Location: Östergötland, Sweden.

Architect: Wingårdh Arkitektkontor.

The visitor centre at Tåkern is a quiet architecture, using traditional local materials to break new ground with its crystalline geometry. It is clad in thatch and is connected to a bird-watching tower by boardwalks and a 140-meter-long ramp. An aquarium joins the interior of the visitor centre with the pond next to it, and a few strategically placed generous openings connect the building with its surroundings. The bird-watching tower, inaugurated in 2009, overlooks shovelers, gadwalls, teals, pintails and an old white-tailed eagle.