Berlin-based architect Sigurd Larsen has finished the first of a charming cluster of cabins set amid a forest canopy in his homeland of Denmark. Located on a peninsula that juts out into the country's longest fjord, the freshly opened Løvtag Hotel lifts its guests high up into the trees, and offers uninterrupted views of the surrounds by way of a rooftop terrace.
The cabins making up the Løvtag Hotel will number nine in all, and are to be built on a hilltop amongst deciduous-evergreen mixed forest with views over a nearby meadow. Larsen opted for locally sourced larch when selecting timber for the exterior, mindful of creating an aesthetic that blended in naturally with the environment.
"We used local untreated wood that will acquire a beautiful patina over the years," Larsen explains to New Atlas. "We hope the facade will end up with a similar hue as all the surrounding the tree trunks, as they get exposed to the same weather. And then we built it well and solid so it can last for many years. Short-term thinking is the biggest sin in terms of sustainability in architecture. We don't want to produce trash."
This theme of honoring the cabins' forest home continues on the inside in rather dramatic fashion. Each of the cabins is built around a large old pine tree that enters through the floor, exits through the ceiling and continues on toward the canopy overhead. This is more about creating a connection with nature than structural integrity, with steel pillars in place to support the weight of the cabins.
"From the beginning we wanted the tree trunk that grows though the house to be the highlight," Larsen tells us. "It's very meditative to sit in the bed and watch it move slowly in the wind. The rest of the interior is kept much brighter and desaturated to let the rough surface of the tree trunk stand out."
The cabins' design is inspired by Nordic minimalism, an architectural style defined by simplicity and function. The proximity to the Mariager Fjord as well as the sea makes hiking, fishing and biking options for recreation time, with deer, rabbits and pheasants among the wildlife-spotting possibilities.
Each of the cabins has a kitchen with running water, electricity and plumbing and is designed to sleep four, with panoramic windows offering generous views of the surrounding greenery. The (fenced) rooftop terrace is accessed by an internal ladder that Larsen says creates the impression that you are climbing "the tree to reach the canopy," while an outdoor shower offers another way to freshen up and take it all in.
The first of the cabins is now open, with the others soon to follow. If you fancy more of a look at the beginnings of the Løvtag Hotel, there are plenty of images in the gallery.
Source: Sigurd Larsen