Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula is home to some spectacular scenery, and those looking to take in the sights of this coastal pocket of southern Australia can now do so from a luxurious set of pavilions built to blend in with the landscape.
Constructed in the 1960s, Freycinet Lodge was originally a cluster of 60 cabins set into the hills overlooking Great Oyster Bay in Freycinet National Park. A recent renewal project saw local architecture firm Liminal Studio brought in to design nine new pavilions that complement the site.
The firm's response was a set of undulating guesthouses that both blend into the hilly landscape and open it right up to those inside. Curvy, double-glazed floor-to-ceiling windows offer views across the bay from inside the pavilions, which feature a bedroom with king-sized bed, living space and bathroom with a walk-in shower.
Those windows also open up onto a decking made from locally sourced grey gum, complete with a private outdoor bath. Instead of a boring old balustrade, netted hammocks have been used around the edges of the decking to both leave the magnificent views uninterrupted and create a nice place to hang out.
The exterior of the pavilions is clad in charred red ironbark, with the charring serving a practical use in preserving the timber. But it is also meant to have a historical meaning as an acknowledgement of the role that fire plays in shaping the Australian bush.
The materials inside are also intended to honor the coastal landscape, with the oranges, greys and blacks a reference to the granite rocks of the area. The absence of right angles is in keeping with the smooth and curvy theme, while the interior walls crafted from offcuts of Tasmanian oak of random length and thickness add a jagged edge to the picture.
The Freycinet Lodge Coastal Pavilions opened their doors in March, with prices for two people starting at AU$549 (US$407) per night.
Source: Liminal Studio