This space-age ‘balancing barn’ is billed as the ultimate rural retreat – providing holidaymakers a relaxing sleep suspended in the AIR.
The gravity-defying holiday home overhangs a steep slope in picturesque countryside in Halesworth, Suffolk, and is surrounded by a duck pond and grazing sheep.
Architects promise the barn is strong enough not to topple over but admit it does ‘wobble’ and gives the sensation of ‘floating’ in the air.
Holidaymakers can even attach a child’s swing at the very end of the 30ft long stainless steel home, which has been dubbed the ‘balancing barn’.
The property, designed by Swiss-born philosopher Alain de Botton for British firm Living Architecture, sleeps eight people for four nights for £795.
Company director Mark Robinson, of Living Architecture, said: ”The site itself is on two levels – you arrive at ground level then it drops down quite steeply.
”So the architects wanted to exploit that as much as possible, and because it’s quite a large site, they wanted to stretch the building across the site and make best use of the views and location.
”The building is cantilevered over the empty space so the structure of the building is quite complex.
”It had to be weighed down on the land side to counterbalance the over hang.
”I think it’s quite an unusual one for Suffolk, especially as this has no support at the cantilevered end.
”I think people have been quite intrigued by it. It seems that the locals in the area and the planning authorities were very supportive of what we were doing.”
Mr de Botton, Living Architecture’s creative director, added: ”Though our houses are modern, they’re really aware of their local character.
”These are houses that, above everything else, are sensitive to their location.
”They are not spaceships dropped in from other planets, they are like plants that have grown from and deeply understand their local soil.
”Modern doesn’t have to mean rootless. Good architecture should make us feel hopeful and excited to be alive.”
Winy Maas, of architects MVRDV, said the barn cleverly overhangs the slope to avoid damaging the land.
He said: ”You can feel literally it goes a little bit up and down like it is floating.”
The Balancing Barn is managed by not-for-profit organisation Living Architecture, who promote good architecture available to ordinary people.
It began taking bookings for four-night stays in October this year.
Other ultimate holiday homes by Living Architecture include The Shingle House black beach huts in Kent, The Dune House, in Suffolk and The Long House, in Norfolk.
Pretty awesome looking though I would be afraid of putting too much weight on the balancing side!