Veluwe National Park

The Park Pavilion of De Hoge Veluwe National Park, designed in collaboration with Monadnock, is a striking landmark in the middle of the forest that acts as the base for a day there. The pavilion houses a restaurant, park shop and education and reception areas.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park is not only a 5,400-hectare nature reserve, but also home to the Sint-Hubertus hunting lodge and the Kröller-Müller Museum. Visitors can enjoy nature, art and architecture. The Park Pavilion adds an extra experience. It has been made a natural part of the landscape and the park experience. A large glass façade over the entire length offers a magnificent view of the beautiful surroundings. Behind the glass wall is the central space, a large ‘living room’ with a stylish staircase in the centre and a fireplace at the end.

Above the visitors’ heads, the vaulted ceiling extends the entire length of the space. Nine chandeliers project a magical pattern onto the ceiling, based on an algorithm of the sun shining through the leaves.

data

Location
Otterlo, NL
Size
3.360 m²
Client
Stichting Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe
Discipline
Architecture
Program
Culture, Public Buildings
Period
2012-2019
Status
Completed
Photography
Photography: Stijn Bollaert
Partners
Monadnock
Awards (5)
  • Polis Award
    Communicative Urban Planning
  • IFI Design Distinction Award 2022
    Humanitarian
  • Loop Awards 2021
    Public Buildings & Institutional
  • BNA Beste Gebouw van het jaar
    Identiteit & Icoonwaarde
  • International Architecture Award
    Hospitality

Otterlo

Park Pavilion

De Hoge Veluwe National Park is not only a 5,400-hectare nature reserve, but also home to the Sint-Hubertus hunting lodge and the Kröller-Müller Museum. Park visitors can enjoy a mix of nature, art and architecture. The assignment was to design a reception building for the park, including a restaurant and a shop.

A glass façade offers magnificent views of the surroundings

The starting point for the design was that the building should become a natural part of the landscape and should add an experience to the park. Located in a clearing in the heart of the park, from a distance the pavilion’s roof shape it is reminiscent of a country house.

Just like the building itself, the interior makes a connection with the surrounding landscape. When visitors enter the high space with its curved walls, there’s a big surprise: the glass wall offering an ever-changing view of the Veluwe scenery.

The rustic atmosphere is enhanced by the use of natural materials