The Esbjerg Maritime Center – designed by Snơhetta and WERK Arkitekter and recently opened – is a water sports center located on the coast of Esbjerg, Denmark.

On an artificial island, the wooden-clad project celebrates the maritime traditions of the Danish town, with the aim of bringing together different water sports clubs (such as rowing, kayaking, and diving) in one place, well connected to the mainland and protected from changing tides.

The upper floor of the building houses spaces for sport-clubs, training facilities, an educational center, and a public terrace. The openings on the terrace help to illuminate the lower floor, which instead contains a boathouse and a workshop area, with direct access to the sea.

According to Snøhetta, the circular shape symbolically combines the different activities housed in the building and creates an attractive space on all sides. The project, in fact, aims to become a center of social gathering for the whole area, similar to a lit lantern on the water at night.