The Cliffhanger Riverside Villa

A private villa overlooking the bank of River Ivalo in Finnish Lapland. The villa integrates the landscape and surrounding nature into daily life. The nature-formed main space is carefully tuned to reflect the landscape beyond the glass walls. Combined with a colour scheme that creates visual connections to the surroundings, this design makes it possible to live as part of the landscape.

The villa is situated on the bank of an L-bend of the Ivalo River, overlooking the rapids. Living spaces and bedrooms mirror the bend’s form, allowing for a 1.5 km parallel view to the northeast (sunrise) and a 1 km parallel view to the northwest (sunset) along the river, visible from both living and sleeping areas. Just beyond the river begins the vast Hammastunturi wilderness.

Project status: Completed 2024

Photos by Marc Goodwin / Archmospheres. Sketch by: Teemu Pirinen