Belvedere

Belvedere at Kielder Water, by the Architects Softroom, was the very first piece commissioned as part of the Art and Architecture Trail, that now numbers 17 sculptures and 23 pieces of architecture, in 1999. It was designed to offer shelter for walkers and is also used as a waiting point for the nearby ferry landing.

Belvedere is small but perfectly formed. A truncated triangle shape, clad in stainless steel, it reflects its surroundings and almost blends totally into the landscape. You enter through a doorway beneath a yellow tinted glass canopy, which provides an added dimension to the light within the space, and can sit and watch the Osprey hunt over the reservoir (as we were lucky enough to do on our visit) or just lose yourself in the view through the long, narrow panoramic window.

The sides of the triangle are flat and reflect the surrounding forest almost perfectly, while the front is curved in multiple directions giving the reflections an almost surreal quality as the forest bends and twists its shape. You can see Belvedere from the southern shore of Kielder Water, it is usually visible as the sun glints off it, although it is around a 4 mile walk to it from the Hawkhope Car Park by the dam. It is worth the walk though as it's a beautiful piece of architecture.

In 2000, Belvedere won a series of architectural awards including the RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize (which celebrates new architectural talent), a RIBA Award, the Royal Fine Arts Commission Jeu d'Esprit Building of the Year and was also shortlisted for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.

While it is a bit of a hike to get to, if you don't take the occasional ferry which lands nearby, it is a lovely place to sit and relax, watching the view change. Each time you visit you will no doubt get a different view of it as the surrounding landscape and weather changes, making it an endlessly fascinating building. Certainly, it is one of my favourites.

We will leave you with the words of the judges at the Royal Institute of British Architects, who said of it;

“We have never seen anything like this. It is rare to see such a genuinely original piece of architecture. It is a beautiful folly.”