![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_hero-1-1.gif)
Croatian mountain lodge by Tomislav Soldo designed to light up like a lantern through diagonal shutters
Black-painted larch clads this small house in Croatia, designed by architect Tomislav Soldo for a hill overlooking forests and mountains.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_10-1-852x503.jpg)
Soldo designed the two-storey Black Lodge for a sloped site in Gorski Kotar, a mountainous region in Croatia, with large windows to provide views of the surroundings.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_2-1-852x568.jpg)
Like other residences in the region, the 100-square-metre house has a pitched roof, a compact layout and a wooden facade.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_7-1-852x1278.jpg)
In this instance, the architect chose Siberian larch cladding, which is painted with black tar that penetrates deep into the wood to offer protection over a long period of time.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_6-1-852x568.jpg)
At night-time, the wooden shutters with diagonal panels that are placed in front of the windows allow artificial light to seep through. The architect says it lights the residence up like a lantern.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_11-1-852x568.jpg)
"The appearance of a daytime black compact and seemingly monolithic structure is altered in the evening by switching the lights on," said the architect.
"The house becomes a delicate, almost lantern-like object, casting light on its surroundings through the shutter slots, imitating the sun rays that illuminate the interior during the day."
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_9-1-852x1278.jpg)
The walls of the house are made with 30-centimetre-thick aerated concrete block walls, intended to speed up the construction and reduce the need for further thermal insulation.
An open-plan kitchen, living and dining room occupy the ground floor, where there is also a bathroom. Doors from the kitchen open to an outdoor summer kitchen and terrace.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_0-1-852x539.jpg)
Neutral finishes, including white-painted walls and light wooden flooring, are used throughout the house and offset by accents of black on lounge chairs and pendant lighting.
In the lounge, there is also a black wood-burning stove that has benches fitted into the wall on either side.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_4-1-852x548.jpg)
The bedroom is located on a mezzanine level with views into the living space. A large window projects from the front of the house.
![Black Lodge by Tomislav Soldo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/black-lodge-tomislav-soldo-architecture-residential_dezeen_2364_col_1-1-852x568.jpg)
Other blackened-wood houses include a stilted residence in Austria designed for a pair of teachers and a residence in Melbourne intended to provide sanctuary for sleeping-disorder sufferer.
Photography is by Jure Živković.