VIPP TUNNEL

THE VIPP’S LATEST GUESTHOUSE 

A BRUTALIST RETREAT IN TASMANIA

A concrete, off-the-grid tunnel rising from Tasmania’s raw bushlands, designed by Hobart-based Room 11 Architects, becomes the newest addition to VIPP’s guesthouse portfolio.

This ground-up property is a sculptural sanctuary where design, art and nature co-exist in perfect balance. Located on Bruny Island, just a 20-minute ferry ride from Hobart, the dramatic structure hovers weightlessly above a rugged terrain, offering a 280° panoramic view across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, which connects the island to Tasmania’s mainland.

Room 11 has conceived a singular architectural gesture — a bold brutalist silhouette dropped into the wilderness.

“On Bruny Island, we have created understandable forms that do not mimic context. Rather, they generate an intelligible structure through which we comprehend the nature of place. It is a location where the cut of contemporary architectural thinking is starkly rendered against a raw natural context.”
— Thomas Bailey, Architect AIA, Director, Room 11

An Off-Grid Hideaway with Vision

“The entire western façade is derived from the geometry of the solar array — an unequivocal statement of prioritising green energy in contemporary architecture. As far as we are aware, this is the first building to feature an entire façade formed by solar technology. It’s a celebration of a new frontier in sustainable construction. Every material choice and construction method was selected to ensure longevity with the minimum of means. The project is a statement of quality over quantity.”
— Thomas Bailey

Light at the End of the Tunnel

A kaleidoscopic lightwell installation slices through the structure, bathing the interiors in shifting hues throughout the day and year.

“The kaleidoscopic lightwell offers a dynamic interplay of colour and time, responding to seasonal transitions. No two visits are the same. A stay at the VIPP Tunnel is an immersion into raw nature and elemental architecture — a station of solitude at the edge of the world.”
— Dane Taylor, Entrepreneur

Architecture That Frames the Landscape

“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. In doing so, the guest is not only observing but fully located within the extraordinary landscape of Tasmania’s Bruny Island.”
— Thomas Bailey

VIPP’s Expanding Universe of Guesthouses

“VIPP travels south of the equator for the opening of our first guesthouse in Australia, adding to our growing portfolio of guesthouses around the world. Each one elevates the VIPP product experience, offering a curated doorway into our design universe. By collaborating with local architects and interpreting different typologies, we continue to craft distinct and memorable stays.”
— Kasper Egelund, CEO & 3rd Generation VIPP Owner

By: Mário de Castro

photos : ADAM GIBSON

Instagram : @tunnel.tasmania

vipp.com — @vipp
room11.com.au — @room11__