Cozy Alpine Cabins Surrounded By Extraordinary Beauty

Sometimes when you’re stuck in traffic or when you’re surrounded by kids yelling and loud people you probably just wish you could teleport yourself far away in the middle of the mountains where you could sit in a quiet cabin and just enjoy the silence and the view. So where exactly would you go if that were possible and what type of cabin would you prefer? These might look like silly questions but we actually put a lot of thought into offering you a list of alpine shelters that actually look irresistible.

This cabin in Skuta

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Placed in Skuta, an area with extreme alpine climate, this shelter is the result of the collaboration between OFIS Architects, AKT II and Harvard GSD Students. It was completed in 2015 and it’s a really cozy cabin that somehow manages to be practical while also looking outstanding. The climate conditions in the mountains raised a few design challenges but the collaborators managed to come up with a design that can withstand everything nature throws at it. If you ever want to get away from everything, you can find this cabin in Slovenia.

This Alpine cabin cantilevered from a cliff

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

OFIS Architects also designed this extraordinary cabin at the Slovenian-Italian border. The shelter cantilevers over the edge of the mountain and really puts your senses to a try. No worries though. This thing was designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and to deal with the topographic challenges of the site. The view from Mount Kanin is extraordinary and this is definitely the best place to enjoy it from.

This woodland cabin

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

If the extreme weather conditions at the top of mountains aren’t really your idea of a relaxing environment, then perhaps you’d enjoy more to spend some time in the middle of a forest and to listen to nature and get inspired. If that’s the case, you’d a place like this timber cabin designed by Raumhochrosen in Austria. It’s called Tom’s Hut and it’s a cozy retreat for his owner who’s a life coach and a songwriter.

The Clara cabin

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

The region of New Hampshire in the United States can be a really charming and relaxing one when you get to enjoy it from inside a splendid cabin such as Clara. It’s definitely small measuring only 160 square feet but it was designed to be multifunctional and really comfortable. Its wooden interior and black exterior are a stylish match. The cabin was designed in 2015 by Wyatt Komarin, Addison Godine and Rachel Moranis.

Cabin Vindheim

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Norway is a very beautiful country known for its incredible views and minimalist cabins. One of them is cabin Vindheim which is located in Lillehammer. It was built here by Vandehaugen in 2016 and it occupies an area of 65 square meters. You can find it deep in the forest, surrounded by conifer trees and views of mountains. Since there’s a lot of snow here, the design was inspired by classic snowbound cabins which have only their roofs showing through the snow.

A Little House on the Ferry

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

In spite of what the name suggests, the Little House on the Ferry is actually a set of three micro cabins all connected by outdoor decks. They’re situated on an island off the coast of Maine called Vinalhaven and they were a project by GO Logic. Can you picture yourself here yet? Check out the interior. It’s modern, with fireplaces, comfortable seats and large windows and the décor is simple and chic.

Refugi Lieptgas

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Lieptgas is a region in Switzerland and it’s where Selina Walder and Georg Nickisch built a cozy cabin back in 2012. It occupies a site which once used to be occupied by a wooden shelter with an adjacent stable. The new design is modern but still rooted into nature and with a strong connection to the forest. Instead of wood, however, this time the walls are made of concrete.

Antoine

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Look at it from a distance and all you’ll see will be a big rock. Get closer and it will reveal its secret. What looks like a rock is actually a small wooden cabin for one hidden inside a concrete shell shaped like a rock. It’s the perfect place to hide in if you want solitude, peace and quiet. In addition to all those things you’ll also get to admire the wonderful views of the mountains. This was a project by Bureau A.

The Signal Shed

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Located close to the Eagle Cap Wilderness Preserve in Oregon, US, the Signal Shed was built in 2008 by Ryan Lingard Design and is meant to serve as a temporary home or retreat. It sits on a series of pier footings and it has a close relationship with its surroundings which the designers tried to respect as much as possible.

The Rolling Huts

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered


Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Olson Kundig designed the Rolling Huts for a client who wanted a set of accommodations for visiting friends. The idea was to make these low-tech so they could be a sort of upgrade from an RV or a tent but with obviously more comfort. The huts were completed in 2008 and they’re situated in the region of Mazama in the United States. When the owner initially purchased the site the goal then was to allow the meadow to return to its natural state and this desire persisted throughout the project, hence the low-impact design approach.

Arthur’s Cave Cabin

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

This is an award-winning design by Miller Kendrick Architects meant to celebrate the beauty of the Welsh landscape. The cabin was built using locally-sourced materials and has an exterior clad in reclaimed wood and from a distance has a stone-like look similar to a cave. The interior is warm and very cozy and has a very sculptural look. You can rent this place whenever you want to spend some time away from the busy city.

The ARK shelter

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

What’s really great about the ARK shelter is that it’s not linked to any particular location. It’s a mobile home and it can be moved to any desired location which means you can take up in the mountains in winter or place it close to a lake or a forest in summer. Its design is simple and modern, featuring a dark exterior shell and full height windows which let the outdoors in.

The PurePods cabins

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

New Zealand has a lot to offer in terms of landscape and views. A wonderful way to admire them while relaxing indoors is by renting one of these cabins. They’re called PurePods and they’re made of steel and glass. They’re surrounded by nature and they offer all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay. You might want to consider this option for your next off-the-grid adventure.

This cliff-hanging hotel

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

If you have a fear of height this is definitely not the place for you although you would miss out on a unique experience.This is a hotel that’s literary hanging from the side of the cliff in the Swiss Alps. It was a project by Andrii Rozhko and it has its own helipad and a really sculptural facade with huge windows that skylights.

A chapel in the Alps

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Some find peace in the middle of the woods and some like to visit a chapel to refresh their mind and soul. If you think you’re part of the second category then have a look at this unique Catholic chapel found in the Swiss Alps. It was designed by Joaquim Portela Arquitetos and it reaches towards the sky to capture the light and let it filter through an angled skylight. There are no other windows except for the entrance opening.

A museum in the Alps

Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered
Messner Mountain Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects Cantilevered

Would you expect to find a museum at the top of an Alpine peak. Probably not and that’s one of the things that makes this one so intriguing. The museum is situated on Mount Kronplatz and was designed by Zaha Hadid. It has underground galleries and a viewing platform that cantilevers over a valley. You can visit the Messner Mountain Museum Corones at an altitude of 2.275 meters above sea level in South Tyrol, Italy.