Whitepod, Zen Suite

Monthey, Switzerland

Photo © Delphine Burtin

Hotels + Hostels + Guest Houses

Architects: Montalba Architects, Inc.

Location: Monthey, Switzerland
Year: 2018

The Whitepod eco-luxury resort, situated high in the Swiss Alps about an hour outside of Lausanne, immerses its guests in the unique experience of the alpine landscape. The eighteen individual geodesic domes, called Pods, that make up the resort borrow materials and forms of the natural world to achieve structural and spiritual harmony with the surrounding ecosystem.

The pod design was inspired by the concept of Zen as well as Wu Ting movement theory, which postulates that “everything is connected, everything is energy.” The interconnectivity and the notion of ritual of the five natural elements informs both the Pods’ exterior and interior. A central circle - that conceptually represents the cycle of time - is shifted and duplicated to create a relative positioning of programmatic spaces. The wooden walls are curved to define these spaces and finished with precise details.