Treehouses- those little follies that capture our imagination- universally acknowledged as places of fun and adventure. Now these childhood fantasies are starting to become architects’ realities- real, credible architecture. What started out as a need for shelter and a view over the earth in ancient civilisations, has become a bit of a trend for architects and craftsmen in the past 10 or 15 years. This book offers a tour de force of 50 of the most remarkable tree houses from across the world, compiled by architecture writer Philip Jodidio. He finds that a number of highly trained and competent designers have made this their speciality, transforming a children’s playhouse into teahouses, restaurants and hotels.
Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Air
By: Philip Jodidio
Taschen
352 pp, £44.99
Teahouse Tetsu by Terunobu Fujimori – Hokuto City, Japan. Image: Akihisa Masuda via TASCHEN
The Teahouse Tetsu can now be found at the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum, Hokuto City, Japan.
The UFO by Inredningsgruppen at Treehotel – Harads, Sweden. Image: Inredningsgruppen via TASCHEN
This hovering UFO in Harads, Sweden has one double bed and two childrens beds.
The Mirrorcube by Tham & Videgård at Treehotel – Harads, Sweden. Image: Åke E:son Lindman via TASCHEN
This mirrored treehouse hotel is designed to accommodate two people, with a double bed, living room, bathroom and terrace. The 4x4x4 metre box opened in 2010 near the small village of Harads in Sweden. The exterior facade reflects the surrounding forest to create a camouflaged refuge.
Free Spirit Spheres by Tom Chudleigh – British Columbia, Canada. Image: Tom Chudleigh via TASCHEN
This sphere is tethered between three trees in a forest, leaving no ecological footprint. They can also be tied in between buildings. Spheres are accessed by a spiral stairway and short suspension bridges that are also hung from and tied between trees.
Bialsky Tree House by Michael Ince – Bridgehampton, New York. Image: Pete Nelson via TASCHEN
