When designing the Nordic Pavilion in Venice, Sverre Fehn incorporated Nordic architectural elements in unusual ways. One of the most attention-grabbing elements of the building is its laminar roof cover of white concrete, which is broken by trees planted inside the building blocking the sun's rays and filtering the light. Depending on the angle, the roof blades allow visitors to see the colors of the sky and the canopy of the trees, bringing dynamism to the pavilion's lighting and movement. In fact, the use of parallel slats on facades, walls, and roofs is a tradition that comes from Nordic architecture and has spread throughout the world. In this article we will cover some examples that use this element, including its variety of possibilities and the best ways to amplify their effect.
The wooden slats or lamellas generally act as a second layer of the facade, an external cladding that can be both functional and aesthetic. The various possible arrangements of the wood add warmth, coziness, and sophistication to the building, creating rhythm, forming aesthetic volumes, and covering both opaque and transparent parts of the building.
