Treehotel
Does it sound tempting to find yourself in a dreamy little plot up in the trees, connecting with your peaceful environment? Treehotel in Sweden is a series of individually designed modern treehouses which provide a whimsical form of shelter for your next touristic escapade. They are half observatory, half shelter; gently offering their inhabitants both the view and the real, wild feeling of the curvaceous forests of Sweden, taking you deeper into their macrocosm. Stepping into Treehotel’s world is a holistic experience. Once you are there, you get a primordial feeling – as though you are at the heart of life.
The location is obvious. Standing proud in the midst of twisted wood branches, Treehotel is nestled in Harads, a small village in the north of Sweden. They expect to build a total of twenty four tree-rooms by the end of 2012.
The creators of Treehotel are visual alchemists and the story of this mystical hotel is certainly not serendipitous. The great names behind this quest are some of Scandinavia’s leading architects. Together with Britta and Lindvall, a couple of genuine tree lovers, they created, from scratch, the Tree Hotel, with the intention of bringing tourism closer to forestry.
The initial concept was to engage the tourists (or alternatively, the human birds) with the landscape. The hotel invites you to experience the natural world from a new perspective, offering services and amenities at a level you would expect to see in the most contemporary Scandinavian hotels. Britta´s Pensionat works as the reception of the hotel, where visitors are welcomed and offered food and drinks.
The tree-rooms are split up over the woods. As though grown from the trees, they are designed to be both fanciful and functional. Each room is positioned four to six meters above the ground and the fairy-tale effect is heightened by the birds-eye views they offer. The rooms themselves vary in size from 15-30m² and are accessed via retractable stairs. As regards their interior, they feature organic design details such as combustion toilets and water efficient sinks. Apart from the smell of warm wood and the sensation of heated floors, their minimalist decor adds a welcoming dimension to the hotel’s natural ambience.
Our personal favourite room is the ´Mirrorcube´ designed by Than and Vinegård architects, a mirror glass box hung, like a pendant, to a tree trunk. The glass reflects the surrounding beauty but, in order to avoid a clash with any confused birds, has been wrapped with infrared film.
Nowadays, Treehotel has a faithful clientele, which has spread across the Nordic sea, proving once again that the Scandinavians are the masters of cabin making. This hotel, however, demands attention not only for its green architecture and sustainable design, but also because it is a part of the landscape’s future.
Words: Maria Passarivaki
Photo’s: All SUMMER images: Peter Lundstrom, WDO –www.treehotel.se
All WINTER images: Fredrik Broman, Human Spectra - www.treehotel.se
