In Kittelfjäll, southern Lapland, Blank has designed a ski lodge with 18 beds situated on a steeply sloping plot at the forest’s edge—directly connected to the ski lift system, offering sweeping views of the Borgafjäll mountains.
The building is constructed into the slope, with a masonry and plastered ground floor. On top of that rest two stories made of solid log construction, crowned with a grass-covered gabled roof.
The form emerged in close dialogue with the qualities of the timber and with a strong connection to 19th-century northern Swedish farmsteads, built around a three-chamber plan and featuring a symmetrical façade with a clear hierarchy between the floors. The log façade is treated with iron vitriol, giving it a weathered grey patina. Windows and doors are grey with subtle blue accents.
The ground floor includes the entrance, ski storage, social spaces, and a sauna area. The interior palette consists of warm light grey plastered walls, brushed grey limestone flooring in random lengths and varied widths, and interiors and ceilings in light brown-treated pine.
The middle floor contains the kitchen, living room, and a sleeping area with a master bedroom, a bunk bed cabin, and a shared bathroom. The upper log floor is accessed via the central chamber and includes two mirror-image sleeping quarters, each with a larger bedroom, a small cabin room, and a bathroom. These are connected by a balcony passage overlooking the double-height living room and the large masonry fireplace.
The material palette in the upper floors is consistent: solid log walls, exposed beams, and wood-paneled ceilings, all in a soft brown treatment. The floors are made of thick, lye-treated wedge-sawn pine planks from Hälsingland, up to 400 mm wide. Doors and windows are handcrafted from solid pine.
Blank also designed the built-in and parts of the loose furniture, including the hall furnishings, kitchen, dining table, and beds. These use a slightly darker brown-treated pine with elements of limestone, leather, and occasional blue-painted details.
