Vipp Brings Brutalist Elegance to Tasmania’s Bruny Island

Danish design brand Vipp has ventured to the Southern Hemisphere with the launch of its latest guesthouse, Vipp Tunnel.

Perched on a sloping hill on Tasmania’s remote Bruny Island, the architectural retreat—designed by Hobart-based studio Room11—melds raw materiality with striking modernism, offering an immersive connection to nature.

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Set against a dramatic coastal backdrop, Vipp Tunnel is a sculptural expression of brutalist architecture. Balancing on the threshold between land and air, the 30-metre-long concrete structure is defined by its elongated form and expansive glazing, framing a panoramic 280-degree view of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. The minimalist yet powerful design plays with light, space, and texture, reinforcing Room11’s ethos of creating architecture that is both expressive and sensitive to its surroundings. “On Bruny Island, we have created understandable forms that do not mimic context but instead provide an intelligible reference point from which we can comprehend the nature of place,” says Thomas Bailey, Director of Room11.

Inside the 160-square-metre space, wall-to-wall glass and recessed steel doors dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, while a central atrium separates the main living area from the bedroom and bathroom. The end of the tunnel leads to a floating terrace, amplifying the sensation of being on the edge of the world. An adjacent 35-square-metre studio, a monolithic concrete cube with four-metre-high ceilings, serves as a secluded workspace or meditation retreat, stripped back to pure form.

The interplay of light within Vipp Tunnel is a defining feature. Inspired by the Aurora Australis, chromatic glazing in the skylights projects shifting hues of yellow, pink, and orange across the polished concrete interior, responding dynamically to the time of day and seasonal shifts. “A visit to Vipp Tunnel is an immersion into raw nature and raw architecture,” notes project entrepreneur Dane Taylor. “It’s a station of solitude at the edge of the world.”

While the rugged Tasmanian landscape provides the breathtaking setting, Vipp brings its distinctive design language to the interiors. The new all-aluminium V3 kitchen, with a monumental stainless steel counter and fluted aluminium doors, anchors the space, seamlessly integrating with the building’s materiality. Vipp Swivel chairs upholstered in Australian sheepskin and a bespoke sunken lounge add elements of warmth and refinement, creating a dialogue between industrial minimalism and tactile comfort.

Further enhancing the guest experience, the property features outdoor sculptures by Danish artist Lin Utzon, bridging the worlds of art, design, and nature. With its bold architectural presence and immersive natural setting, Vipp Tunnel stands as a compelling testament to the power of design to shape and elevate the way we experience place.

Images by Adam Gibson via ArchDaily

Danish design brand Vipp has ventured to the Southern Hemisphere with the launch of its latest guesthouse, Vipp ...