Architects
Bird´s Nest and UFO
Inredningsgruppen, Bertil Harström – experienced interior architect, wood and tree lover, whose motto is “bloom where you are planted”
“The individuality of the different tree rooms is an important part of Treehotel’s success. As architects, we consciously worked independently of each other, to create unique solutions of our own, whilst all aiming for environmentally friendly rooms, usable all year round. I chose a child’s perspective and created a bird’s nest and a UFO. My close collaboration with Kent and Britta also resulted in a number of auxiliary buildings. These are not meant to compete with the hotel rooms, but rather be quiet éminences grises. Treehotel means a lot to me. Harads has become somewhat of my second home.”
Dragonfly
Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson - prominent architects from Finland and Iceland
”This was a very interesting project, with the concept of using living trees as part of the architecture. Maybe the most interesting was to meet Kent and Britta, their vision, life and work, we were also very satisfied with the local craftmansship.
When we created Dragonfly we were thinking of balancing in the air, trying to use materials and colors that communicate with the forest around. The view was the main thing. It is great to be able to reach the windows all the way down to the floor without loosing privacy, high up in trees.”
Mirrorcube
Tham & Videgård, Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård – Designers of public buildings, residential buildings, offices, houses and furniture
"We had an incredibly enjoyable journey, using the duality of man’s relationship with nature as our starting point and creating an abstract mirage. Mirrorcube made its way onto the cover of Architectural Record, the world’s largest architecture magazine, and quickly went viral, appearing on CNN amongst other media forums. It is one of our most high-profile projects and has spawned several successors, in the fields of both art and architecture. A clear example of how architecture, regardless of its scale, can create new opportunities and influence contemporary society."
7th Room
Snøhetta, Norway – more than 200 architects, landscape and interior architects, product designers and graphic designers, in more than 30 countries
"The 7th Room is an interdisciplinary project where architecture, landscape and interiors complete and support each other. We wanted to create a wooden tree room, where the location played a central role. We would like visitors to feel that they are part of the forest, high up amongst the pine crowns, with a majestic view of the surroundings and the spectacular northern lights. The project also alludes to the stark contrasts of natural light in northern Sweden, with the dark facade contrasting with the bright interior."
Blue Cone
Sandellsandberg, Thomas Sandell – developing everything from products to cities
"After one of our fishing trips on the Kola Peninsula, where we first had the idea, we invited a couple of architect friends to try one idea each. I took it upon myself to design an accessible room, with a long, sloping ramp for wheelchairs and a larger bathroom. At first, I envisioned a bright, blue building, but on one of the site inspections I spotted a bright red panelboard used in construction, shining beautifully against the snowy backdrop. I therefore went with red instead of blue. Just like Ragnar Östbergs Blue Hall, the main hall of the Stockholm City Hall, which never became blue as planned, but remains red to this day."
Cabin
Cyrén & Cyrén – brothers and architects Mårten and Gustav Cyrén
"Practically everyone gets a dreamy look in their eyes when we tell them about this project. Maybe Treehotel takes us back to the childhood dream of a treehouse amongst the treetops. This is a ‘hands-on’ project where the measurements between trees, the sloping of the ground and the capability of the cranes have all played a defining part. What is fun and interesting is that these circumstances have added to, rather than limited, the initial idea, and refined the end result. With The Cabin, we wanted to create something for families, without ladders and stairs, where you can enjoy the view from your bed."
Biosphere
BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group - a group of architects, designers, urbanists, landscape professionals, interior and product designers, researchers and inventors based in Copenhagen, New York, Shenzhen, London and Barcelona
"I got to spend a few days and nights in some of the Treehotels rooms right before the pandemic, and left with a sense of rejuvenation from complete immersion into nature. I couldn’t help wondering if there was a way to take the immersion one step further – and almost instantly the idea of inviting not only the human visitors but also the resident bird and bat population to cohabit a spherical swarm of nests came to life.
We designed our addition to the Treehotel – the Biosphere - to create a unique experience for hotel guests, which takes inspiration from the qualities of the surrounding forest and absorbs them into the interior. The ecological response is the driver behind the architectural expression, helping to create a positive environmental impact."
