The Norway-based Canadian architect Todd Saunders was tasked to build Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, the visitor center for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in Stacyville, in the state of Maine. This 734-square-meter building serves as gateway into the premises and pays tribute to the Wabanaki people, among whom are the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot nations.

Tekαkαpimək is a Penobscot word for ‘as far as one can see,’ and the facility is composed of cedarwood volumes that cantilever from a central core to form a cross with an additional arm. A landscaped plaza designed by the firm Reed Hilderbrand connects the entrance to a lookout ans a gathering circle, spots thought out to greet the first rays of the morning sun, in allusion to traditions of the Wabanakis, their name meaning ‘People of the Dawn.’

The building’s firwood-clad interior is bathed in natural light thanks to large windows in every direction which also give views of the forest scenery. The deep curving walls harbor exhibitions on the geography of the region and the history of the tribes, and show works commissioned to indigeneous artists. The same walls provide seating, framed vistas, and exhibition content.

Todo el conocimiento cultural y la propiedad intelectual wabanakis compartidos en este proyecto pertenecen a Wabanaki Nations