Stargazing Sky Hut from WG+P wins Welsh ‘glamping-observatory’ contest
by Kim Megson | 09 Dec 2016
The mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales have inspired a series of portable self-contained glamping cabins from which guests can gaze at the stars.
WG+P Architects and Webb Yates Structural Engineers will create three boutique ‘Sky Huts’ to be placed in scenic and historic locations across the country after winning a design competition for the project.
The structures will be timber clad and will each have a retractable roof, creating “an observatory to the heavens” for campers seeking to enjoy the changing constellations in the night sky. Eye level glazing around the huts will create 360 degree views across the landscape.
The design concept is influenced by the myth of the Welsh mountain, Cadair Idris, where legend states that travellers sleeping out under the night sky awaken as madmen or poets. This tradition has been manifested in the design for the roof, which will be operated by a geared cable system and a crank handle familiar from sailing technology.
The design competition – which received entries from around the world – was organised by Epic Retreats Wales, a partnership between Best of Wales, Cambria Tours and George + Tomos Architects. The Sky Huts will be part funded by the Welsh Government’s Tourism Product Innovation Fund.
In their own words
WG+P Architects on the materials used in the Sky Huts
The Sky Hut is born and bred in Wales with a Welsh sourced timber structure that is insulated with unprocessed sheep’s wool with an internal lining of oriented strand board sheets to ensure a Welsh procured, Welsh made glamping cabin.
Sinusoidal metal sheet cladding provides a robust finish and has been chosen to acknowledge the significant role Wales played in the industrialisation of modern Britain. The metal sheets have a matte black finish; with the doors and roof open, they form a single homogenous surface, sitting stealth-like in the darkness awaiting cosmic activity or simply offering an intimate setting for undistracted contemplation.
All materials are carefully detailed and chosen for their durability and economy.
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The mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales have inspired a series of portable self-contained glamping cabins from which guests can gaze at the stars. WG+P Architects and Webb Yates Structural Engineers will create three boutique ‘Sky Huts’ to be placed in scenic and historic locations across the country after winning a design competition for the project. The structures will be timber clad and will each have a retractable roof, creating
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