A Metallic Barrel Vault Gives This Danish Cabin A High-Minded Elegance

The pine-clad interior evokes the smells, sound, and atmosphere of a traditional mountain cabin.

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Designed by Copenhagen–based firm Valbæk Brørup Architects, Vibo Tværveh is a woodland retreat inspired by the styles of local agrarian and cabin architecture. The eye-catching summer residence, with its distinctive vaulted form and elongated floor plan, is also characterized by a rolled steel-plate roof and pine wood interior.

Sited in a small forest clearing near the Kattegat seashore in Denmark, Vibo Tværveh is a contemporary take on traditional Danish cabin and barn architecture. The tube-shaped structure is cladded in pine and topped with rolled steel plates. — Sited in a small forest clearing near the Kattegat seashore in Denmark, Vibo Tværveh is a contemporary take on traditional Danish cabin and barn architecture. The tube-shaped structure is cladded in pine and topped with rolled steel plates.

Spanning 979 square feet, the one-level structure was built to reference the more industrial buildings of Danish farms. "We wanted to create a home with a form that is connected to the existing rural building tradition," says Stefan Valbæk, a partner at the firm.

Full-height windows at the southern end of the cabin frame picturesque forest views and draw natural light into the space. A wood-burning fireplace enhances the coziness of the living room, while bench-like seating creates space for sitting or dining.

In the kitchen, blue cabinets add a pop of color to the wood-clad interior. Large bi-fold doors intensify the indoor-outdoor connection, extending the living space to the adjacent decking.

"The extruded shape of the house with a roof of rolled steel plates is simple, yet notable," Valbæk continues. "Internally, eight arched steel beams create a distinctive rhythm in the wood-cladded interior."

A view of the beamed interior from the loft is almost hypnotizing. "Functions and daylight float through the house, creating an extraordinary spatial atmosphere," says Valbæk.

A wooden ladder provides access to the loft, which sits in the middle of the cabin and divides the public areas from the private.

Large cabinets along a corridor underneath the loft provide storage for the minimalist bedrooms.

To replicate the materials, colors, and aesthetic of the natural site, the firm clad the majority of the interior in pine. "We wanted the smell, sound, and atmosphere of the residence to embody a traditional cabin," says Valbæk. "The main social space is defined by its vaulted, high ceiling, with views to the treetops and the sky."