Property of the week: a modern cabin by Stinessen Arkitektur in Lyngen, Norway

Lyngen cabin by Snorre Stinessen — Courtesy of Stinessen Arkitektur

Architect Snorre Stinessen is building a copper-clad retreat on Norway’s Lyngen peninsula – and it could be yours for 12.5m NOK.

Retreat Lyngen will sit beside the water on a plot of land next to the Lyngen Alps that Stinessen acquired eight years ago. The architect – whose practice Stinessen Arkitektur has become the go-to firm for contemporary cabins in the Arctic – is acting as both developer and designer for the project.

‘These types of plots are extremely rare in Norway,’ says Stinessen. ’It’s part of an old zoning plan. Now you can’t build that close to the sea, so it’s a unique opportunity to own a private cabin on the waterfront.’

Lyngen peninsula is a Norwegian national park famed for its sea-to-summit ski destinations – with seasons stretching into May and June – rich wildlife and Northern Lights sightings.

Stinessen Arkitektur’s 241 sq m Retreat Lyngen is designed to capitalise on this proximity to nature, and features a sweeping glass façade that frames views of the mountains, and an overhanging copper roof that shelters it from the elements.

’Normally for a client, copper would be too expensive – but here I’ve said, “This is the quality I want to deliver”,’ adds Stinessen. As well as its ability to withstand the corrosiveness of the sea air, the pre-patinated copper will help the structure bed down within the mossy terrain. ‘It’s a robust and simplistic exterior that needs no further maintenance for the next 100 years or more.’

Retreat Lyngen’s future owner will get the opportunity shape the details of the Norwegian property, putting their own stamp on the fixtures and fittings used across its oak-clad interiors.

Rooms will feature 5.7-metre-high ceilings, turning the ‘cosy cabin’ on its head. A modular B2 Bulthaup kitchen will be installed at the north end of the villa to capitalise on the views. It will be separated from the dining room by a terrace, which will sit atop the small brook that flows directly beneath the property.

‘The roof and rear wall work together to contrast the glass frontage, which emphasises the connection with nature outside,’ says Stinessen. ‘It’s totally private here, there’s no question of anyone looking in.’

Three bedrooms will fill the south side of the property, and the loft can provide extra accommodation or a playroom.

Electricity, plumbing and fibre-optic internet cables have already been laid on the 1,342 sq m plot, and vegetation carefully re-planted around where the cabin will sit, ahead of final construction beginning.

Interested buyers can get in touch with Tom Espen Stormo of SNE eiendom AS for more information (tel: +47 97798000.)