2.5K 
Swedish city dwellers looking for a break from their daily hustle and bustle have long sought refuge in the country's scenic beauty. Northern Sweden's renowned Treehotel entrenches its guests in the dense forests of Lapland, emphasizing the calming qualities of the environment that are often drowned out in city life. Responding to the facility's growing popularity, the hotel has expanded its treetop nests from six to seven, with a new Snøhetta-designed room adding another dimension to the experience.
Inconspicuous in its form and materiality, the 7th Room hovers ten metres above the ground, as a tree pierces a suspended netted terrace. Its elevation permits the user to enjoy views across the forest, with sightlines to the Lule River. As the individual approaches the cabin, the structure's hidden elements become visible. When standing directly underneath, the building's bottom presents a 12x8-metre black and white print of trees reaching for the sky. Access to the cabin is provided by a staircase, while personal luggage is transported in a small elevator.
A dozen supporting legs hold up the structure, giving it a sense of weightlessness and height. By virtue of its traditional Nordic building materials, the facade is maintenance free. The burnt pine boards that shelter the room evoke a natural aura that seamlessly blend in with its earthly surroundings. Ash wood flooring, birch plywood walls, and wooden furniture creates a blonder Nordic aesthetic on the interior.
The 55-square-metre space contains two skylight-punctured bedrooms, a bathroom, a social lounge, and an airy terrace, with the intention of accommodating up to five guests. Though these areas are split between two levels, only 30 centimetres separate them, minimizing the visual impact of the building while maximizing space and playfulness. Described by Snøhetta as a "celebration of Nordic cabin and the pine tree forest," the 7th Room brilliantly blurs the lines between the indoors and outdoors, encouraging a respectful interaction between humans and nature.
Other rooms within the Treehotel take on a variety of forms and designs. The camouflaged Bird's Nest, the house-like Blue Cone, the exotic UFO, the reflective Mirrorcube, the capsule-shaped Cabin, and their largest, The Dragonfly, are the remaining six rooms in the complex.
