The Tower Studio by Saunders Architecture is a sculptural silhouette jutting out of a stretch of rocky coastline in Shoal Bay, Fogo Island, in Newfoundland. The Norwegian practice, based in Bergen, has had a stream of these little follies and studios spread around the architectural press recently. This art studio, part of a project by the Fogo Island Arts Corporation, takes the form of a quizzical black tower twisting upwards from the craggy landscape. Completely secluded, the tower can only be reached by hiking along the coastline from the nearby village or by walking along a narrow raised boardwalk. One of the reasons why this boardwalk is so thin, a mere twelve inches wide, is to minimise disturbance to the surrounding bog during construction. The small building is clad in painted black slate with white stained spruce boards for the south-facing entry area. Once inside, three levels are revealed; a kitchenette on the ground floor, a studio on the second floor with every artists’ much sought after Northern light, and a mezzanine above with a slanted glass roof to view the misty landscape. Apparently the walls are slightly slanted so visitors can lean against them for moonlit stargazing, truly made for artists’ dreams!
