It's rare to see a top-tier firm like Snøhetta design a project as whimsical as a treehouse, but if the 7th Room treehouse is anything to go by, perhaps it should happen more often. Raised 10 m (32 ft) above a forest floor in Swedish Lapland on 12 thin columns, the luxury treehouse lets visitors sleep out under the stars on a netted terrace.
Access to the treehouse is gained by a long staircase, but there's also a handy luggage elevator. Inside, a total floorspace of 55 sq m (592 sq ft) is split between two bedrooms, a bathroom and a lounge area. The latter boasts floor-to-ceiling glazing facing the north, and is referred to as the "Northern Light Lounge" because of the views of the aurora borealis that can be enjoyed when conditions are right.
The treehouse's most interesting feature is definitely its outdoor terrace though, which is accessed from a large glass door in the lounge area. Consisting of a double-layered net spanning the gap between the two bedrooms, it has a pine tree growing through its center. Hardy types are encouraged to grab a sleeping bag and spend the night out there. For those who'd rather stargaze in comfort, skylights are installed in the bedrooms.
Envisioned as a take on a traditional Nordic cabin, the treehouse's facade is clad in dark burnt pine boards. The indoor flooring is ash, while the interior walls are finished in birch plywood. The structure's underside sports a black-and-white print of trees.
The 7th Room is the latest addition to Treehotel, a boutique hotel in Sweden's far north, near the arctic circle, that's made up of interesting treehouses designed by some of Scandinavia's leading architects.
Source: Snøhetta