TRAKT FOREST HOTEL
Floating among the tree canopy of Sällehägnad you’ll find a new boutique hotel - Trakt Forest. This rural retreat is not only in the woods but of the woods, constructed from the pines that were cleared to make way for 5 guest cabins.
Drawn by studio founder Gert Wingårdh and architect Sara Helder of Wingårdhs Arkitekter. The hotel was conceived as a series of “floating rooms” perched on stilts which minimize their impact on the forest ground below. Locally-sourced tactile timbers dominate the aesthetic inside and out, with tawny pine blending into their leafy surrounds and the interiors featuring knotted pine underfoot.
I was commissioned to photograph Trakt Forest hotel for the owners just after it was complete, comprising of 5 guest cabins in Småland, Sweden. I approached each image in a way I felt would lead the viewer through the forest. I stayed in one of the cabins for 3 days, watching all 5 buildings from dusk till dawn. I like to experience buildings in different lights. In this case, it was the early light that brought out the magic of the forest, with the light trickling through onto the wood facades.
Wood is the material of the future. It stands out from all other construction materials; it is renewable, organic, eco-friendly, and climate-smart; affected by daylight, temperature and humidity. Similar in size to Belgium, some 50% of the southern Swedish region of Småland is covered by forest.
wood forest
Prefabricated architectural concept by architect Emelie Holmberg. I photographed the first made situated in unspoiled woodlands on the island of Väddö, Sweden.
It grew out of a realization of changing living and working patterns partly precipitated by the pandemic. Pre-Covid, Emelie had dreamt of a more flexible lifestyle facilitated by technology, allowing her to work remotely wherever she chose, so long as she had internet access.
This partly sparked the idea for Gimme Shelter, which began life as a concept for her own self-build, low-cost home. The project comprises two structures. One measures 32 sq m and contains a living room, kitchen, and bathroom; the other occupies 10sq m and houses a bedroom.
GIMME SHELTER
I was commissioned to photograph Trakt Forest hotel for the owners just after it was complete, comprising of 5 guest cabins in Småland, Sweden. I approached each image in a way I felt would lead the viewer through the forest. I stayed in one of the cabins for 3 days, watching all 5 buildings from dusk till dawn. I like to experience buildings in different lights. In this case, it was the early light that brought out the magic of the forest, with the light trickling through onto the wood facades. Wood is the material of the future. It stands out from all other construction materials; it is renewable, organic, eco-friendly, and climate-smart; affected by daylight, temperature and humidity. Similar in size to Belgium, some 50% of the southern Swedish region of Småland is covered by forest. Floating among the tree canopy of Sällehägnad you’ll find a new boutique hotel - Trakt Forest. This rural retreat is not only in the woods but of the woods, constructed from the pines that were cleared to make way for 5 guest cabins. Drawn by studio founder Gert Wingårdh and architect Sara Helder of Wingårdhs Arkitekter. The hotel was conceived as a series of “floating rooms” perched on stilts which minimize their impact on the forest ground below. Locally-sourced tactile timbers dominate the aesthetic inside and out, with tawny pine blending into their leafy surrounds and the interiors featuring knotted pine underfoot.
BY JAMES SILVERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
