Advanced Architecture Lab and Wiki World have collaborated to design a wilderness retreat that redefines traditional architectural norms and how humans engage with their environment. Dubbed the Cabin of Maze, this innovative project explores “blurred” spatial relationships, offering a distinctive living experience.
It is situated in the Wuhan Ganlushan Culture Creativity Cit, which is an emerging cultural and tourism hub at the northern entrance of Yangtze New Town, China. The retreat merges solitude with communal living, providing an immersive experience that is both unique and reflective of its surroundings.
Designer: Advanced Architecture Lab and Wiki World
With the Cabin Of Maze, the designers wanted to provide a unique living experience, that is a far cry from conventional floor plans. The architectural duo instead decided to create 13 interconnected rooms (bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms), scattering them all across an island. The rooms are connected by a 100-meter-long (328-ft), 80-centimeter-wide (31.5-in) black corridor, which serves as the heart of the entire project.
The Cabin of Maze is unlike traditional designs. This project wants to challenge and surprise its residents, disorienting them with its varied corridors and passageways. The main corridor isn’t just a typical passage, it functions as a maze, delivering a truly unique and one-of-a-kind experience. At certain sections, it opens up to the sky, creating small courtyards.
The experience has a sense of spatial disorientation to it, thereby giving visitors to get lost inside. The creators wanted to intentionally form this feeling of being lost, making it a playful and interesting feature of the retreat. It becomes a sort of cabin-finding game, creating a sense of discovery and adventure in the air. The Cabin of Maze was constructed using carbonized timber, a material that harmonizes with the forest environment while providing durability and weather resistance. This choice reflects the architects’ dedication to using natural materials, and focus on a reduced carbon footprint during the building process.
The Cabin of Maze was made using carbonized timber, a material traditionally valued for its ability to seamlessly integrate with forest surroundings while providing exceptional durability and weather resistance. The architects chose carbonized wood as part of their commitment to utilizing natural materials, aiming to minimize the building process’s carbon footprint.
The cabins are elevated above the ground, thereby causing minimal disruption to the natural landscape. This elevation reduces soil impact, promotes better water drainage, and helps preserve the local ecosystem. The cabins feature a modular and flexible design and are assembled with small metal components that facilitate easy construction and deconstruction. This adaptability allows the layout to be modified and rearranged as needed over time.
The interior of the cabin is quite simple and organic, with an emphasis on connecting with nature. Natural textures and materials highlight the space, thereby complementing the exterior. The rooms feature basic living amenities, so comfort is maintained, and prioritized alongside some adventure. The design is quite minimal, amped with big windows that offer views of the surrounding river. The interiors are created like a blank canvas, allowing the residents to feel at home, and customize the space according to their preference.
Even though the Cabin of Maze is an immersive and thrilling experience, the disorienting corridor and the amusing style of the design may not be preferred by everyone. However, this project does deliver an innovative retreat, wherein the village or tribe experience has been reinvented and rejazzed.
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