Crafted with layered wood and clad in Cor-Ten steel, a film lover’s backyard retreat offers a series of surprises.
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When a homeowner in the film industry asked Atelier Vens Vanbelle to build a guesthouse in his backyard, he had only one request—that it be unforgettable.
Connected to the main residence in Berlare, Belgium, by an underground corridor that leads guests up a spiral staircase, Alex Guesthouse is a three-story retreat encompassing a basement cinema and bar, a main living floor, and a watchtower surveying the Schelde river. Its sculptural, layered form was created off-site with laminated wood, then built on the property and clad in Cor-Ten steel. The undulating interiors give this backyard cabin a whimsical, grotto-like feel.
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Photo: Tim Van de Velde
![](https://myproperty.life/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/this-beguiling-guesthouse-in-belgium-has-an-underground-cinema-and-a-watchtower-2.jpg)
Photo: Tim Van de Velde
![](https://myproperty.life/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/this-beguiling-guesthouse-in-belgium-has-an-underground-cinema-and-a-watchtower-3.jpg)
Photo: Tim Van de Velde
See the full story on Dwell.com: This Beguiling Guesthouse in Belgium Has an Underground Cinema and a Watchtower