Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, is reimagining sustainable travel with KOJA*, a micro space tree house designed by Finnish designer Kristian Talvitie. The design received an honourable mention in the 2021 Polestar Design Contest. Preparing for the launch of the 2022 contest, Polestar decided to bring KOJA to life.
Built in the village of Fiskars, an art and design hub in southwestern Finland, KOJA is the first submission from the Polestar Design Contest to be realised in full-scale. KOJA is part of the ‘House by an Architect’ exhibition during the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, open from May to September 2022.
“We were fascinated by the idea and how it translates our brand values into a different environment. That was key for us, and we were so impressed that we decided to build it,” says Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design at Polestar.
A response to the 2021 Polestar Design Contest theme of “progress”, KOJA redefines sustainable travel by reducing the need for travel in the first place, yet still brings people closer to nature. Attached to a tree trunk just below the canopy, the design maximises the treetop view with a panoramic glazed façade. A rich, immersive experience in a natural environment. KOJA connects to the growing micro space trend and this tree house is accessible for people who would otherwise take a much longer trip to experience the wilderness. KOJA encapsulates both Polestar design language and sustainability values, minimising the use of material and energy while maximising the experience.
“Most designers look at design from a user perspective,” says the designer of KOJA, Kristian Talvitie. “I also look at things from the environment’s perspective. There should be a symbiosis between the design and where it’s encountered.”
To translate the design into reality, Kristian Talvitie has been working closely with the Polestar Design team in Gothenburg, Sweden, and with colleagues at Finnish design agency Ultra. Created from sustainable and durable materials such as locally sourced wood and wool, KOJA blends in with its natural environment and at the same time creates an eye-catching contrast – much like Polestar’s cars.
