Architecture studio Johnston Marklee has included skylights in Vipp Pavilion in Upstate New York, the first ground-up structure for Danish furniture brand Vipp in the US.
Vipp Pavilion was constructed on the shores of a pond in Lumberland, New York – two hours outside of the city.
Johnston Marklee has completed a guesthouse for Vipp in Upstate New York. Photo by Pia Winther
With a telescopic form that projects views over the water, the structure was designed to host visitors and showcase Vipp furniture. It has a plan comprising two ellipses that, according to the team, reflect the outline of the adjacent pond.
Covered in griege stucco – both ribbed and smooth – the 1,200-square-foot (111-square metre) structure sticks out against the forested backdrop of the site, while the edges blur into the background thanks to the green roofing designed by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates.
The exterior is clad in ribbed stucco. Photo by Eric Petschek
According to Johnston Marklee co-founder Sharon Johnston, the finished guest house resembles a “stone in a pond”.
“At first glance, the building resembles a stone on the pond; initially solid, but slowly revealing its volumetric form on the approach,” said Johnston.
Roughly rectangular in form, the structure features several semi-circular cutouts.
Vipp Pavilion features two elliptical interior forms contained within a rectangular envelope. Photo by Eric Petschek
In the side facing away from the lake, two tall portals bring guests into a semi-circular interior courtyard, with a floor covered in gravel. According to Vipp, this courtyard space was designed to draw attention upwards.
The smooth wall of the internal courtyard has a wooden door topped by a small semi-circular eave.
A wood-clad hallway leads into the main interior space, where the two interior elliptical forms meet. Bedrooms branch off from each side and have dual-aspect windows generated by further cutaways in the facade.
Vipp furniture fills the interior. Photo by Pia Winther
Skylights bring additional light into the bedrooms and the single bathroom, which has walls painted a rich ochre colour. The bedrooms feature built-in Sapele wood casework with a shade that echoes the rich tones in the bathroom.
Sliding doors that follow the elliptical curve of the main space separate the bedrooms for privacy.
Pop-up Vipp guesthouse by Studio KO centres around shiny copper kitchen
The living area features a skylight above a freestanding anodised-aluminium V3 kitchen by Vipp, which has a ribbed body that references the ribbed stucco of the building’s exterior facade.
It sits under a skylight and directs the flow of people into the room, which has one semicircular wall as it meets the bedrooms and entry and a rectangular aspect towards the lake.
A window wall provides views past a terrace and out into the pond. Photo by Eric Petschek
Light-coloured Vipp furniture fills in the space as it flows towards the floor-to-ceiling window wall. A set of Vipp Swivel Chairs surrounds a travertine table, set against the backdrop of the cream-coloured curtains that can be pulled across the window wall.
Johnston Marklee and Vipp worked together to showcase the furniture, while taking advantage of the telescopic effect provided by the massive window that leads out onto a covered patio.
The guesthouse features a green roof. Photo by Eric Petschek
“The abstract form doesn’t prescribe one’s engagement with the space or interior furnishings, rather, each visitor will be able to shape their own experiences,” said Johnston.
“It provides a retreat from the expected and a portal into nature.”
It is one of fifteen Vipp guesthouses designed around the world and the first in the US. Others include the Cold Hawaii guesthouse by Hahn Lavsen in Denmark and one in Todos Santos, Mexico by PPAA.
Project credits:Â
Architecture: Johnston Marklee
Project team: Sharon Johnston, Mark Lee, Nicholas Hofstede, Brian Lee, Lindsay Erickson, Anton Schneider, Miaojie Ted Zhang
Interior design: Vipp with Johnston Marklee
Landscape design: Larry Weaner Landscape Associates (LWLA)
Project team: Rebecca Kagle, Andrew Korzon, Marissa Angell
Green roof installation: Roof Meadow Service
General contractor: Rory McKean
Consultants: Laufs Engineering Design, Structural Engineer
Millwork and sliding doors: Wood Factory Sarl
Roof flashing:Marek Maultz
Exterior windows and doors: Duratherm