These Eclectic Pods Nestled in a Chinese Pine Forest Imitate Their Natural Surroundings
Designed by ZJJZ Atelier, the shingle-clad pods—known as The Seeds—provide an off-grid retreat in a lush area in Jiangxi, China.
Designed by ZJJZ Atelier, the shingle-clad pods—known as The Seeds—provide an off-grid retreat in a lush area in Jiangxi, China.
In southeastern China’s Jiangxi province, the woodland Tree Wow hotel added four unique offerings to its portfolio of short-term holiday rentals. Designed by Shanghai–based firm ZJJZ Atelier, the cluster of ellipsoidal cabins are swathed in wooden shingles and mirrored aluminum tiles as a way to echo their natural setting.
The Seeds are a cluster of four cabins designed by Shanghai-based firm ZJJZ Atelier. The pod-like units are part of the Tree Wow hotel complex, which is known for its whimsical retreats in southeastern China’s rural Jiangxi province.
Photo by Fangfang Tiang, courtesy of Tree Wow
While the hotel specifically requested for The Seeds to be inspired by nature, they allowed the firm to have creative freedom while designing the shape of the structures. "Instead of creating merely imitative forms, we focused on developing the spatial experience by establishing the relationship between the structures and their environment," explains ZJJZ Atelier.
"Like the roots of a plant, the reflective cladding anchors each cabin to the earth, while the pine shingles allow the structures to blend into the surrounding nature," explains ZJJZ Atelier.
Photo by Fangfang Tiang, courtesy of Tree Wow
The resulting design of the pod-like cabins differed dramatically from the architects' initial vision. "The structures seemed to rise from another dimension, looking nothing like we had originally planned," says the team at ZJJZ Atelier.
An external staircase provides access to the cabin’s interior, which boasts a similar wood-clad aesthetic.
Photo by Fangfang Tiang, courtesy of Tree Wow
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