Dezeen Magazine

10 of the best mountain cabins

From two precariously placed hiking shelters designed by OFIS, through to a stilted timber-frame hideaway on an old ski slope, we've rounded up 10 of the best mountainside cabins on Dezeen.


alpine-shelter-ofis-architecture-slovenia_dezeen_2364_col_0

Kanin Winter Cabin, Slovenia, by OFIS

This tiny aluminium-clad cabin by Slovenian studio OFIS Arhitekti cantilevers over the edge of Mount Kanin on the Slovenian-Italian border.

It can only be accessed by climbers or by helicopter, and is made from a combination of cross-laminated timber, glass and aluminium panels designed to resist extreme weather conditions.

Find out more about Kanin Winter Cabin ›


Lofthuset, Sweden, by Hanna Michelson

No more than two people can stay in this 10-metre-tall stilted timber cabin, designed by Swedish architect Hanna Michelson as a minimalist "sanctuary".

Positioned on the site of an old ski slope in the Åsberget mountains, it is topped by an open deck under a gabled pinewood roof, providing uninterrupted views over the valley below.

Find out more about Lofthuset ›


Varden by SPINN Arkitekter

Varden, Norway, by Spinn and Format Engineers

Designed to encourage hiking in the town of Hammerfest, this shelter sits on top the Storfjellet mountain in Norway.

It has an "organic" prefabricated framework, developed by Spinn and Format Engineers to echo its rugged arctic setting while withstanding harsh polar winters.

Find out more about Varden ›


Bivouac Luca Pasqualetti by Roberto Dini and Stefano Girodo in the Italian Alps

Bivouac Luca Pasqualetti, Italy, by Roberto Dini and Stefano Girodo

This prefabricated structure, named Bivouac Luca Pasqualetti sits at an altitude of 3,290 metres on the edge of a mountain peak in Valpelline, Italy.

Developed for a group of local alpine guides who wanted to encourage exploration of "forgotten routes", has eight beds split over two levels.

Find out more about Bivouac Luca Pasqualetti ›


RF.C9 by Gonzalo Iturriaga

RF C9, Chile, by Gonzalo Iturriaga

Chilean architect Gonzalo Iturriaga used folded planes of blackened pine to create this faceted cabin on a rocky site in Chile's Valparaíso Region.

It comprises a basic suite of rooms and is designed to offer a simple space where its mountaineer owner can rest.

Find out more about RF C9 ›


Culardoch Shieling, UK, by Moxon Architects

The mountains of Scotland's Cairngorms National Park offer a dramatic backdrop for this hut by Moxon Architects, which is crafted from unprocessed larch wood.

Its exterior is modelled on the aesthetic of livestock holdings, and it has a roof covered with heather, moss and stone gathered from local hillsides to help camouflage it.

Find out more about Culardoch Shieling ›


Cabin on a Rock by I-Kanda

Cabin on a Rock, USA, by I-Kanda

This remote prefabricated cabin in New Hampshire's White Mountains was designed as a weekend residence for a couple and their two young children.

Supported by a mound of bedrock, it comprises a cantilevering timber porch that has a long sliding glass wall to give undisrupted views over the valley.

Find out more about Cabin on a Rock ›


Alpine Shelter Skuta by Ofis

Alpine Shelter Skuta, Slovenia, by OFIS 

Perched on a rocky outcrop below Skuta Mountain is a shelter designed by OFIS, which can accommodate up to eight mountaineers.

Informed by traditional Alpine architecture, it has pitched-roof form clad in concrete, while glazed gable ends overlook the Slovenian mountain range.

Find out more about Alpine Shelter Skuta ›


Concrete Cabin, Switerland, by Nickisch Sano Walder Architects

Situated in the Swiss Alps, this stark concrete hideaway is designed by Nickisch Sano Walder Architects as a "refuge, a resting and recreation place".

It has minimal concrete interiors that contrast with its rough scalloped exterior, which was cast from timber acquired from its predecessor – an aged log cabin.

Find out more about Concrete Cabin ›


Tubakuba Mountain Hub by Espen Folgerø

Tubakuba Mountain Hub, Norway, by Espen Folgerø

This cabin was the result of an experiment by Bergen School of Architecture students in collaboration with Architect Espen Folgerø, which explored wood as a building material.

It sits beside a mountain in Bergen, Norway, and is accessed by a curving wooden tunnel informed by the shape of a brass instrument.

Find out more about Tubakuba Mountain Hub ›

More cabins on Dezeen ›