You come home in the evening exhausted from work, from the traffic, from stress. You need a holiday, relaxation, to unwind. What if there were a hotel, a home away from home, a retreat where you could feel at ease? A place where the fox and the hare wish you goodnight, where it’s calm and you can do what you like, but also don’t have to do anything at all? Such a place does exist: Refugium Lunz…

Right near the slopes, at 2,000 metres above sea level at the end of the Ötztal Valley, you’ll find The Crystal VAYA Unique in Obergurgl, just made for unforgettable days spent in the snow. This is where you can enjoy a winter holiday in maximum comfort and with never-ending options up in the clouds. We spoke to hotel manager Siegfried Penzenleitner…

Spectacular architecture coupled with sustainable building is usually at home in urban settings. But Norway’s towering mountains are now the backdrop for contemporary architecture that is a welcome retreat after a long hike. Tungestølen is found on a plateau at the foot of Jostedalsbreen, Europe’s highest mainland glacier. These mountain cabins have far more to offer than the usual food and lodgings with a dormitory full of mattresses. And so it is no coincidence that the project was designed by Snøhetta, one of the world’s most prestigious architectural firms. Their client was Luster Turlag, a local branch of the Norwegian National Trekking Association.

The landmark project directly on Vienna’s Danube Canal impresses with design care and special architecture by INNOCAD. The expressive, monolithic architectural concept with its characteristic form is identity-forming, explained by architect Martin Lesjak. Inside we also took care to create a balance between the urbanity of the capital and nature – with a biophilic series of luminaires. Read more in the interview with Dr. Anastasija Lesjak from 13&9 Design.

O Lofos [the Hill] is a private house located on the east side of Crete where the landscape grows wild, and the nature is an ever-changing source of inspiration. This side of the island is still quite unexplored, and you can clearly sense the authenticity in the habitants and their way of living. Blending Block722’s inherent Scandinavian sensibility and organic minimalism with local architecture influences, result is a one-of-a-kind design language.