Åndalsnes is a small Norwegian city that serves as a gateway to the region’s magnificent fjords — but it’s in need of a makeover. Jagnefält Milton Architecture has proposed a unique way to enliven the city: a hotel that rolls on the many train tracks that connect the town to the outside world. Spotted on designboom, the award-winning concept is a kinetic structure that can take visitors into the heart of the fjords in an environmentally-sensitive fashion. The architects even envision a master plan for an entire town that can move on tracks, spread out during the summer, and huddle close in the winter.
A Rolling Master Plan shows individual portable boxy rooms of various heights and widths that roll through the magnificent countryside to take in the views. The minimalist accommodations consist of small sleeping quarters that open directly to the out-of-doors, allowing tourist to directly experience the natural settings.
The proposal goes further to include a rolling public bath and concert hall — essentially a small resort that can travel along the rails. When winter sets in, the units collect near the town center along the various existing train tracks, adding fresh digs to the small town. The design has an interesting retro feeling, like when railroads in the US would accommodate private cars that would travel across the continent a hundred years ago.
+ Jagnefält Milton Architecture
Via Designboom
This is a beautifully poetic idea. I love the simplicity of forms and the close connection between architecture and landscape. Innovative ideas like this are exactly the type of project that wins prizes in the Holcim Awards. Enter your projects to the Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction. http://bit.ly/a7rwWV