A lofty project in terms of both architecture and altitude, the Treehotel opens this Saturday, July 17th. So far, the hotel consists of four rooms, each located in a separate building suspended in the canopy of the lush and pristine Boreal forest. The four units that will be ready this weekend are the Cabin, the Blue Cone, the Nest and the Mirrorcube, each designed by a different architect to be completely unique. The owners of the hotel have plans for a total of 24 rooms designed by 24 architects within five years time. Two more rooms – the UFO and the Room With a View, will be completed this October before darkness descends for the winter season.
The Mirrorcube is a prefabricated cube accessed via a ladder that runs straight up from the ground into the heart of the unit. As one might suspect from the name, the Mirrorcube is completely encased in mirrored walls that reflect the surrounding forest, allowing the structure to blend into the environment.
The Blue Cone, which is actually painted red, utilizes traditional wood construction techniques with a facade of split birch and rests on three supports in the trees. The Bird’s Nest, which is aptly named, is a circular room built high on stilts that is accessed via a retractable staircase. The Cabin is another prefabricated structure built on a steep slope accessed via a footbridge that has beautiful views of the valley of the Lule River below.
Along with their commitment to the Boreal Forest, the Treehotel is working to maintain the hotel with environmentally-friendly practices and keep the construction as green as possible. Each room features an eco-friendly incineration toilet and a water-efficient hand basin. The basin is called a a “Rukkomoinika” and is filled up with 3 liters of water each day, stopped with a plug, and used for washing hands and brushing teeth.
The hotel will be open year-round with both winter and summer activities available for guests centered around exploring the surrounding environs. The founders of the hotel sought to keep the area as pristine as possible and therefore they are not offering activities which could degrade the environment, like snowmobile tours. Charmingly, the motto of Treehotel is “feel free in a tree”.
Via Cubeme
