A Tubular Steel Cabin Cantilevers Above a Lush Hillside in Russia

In the Kaluga region of Russia, architect Sergey Kuznetsov has created a mirrored metal cabin that perches above the landscape like a massive telescope. Kuznetsov designed the retreat for the Archstoyanie Festival (sometimes referred to as Russia’s Burning Man), which takes place at Nikola-Lenivets Art Park.

Clad in stainless steel that reflects its wild and verdant setting, the tubular home features a large, round door that opens to a covered terrace. "The reflective quality of the stainless steel helps the home blend with, and disappear in, nature from some points of view, making it very connected to nature," Kuznetsov says. "At the same time, it’s manmade and opposite to nature. This creates an interesting binary and pushes people to think." 

The home’s shiny cladding also offers structural benefits. "We needed something that could be produced in a factory, like they do with airplane or ship building," Kuznetsov says. "And, of course, our goal was to create a home that cantilevers, and this was easier to achieve with stainless steel."