Vipp Tunnel Balances Brutalism and Nature on Tasmania’s Bushlands

Often referred to as ‘the edge of the world’, Tasmania is distinguished by its sense of otherworldliness. In this corner of the world, immersive surroundings have a grounding effect, reminding us of our connection to nature. Disembarking the small 20-minute ferry from Hobart to Bruny Island is a transportive re-tuning into the frequency and rhythm of the natural world.

Setting the compass to 42° south of the equator, guests are greeted by a couple of rare, white wallabies roaming the vast plot of land on the north-western point of Bruny Island. Where rugged bushlands meet the ocean, the concrete structure defies gravity above a terrain punctuated by a 300 metres sea stretch with a 280° view of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel connecting Bruny Island to Tasmania’s main island.

Widely recognised for their residential, commercial, and hospitality work throughout Australia, Room11 has created a sculptural, brutalist structure dropped into the bushlands. Balancing on the edge between solid ground and open air, Vipp Tunnel expresses a playful dialogue between concrete cubism and its organic surroundings.

A project three years in the making, the finished guesthouse embodies Room11’s interest in craftsmanship and distinctive approach to architecture that is sensitive to landscape, detail, and materiality.

In the 160 m2 tunnel stretching 30 meters, wall to wall glass and recessed steel doors provide unobstructed views to the soulful landscape of the Tasmanian sea and mountains. Floor to ceiling windows and lightwells imbue the space with a sense of luminosity. An atrium yard separates the main living space from the master bed and bathroom, while at the end of the tunnel, a glass door leads to a framed terrace floating above the land – showcasing an architectural finesse that underscores the sensation of being at the edge of the world.

“The dramatically elongated proportions of the structure respond to the landscape by purposely framing the D’Entrecasteaux Channel with a broad expanse of frameless glass. By this methodology the user is located in the extraordinary, natural landscape of Tasmania’s Bruny Island “, says Thomas Bailey.

A separate, 35 m2 concrete cube with 4-metre-high ceilings referred to as ‘the studio’ offers an escape to a space of visual and sensory calm. Ideal as office or meditation room its spare design highlights the architecture and comprises only of a Vipp Swivel chair against an integrated desk and a hidden mezzanine double bed.

The eclectic meeting between counterparts continues in the rendez-vous between Vipp’s Danish interior minimalism and the grandeur of Australia’s nature.

Whereas Tasmania provides the breathtaking exterior, Danish design brand Vipp supplies the interior. As if made for this project, Vipp’s new all-aluminium V3 kitchen is the centrepiece of the main space. With a monumental stainless steel counter and fluted aluminium doors, the kitchen island mirrors the materiality of the building’s architecture.

A careful selection of Vipp furniture, including Vipp Swivel chairs upholstered in Australian sheep skin, provides a sense of sophisticated elegance against the raw shell of the tunnel while a bespoke sunken lounge integrates a corner of softness.

“Our portfolio of guesthouses is about elevating the product experience and creating a doorway into our design universe. By working with different architectural typologies and vernacular we can craft distinct design experiences”, says Kasper Egelund.

To further strengthen the unique marriage of Danish design and Australian architecture, Danish artist Lin Utzon, has brought an edition of her iconic ‘Cosmic Dancers’ series to the shores of Bruny Island. Placed among the property’s red gum trees, the large-scale, black and white ceramic sculptures echo the elongated strokes on the characteristic trees.

As the daughter of Jørn Utzon, the world-renowned architect who designed the Sydney Opera House, Lin’s ties to Australia run deep. Now a successful artist in her own right, Lin’s work often mirrors her father’s philosophy of harmonising art and architecture. The display of her ‘Cosmic Dancers’ in the Australian bushland alongside the architectural design of Vipp Tunnel creates a strong connection to these aspects of her life and work.

Inspired by the area’s natural phenomenon known as Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, when the night sky is transformed into a dreamscape of colour, Room11 has added chromatic glazing to the building’s central skylights. Polished concrete floors and walls further enhance the effect, reflecting the ever-changing interplay of light that dances throughout the otherwise understated interior like an ever-changing artwork.

“The kaleidoscopic lightwell installation offers a dynamic interplay of colour and time. As the sun moves and seasons shift, vivid hues of yellow, pink, and orange are cast across the concrete interior marking the changing light at 42° south. Designed to respond to seasonal transitions, the installation ensures that no two visits are ever the same”, explains the entrepreneur of the project, Dane Taylor. “A visit to Vipp Tunnel is an immersion into raw nature and raw architecture. It’s a station of solitude at the edge of the world.”

Clad with an entire façade of solar panels facing west, the structure is energy-sufficient and runs off-grid. “The entire western façade is derived from the geometry of the solar array. An unequivocal statement of prioritising green energy production in contemporary construction. It’s a celebration of a new frontier in sustainable construction. As far as we are aware, this is the first building to feature an entire façade created by solar technology, making the most of the location’s latitude”, says Thomas Bailey.

With engineering ingenuity, the building’s elevation from the ground is minimizing the constructions direct footprint. During the design process, Room11 conducted surveys of every tree onsite and articulated roadworks around significant trees. A narrow construction corridor was established so that the impact on endemic vegetation was kept to an absolute minimum.