Freiform Private Guesthouse, Klausen, Italy South Tyrol, Italy

This spectacular glass refuge by architect Martin Gruber puts only wide panes of glass (and exterior, electric privacy curtains if you must) between man and nature. The 65sqm, organically shaped guest house built of concrete and glass, complemented by local oak and loden, was built to provide guests the exhilarating sensation of wild freedom and a rare, complete immersion in nature. With its structural mass of hard concrete and glass providing safety yet transparency in the cinematic South Tyrolean wilds, the refuge’s interior conveys a softer, subtler and organic mood, a walk-in sculpture that changes throughout the day and seasons, given its full focus on its surroundings.