Feb 11 2009'Invisible' Treehouse Hotel Is Hard To Find
Let's face it, we all want to live in treehouses. Unfortunately, I purchased all the remaining trees on earth, so it looks like you suckers are out of luck. Hey, there's always telephone poles. Also, I will be selling acorns for $1,000 a pop. Anyway, this is a treehouse hotel constructed of mirrored glass by Swedish architectural firm Tham & Videgard Hansson Arkitekter.
It is an old architectural trick used since the invention of mirrored glass: covering buildings with the reflective material and declaring that they blend in with the surroundings. Most architects use it to convince wary citizens that it is OK if their building is tall because it will reflect the sky and nature. The rendering always makes the building disappear, and the reality is always a big clunky mirrored box.
I like it. And not just because I was conceived in a treehouse. Because I wasn't -- I was conceived in the trunk of an Oldsmobile after a drug deal gone horribly wrong. Oh, I'm sorry -- was that too romantic to tell this close to Valentine's?
Hit the jump for schematics of what the inside looks like.
Treehouse by Tham & Videgard Hansson is Almost Invisible [treehugger]
Thanks to Reyes, Allison, carolinemichelle, and Elizabeth, who are more than welcome to join me in my treehouse for tea. Except for you Allison, carolinemichelle, and Elizabeth -- no girls allowed.
Reader Comments
1. indubidibly - February 11, 2009 11:23 AM
fistr?
2. indubidibly - February 11, 2009 11:24 AM
lubed up of course
3. Ollie Williams - February 11, 2009 11:25 AM
It's very surrealistic feeling. I dig it.
4. indubidibly - February 11, 2009 11:26 AM
Probably end up with squirrels jacking it to their reflections all around you. Disgusting.
Maybe a little erotic, in a weird, I *LOVE* nature way, but still definitely on the no thanks end of the spectrum
5. meeotch - February 11, 2009 11:28 AM
I think it looks kind of cool. But if there's a bunch of trees with these boxes on them, won't the top halves look like they're floating on 10 feet of air? Oh, and lol @ the Ikea instructions.
6. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - February 11, 2009 11:32 AM
I have no issue communicating without the use of profanity. Quite frankly, the english language offers much more colorful adjectives. The point being made is simply that in this country, where this blog is hosted, we have freedom of speech. The same freedom of speech that would protect this blogger (GW) in court. I find it rather disingenuous of him to post NSFW content and genitalia jokes, then censor our comments about them.
These are just as "inconspicuous" as the palm tree cell towers in So Cal... But now I want a treehouse too...
7. Juno - February 11, 2009 11:36 AM
Does this remind anyone else of that cloaked waystation thing in Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust?
8. Ollie Williams - February 11, 2009 11:41 AM
@7,
I'm a geek, but I'm not THAT big of a geek. Anime lovers scare me.
9. Akirakirimaru - February 11, 2009 11:42 AM
I worry... personally.. about all the birds. Then again, It may add to the entertainment of one of these. Could also proove a great hunting spot. kudos
10. Jiggily - February 11, 2009 11:42 AM
Not to mention you could sit inside and watch birds fly into the side of it all day....
11. Jiggily - February 11, 2009 11:43 AM
Damn Quote Snipers!
12. Akirakirimaru - February 11, 2009 11:45 AM
@Juno
... Hell Yes. It does! You've figured this one out!
13. catch22 - February 11, 2009 11:48 AM
how many birds a day does this thing kill?
14. Moose Knuckle - February 11, 2009 11:49 AM
Want one, in my yard, right now.
Although I may wait a few years for the one with thermoptic camoflage, that way no one will ever see whose dropping urine ballons on them
15. Ollie Williams F.ucks Children - February 11, 2009 11:49 AM
@8
You're not even a geek. You're a piece of shit. A talking, typing piece of shit. Fuc.k you. Die.
16. Juno - February 11, 2009 11:54 AM
@8
"This person has compared object X to object Y. They must be obsessed with Y because there can be no other reason they would know it exists."
?
Can't a girl see a movie once in a while? It happened to be there. It was a cool movie. So what?
17. Akirakirimaru - February 11, 2009 12:08 PM
Anime is incredible anyway. Even just as Artistic feats.
18. sirrix - February 11, 2009 12:11 PM
@6: When was censoring going on?
Only reason I can see for censoring is more because he has editorial control over the blog and probably feels that some people's comments make the site awful, which is true.
19. Moose Knuckle - February 11, 2009 12:15 PM
@16 you have ZERO reason to apologize, geek chicks are hawt, anime, comics, whatever... Dudes who hate on geek chicks may be considered, by some, as "ball-lickers"
Just sayin..
20. Ollie Williams - February 11, 2009 12:29 PM
@15 And here I sat today hoping you had taken my suggestion yesterday and shot yourself. Damn the luck.
@16 No, you may not watch a movie. You should be either cleaning or making your boyfriend/husband a sandwich. Or giving him oral.
@19 You're not funny. Not in the slightest. You can also take my suggestion for #15.
21. naas - February 11, 2009 12:29 PM
eh.... worth the read sorta
22. Moose Knuckle - February 11, 2009 12:37 PM
@20 Wow, and to think I was ready to cap on #15 for being a dick eater while using your name but it seems you're just 2 peas in a really angry ghey pod.
You may both Fuq yourselves
23. Atrieds - February 11, 2009 12:37 PM
"..a big clunky box." How refreshing to read a design description without the pompous adjectives usually employed by that industry.
24. Ollie Williams - February 11, 2009 12:45 PM
@22
I have a very angry, bitter, and asshole-ish image to uphold here. I'm sure you understand.
25. soundwave superior - February 11, 2009 12:52 PM
First, how do you get up into this piece of crap? Second, if no one can see your house, what's to stop some random logger from cutting it down? Burn!
26. Angel Mass - February 11, 2009 12:52 PM
I hope its not as fragile as it looks!
27. Tricky Ricky - February 11, 2009 1:10 PM
So, how do you get into the glass box thats impaled into the tree? and how much weight will it hold before it comes crashing down to the ground.. and wind up being impaled by large shards of glass?
28. Nudge - February 11, 2009 1:57 PM
Check out this restaurant up a tree. It's been open since mid Dec 08 and closes this week.
http://www.yellowtreehouse.co.nz/
29. E of R - February 11, 2009 2:07 PM
Its the Navigator's house, lol.
30. RK - February 11, 2009 2:07 PM
Looks like you need to hang your heinie over the side to potty... Look out below!
31. Pat - February 11, 2009 2:54 PM
When can I move in?
32. Tom - February 11, 2009 3:12 PM
@ #7
I was just thinking what kind of eye-ball related security this treehouse might have!
@ the Ollie guy
Silly! The anime lovers should not be the ones to be scared of. Certainly there are a few with... disturbing... ideals and fantasies but that is a small percentage. Now the furries are a group to fear!
All joking aside, why all this feuding? Why make it a point to upset someone? Why is it fun to get a rise out of people? I've never got that.
33. Milkman - February 11, 2009 3:15 PM
This is kinda cool, but frankly after about a half hour the wow factor would wear off and people would run out of cool shit to do. They would climb down and since it's in the woods, they'd do woodland things.
It basically sounds like fancy camping for people with prissy wives/girlfriends who hate camping.
Fail.
34. Ollie Williams - February 11, 2009 3:42 PM
@32,
It's not really "fun", I just have a reputation as being an asshole. I'm trying not to disappoint the regulars here. In reality I'm a frightened man, crying out for popularity and attention.
LOL, I can't believe I just typed that with a straight face. I hate you all!
35. Raoul Duke's 357 - February 11, 2009 3:46 PM
@29 Was that a Flight of the Navigator reference? I do seem to remember him having a shiny spaceship. I haven't seen that movie since I was a little kid....
36. Watch - February 11, 2009 3:58 PM
I have mixed feelings about this
37. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - February 11, 2009 4:02 PM
This thing'd be a bitch to clean!
38. Daisy - February 11, 2009 6:47 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max was getting chased in the woods by a bunch of cops and he set traps and got rid of them one at a time
39. Watch - February 11, 2009 7:26 PM
Rambo First Blood reference by Daisy
40. Al Dracone - February 11, 2009 8:06 PM
So... what's so invisible about it? I mean, besides from the entrance, 'cause I really can't find that anywhere. What kind of moron would pass it and not notice it? Further more, you shouldn't have any problems getting down from there, considering the damn thing is made out of glass, but how (and why) do you get in it? Jesus, I can't believe I just wasted 2 minutes of my life reading about that thing. Its not invisible, it's just ugly and stupid... and I think a bit dangerous, to. Anyway, they should consider making the new WTC towers like that... then the terrorists would just bump into each other, thinking it's their reflection in the building.
41. Lizard - February 11, 2009 10:19 PM
I bet after a week, the ground beneath the treehouse will be littered with the corpses of the forest's beautiful birds.
42. Spam Artist - February 11, 2009 10:31 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene from the movie Tender Dracula where one of the drunken overdubbed make up artists who is hunting Dracula finds one of his resting houses in a forest.
He puts his hand to the glass to see if Dracula is inside.
43. E of R - February 12, 2009 8:15 AM
@ 35 - Yes, it's pimp like his shinny space ship
44. Alise - February 12, 2009 12:32 PM
How can you get up there? I don't see a ladder.
45. Swedish guy (not gay) - February 14, 2009 7:12 AM
Sweeden! tjohoo!
Seriosly, do you understand the text in the picture?
I'ts fun to say stuff others don't understand. Eller hur? Visst är det jäklit kul! Guanabe li ste perra.
46. Dubai Hotels - March 1, 2010 12:38 AM
Better than staying in a hotel.