Gapahuk / Zengarden

PrizeHonorable Mention in Landscape Architecture /
Firm LocationTrondheim, Norway
CompanyBjørnådal Arkitektstudio
Lead ArchitectHans-Petter Bjørnådal
Design TeamTeam Hans-Petter Bjørnådal, Vytautas V. Landsbergis, Šarūnas Savickas, Dovilas Bukauskas, Goda Verikaitė, Corentin Holvoet, Sophie Hazebrouck, Kristė Krupovisovaitė, Viktorija Minčinskaja, Kwai Pun Jordane, Laisvydas Dudutis, Dainius Meškauskas, Leika Mark Noppenau, Silvija Juškelienė, Thullier Ludovic   Organizers Guoda Barduskaite, Šarūnas Savickas
 Local mediator Vytautas V. Landsbergis    Photos Lidija Kaleinikovaite Lina Pilibaviciute
ClientHuman birdhouse workshop
Project Videohttp://

Gapahuk, a Norwegian archetypical design for shelters. provides protection from the rain and wind, give warmth from a fireplace, and face the landscape to connect with nature. The shelters are used for individual meditation or simply to take rest while hiking. 
One feels happy being in nature, breathing clean air and listening to birds. These shelters give an opportunity to get deeper spiritual experience while being in nature, to stop and go inwards in order to relax mind, spirit and body. This helps people to find harmony with others, with the environment, and with oneself.   
The location for Meditation Garden was selected to add a mystical surrounding. The site was next to the swamp. The swamp has low sounds, invisible creatures, and unknown depth, hidden passages used by Lithuanian witches in the past and by partisans during war. It attracts and frightens at the same time. The swamp is very different when fog is going down, and when sun shines upon it. To have the opportunity to sit and meditate in the shelter and to explore the swamp and the growing forest gives an unforgettable experience by connecting with the most magical landscape. Swamps as landscape are frequently used in Lithuanian folklore