While a series of new glass viewing towers and bridges at tourist sites and parks across the world have captured travelers's attention, Norwegian architecture practice Code decided to take a different route when envisioning a new viewing platform. After winning a contest to design Utsikten, a scenic stopover on Norway's National Tourist Route Gaularfjellet, located near the country's west coast, the firm focused on functionality. The final design, a simple, steep concrete form riffing off the surrounding mountains, is perched 700 meters (roughly 2,300 feet) above the nearby ocean, a difficult site that made construction and moving materials difficult. The slab-like staircase, which includes an amphitheater and rest stop, offers a muscular counterpoint to the surroundings, and a man-made extension to the landscape that's striking without getting in the way. Final touches are being added to the platform, scheduled to open early this summer.
∙ These Photos of the Longest Glass Bridge in the World Might Make You Sick [Curbed]