hexagonal wooden forms shape red oak house installation by ulf mejergren in sweden

Oak House by Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)

Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) has created Oak House, a striking hexagonal wooden structure that unites a hollow ancient oak with a small red house. Standing approximately 6.5 meters tall, the installation emerges from the landscape with the presence of an oversized woodland figure—both familiar and subtly surreal.

This installation is situated alongside Värsnäs Preschool, at the edge of Kalmar’s new Snurrom district in Sweden, where the development transitions into the protected oak forests of the Värsnäs nature reserve. Here, roughly fifty ancient oaks rise as sculptural giants, shaped by time, weather, and age. Their almost fairytale-like presence inspired a two-part sculptural artwork: the outdoor Oak House (Ekstugan) and the indoor Oak Place (Ekplatsen). These works anchor the preschool within its landscape, allowing the oak tree to become both a guide and a companion for children.

all images courtesy of Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)

Children are welcomed through a low opening in the ‘trunk,’ where daylight pours down from above through thick, branching volumes. Inside, the space stores equipment for outdoor excursions, collections of natural discoveries, and framed illustrations that reveal the oak’s intricate worlds of insects, birds, and fungi.

Studio Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) extends the narrative indoors with Oak Place. Designed like a generous tree stump, this element serves as both furniture and a unique space. It mirrors the form of Oak House, adapted for interior use. The end-grain oak flooring and wide oak wall panels create an inviting, tactile environment. Oak Place can easily transform to suit various purposes: a reading nook, workspace, exhibition area, or a small stage. From within, children can gaze out toward Oak House, visually connecting the two installations into a unified, living gesture. Together, Oak House and Oak Place offer a seamless experience, blending play, nature, and architecture. They inspire children to explore both the outdoors and indoors, allowing the oak tree to shape discovery, learning, and the identity of the preschool itself.