Hermitage in the archipelago
Right next to the ocean, delicately fitted between slabs of exposed rock and blueberry sprigs, lies this building for training and meditation. It’s design stems from the light’s movement across the site, the view towards the water and Japanese carpentry.
The location at the site’s most prominent spot prompted what started out as a basic shed to develop into something more like a well-crafted piece of furniture. From afar it still appears like a common wooden cabin, but approach- ing, it emerges as a Japanese tea house dressed in Nordic camouflage. The detailing becomes visible and the inte- rior can be perceived behind the delicate framework of the sliding screens. A single row of slate stepping stones denotes the entry side together with a generous wooden step that doubles as a bench.
The interior is conceived as a calm and tranquil space to experience and take part of nature from within the shelter of the exterior envelope. Shadow play from the openings makes the passing of the day tangible and the degree of openness or privacy can be regulated through the movable panels on the facade.
The materials are all wood – the most prominent being the external panel painted with brown distemper and the untreated douglas pine veneer of the interior. The floor is made of thermo treated ash with tatami mats and the carpentry is from douglas pine, birch and ash with parts clad in wallpaper and rice paper.
