To provide mountaineers a touch of respite as they brave the extreme conditions of Slovenia’s Triglev National Park, an architecture firm named Premica Architects decided to fashion an ancient World War I bunker into a particularly cozy alpine bunker. Due in large part to these extreme conditions, Premica built the bulk of the small abode at an offsite location before making use of a helicopter to transport it to its current location — now dubbed the Bivak na Prehodavcih. As basic and minimal as they come, the shelter features no electricity or running water.
A fully off-grid shelter, Bivak na Prehodavcih’s interior is clad primarily in what appears to be a very lightly colored Cypress Pine. Not only does this give the hut a bit of a cabin-type feel, but during the day, the pine keeps the inside brightly lit. Furthermore, Premica also outfit the structure with wooden cross-laminated panels which perfectly match the pine’s homey aesthetic. For mountaineers who stay the night, Bivak na Prehodavcih’s sleeping quarters feature a series of twin beds lined up along its upper level.
“Despite technological simplicity and robustness, the structure brings a touch of modernity and coziness into this alpine wilderness,” wrote Premica Architects. “Bivouacs address the fundamental gap between people’s needs and their attitude to nature through the understanding of the surrounding terrain, which is of key significance in interventions into sensitive wild environments.”
With no running water or electricity, the elephant in the room is clear: What do visitors do if they need to use the restroom? Luckily, Premica included a small outhouse roughly 160 feet away from the bunker, though if the conditions are as harsh as advertised, that walk certainly wouldn’t be a very pleasant one. Despite its lack of water or interior electricity, the cabin does feature a solar panel fixed to its metal roof which helps power an exterior light — likely used to help alert hikers of the structure’s whereabouts.
Similar to its bunker base, the entirety of the Bivak na Prehodavcih addition was constructed so as not to clash with its surrounding environment. Simple yet modern, the shelter fits naturally into its new neighborhood’s wilderness without spoiling the national park’s gorgeous scenery.
