Tverrfjellhytta: A Reindeer Observatory by Snohetta
This project came to mind as I’ve been thinking about animal enclosures. This project is something of an inversion of the typical architecture used to view animals, in that the people inhabit the box rather than the animals. It’s also a nice deployment of computer modeling, delivering something material sensual that really puts the power of complex curvature to good use. The simple geometry is unapologetically architectural, but the smooth contours offer a playful dialogue with the landscape. There is a woody cabin in the harsh landscape narrative that is hard to deny, although this is one that is explicitly points the viewer out at a horizon rather than focusing inward on the condition of shelter. In any case, the occasion for occupation is the animals. The building allows people to have that slightly voyeuristic wildlife viewing experience while maintaing a respectful distance. The architecture is the mediator, both segregating and connecting.
