Text description provided by the architects. The Periscope Hut by ELSE won the international architecture competition “Le Festival des Cabanes” in France. It is located near a small village near Lake Annecy in Saint-Ferréol, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the French Alps. With minimum construction budget, the project was entirely built out of locally sourced spruce wood, and constructed together by the architect and dedicated local volunteers.
The site of the cabin is along the nature trail that leads to the Cascade de Fontany, in a small clearing along the pebble shore of a stream. The beautiful waterfall looms in the distance under the shade of cascading trees. This site asks for a different kind of relationship between people and the waterfall. The archetype of the basic hut was shaped and manipulated to respond to the call of the site. The periscope on the top alters the relationship between people and nature on the site, forming a close bond that didn’t previously exist.
Following the winding hiking trail and tracing the sound of the stream in the valley, visitors will be surprised to find the periscope hut, which looks like a creature of the forest standing by the stream, poking its head out vigorously, making a gesture of looking at the waterfall in the distance. The long, thin feet at the bottom firmly hold up the body, elegantly lifting the hem of its skirt, as if it is trying to cross the stream with its dress up.
The Periscope Cabin intercepts, inhales, and internalizes the waterfall landscapes, then represents them to visitors in an unexpected way. Walking into the cabin, visitors will be immersed in a serene and shadowy interior space, quietly enjoying the view of the waterfall suspended right in the center of the building.
The cabin creates a spiritual and sensitive place in a natural setting for quiet rest, contemplation, and appreciation of the view. It reawakens people to think about the relationship between humans and nature through an ongoing dialogue with nature. The hut makes people aware of their strong connection to nature and prompts them to re-examine and reinvent the way they interact with their environment.
