If you’re ever visiting Slovakia check out the Bjornson hotel from Liptovský Mikuláš, a beautiful town with wonderful dense forests, ski slopes and gorgeous views. In 2020 studio Ark-shelter added a series of new apartments to this hotel but not in the form of a large building but rather a cluster of small individual cabins which are spread around the main building.

The addition to the hotel consists of a cluster of one-sided double cabins

The cabins are facing away from each other so they can all have some privacy but also so that they can take maximum advantage of the beautiful views of the forest and the mountains.

The cabins are raised on stilts and this allows them to have a minimal impact on the landThere’s a bit of diversity in the design of the cabins and some have extra features like small balconies

All the cabins are placed in between the large existing trees which allowed these to be preserved. They’re also all raised on stilts as opposed to sitting on concrete platforms and that makes them even more environmentally friendly by allowing the landscape to flow continuously underneath. Each cabin is made up internally of two independent modules/ apartments. Their interior designs are mirrored and the floor plan includes an entry hall, a living room and bedroom area, a kids’ area and a bathroom. The central wall which divides the two modules can slide open allowing the two modules to connect.

The interior is modern and very simple but also warm and welcomingAll cabins have a glazed facade which exposes them to the beautiful landscapeAll the trees present here were preserved and the cabins were spread out and placed in between themThe dark exterior makes the cabins stand out against the snowy landscape and gives them a modern aestheticThe glazed facades are facing away from each other so each cabin can have a lovely view and plenty of privacyThe extensive use of natural wood inside the cabins makes them feel inviting and cozyThe partition wall which separates each cabin in two can slide open allowing the sections to connectIn addition to the cabins, the architects also added a series of modern saunas