The third-largest national park in one of Europe’s greenest country, Kemeri is a stunning and eclectic mix of forests, lakes, swamps and ancient raised bogs. Situated just a 1-hour train ride from Latvia’s capital, Riga, the park is home to a wide range of fauna including rare birds like the black stork, as well as moose, deer, elk, foxes, wolves, and wild cattle and horses. These were all reintroduced into this unique ecosystem with some help from the World Wildlife Fund.
The park is crisscrossed with a large network of wooden boardwalks and nature paths that allow visitors to explore the natural wonders up close. It offers visitors a chance to explore the bog and its inhabitants, taking them through the natural world of moss, small pine trees, deep pools, tiny dark lakes, all enveloped in the smell of wild rosemary.
For the Kemeri National Park Observation Tower competition, participants are tasked with designing a new tower that will allow visitors to view and experience the Kemeri Bog in a new way. Its main purpose should be to provide a new viewpoint to visitors, especially those with disabilities that are less able to enjoy the national park up close. As such the observation tower must have disabled access included throughout the entirety of its functioning.
As the Latvia Nature Conservation Agency has expressed an interest in the construction of this tower, designs will need to be both in keeping with the look and purpose of the national park, while having the potential to become an iconic landmark in its own right.
