Two Pinecone-Shaped Tree Houses Hidden In The Italian Alps
An amazing mountain retreat from Malborghetto Valbruna, in Italy, just got two new additions. They’re nothing like the usual house extension and they don’t look like cabins at all. They’re something completely different and unique: two tree houses that look like giant pine cones. The project is called Pigna and was completed by Architetto Beltrame Claudio in 2017.
The concept phase for these unusual retreats was developed in 2014 for an architectural competition but it was only two years after that it all started to take shape. The project is now complete and the two tree houses can be rented by the retreat’s guests in search for a unique experience. You can find them in the Italian Alps, in the country’s oldest forest, hidden among spruce trees.
They may look small and compact from a distance but each tree houses offers a total of 70 square meters of living space. They’re organized on three levels, each with its own distinct function. The ground floor is actually four meters above ground and functions as a covered terrace. The middle floor is the social area and includes a lounge space, the kitchen and a terrace. A staircase offers access to the top floor where the bedroom is situated.
The tree houses are designed to look like giant pinecones and this helps them blend into their surroundings and look like a natural part of the landscape. They’re constructed entirely out of wood, being covered with shingles and featuring large windows and sliding doors as well as an amazing skylight at the very top.
The interior is very cozy and welcoming, featuring wood on the walls, ceilings and floors, wooden stairs, animal skin rugs and custom furniture designed to seamlessly blend rustic and modern. The ambiance is very warm and casual but also refined and sophisticated in a simplistic way. The decor is full of texture and earthy, natural colors and finishes and complement each other harmoniously. The most amazing space of all would have to be the bedroom which has a dome-like ceiling and a round skylight above its bed.