Trakt Forest Hotel by Wingårdhs floats among the tree canopy in Sweden's Sällehägnad. Set among rich woods in the country's southern province of Småland, the project was composed with simplicity in mind. Engulfing the visitor in nature, offering straightforward, sustainable architecture, this is a hotel that places the forest experience at the heart of its identity.
The project, led by studio founder Gert Wingårdh and architect Sara Helder, is composed of five suites set in cabins that have been raised on stilts, seemingly hovering above the forest floor. ‘By elevating the buildings, the suites get closer to the treetops and leave the ground untouched. It gives a feeling of being in between. Present,' the architects explain.
The timber volume of each cabin has been conceived to maximise the guests’ connection with the surrounding woods. Openings were carefully placed to frame various views – towards the leafy context, but also upwards, towards the sky that peeks through the foliage. ‘The one over the bed is the key to make you feel the soothing sensation of watching tall pine trees sway in the wind. That, together with an intimate and frugal inside décor in chlorophyll green, strengthens the experience of being invisible in the middle of a deep Swedish forest,' the architecture team adds.
Leaning into their commitment to an eco-friendly approach, the architects constructed the cabins using locally sourced timber, covering the façade in gently cut, but still raw, pine wood. The dig was kept to an absolute minimum, ensuring a gentle footprint for this Swedish hotel, which hopes to leave its natural context as untouched as possible for both the guests' enjoyment and the local ecosystem's sake and future preservation.
-
A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to the Tate Modern next yearTate’s 2026 programme includes 'Frida: The Making of an Icon', which will trace the professional and personal life of countercultural figurehead Frida Kahlo
-
Stay at Nujuma, a forward-facing sanctuary in the Red Sea regionNujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, sets the bar high as one of Saudi Arabia’s ultra-luxury destinations
-
Pierre Yovanovitch’s set and costumes bring a contemporary edge to Korea National Opera in SeoulFrench interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch makes his second operatic design foray, for The Marriage of Figaro in Seoul
-
‘Close to solitude, but with a neighbour’: Furu’s cabins in the woods are a tranquil escapeTaking its name from the Swedish word for ‘pine tree’, creative project management studio Furu is growing against the grain
-
Stockholm Wood City: inside the extraordinary timber architecture projectStockholm Wood City is leading the way in timber architecture; we speak to the people behind it to find out the who, what, why and how of the project
-
A bold new water tower by White Arkitekter strides across the Swedish landscapeThe Våga Water Tower in Varberg is a monument to civil engineering, a functional concrete sculpture that's designed to last for centuries
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
Explore wood architecture, Paris' new timber tower and how to make sustainable construction look ‘iconic’A new timber tower brings wood architecture into sharp focus in Paris and highlights ways to craft buildings that are both sustainable and look great: we spoke to project architects LAN, and explore the genre through further examples
-
This Stockholm house cascades towards the Swedish seashoreA private Stockholm house by Ström Architects makes the most of its natural setting, while creating a serene haven for its owners
-
Building with bamboo: In Bali, designer, Elora Hardy, shares her tips and experienceBamboo architecture can be powerful and sustainable; here, we talk to Ibuku's Elora Hardy, who shares her tips, thoughts and experience in working with the material in Bali
-
Hermitage Mews is a net-zero family of homes in London’s Crystal PalaceHermitage Mews by Gbolade Design Studio is a sustainable residential complex in south London's Crystal Palace, conceived to be green and contextual
