By coincidence we came across a hidden kid hut on the outskirts of the centre of Arendal, concealed within the dense foliage of a copper beech (Fagus sylvatica forma Purpurea).
The locality was placed within an abandoned area consisting of the ruins of a 19th century wooden house, a barn and an overgrown outhouse. The worm-infested tall grass surrounding the site made access somewhat difficult, and vermin had moved into the vacant ruins.
However, inside the ruins of the house there were also signs of recent activity. Adolescents had taken their time to spray graffiti messages across several rooms, some of which read "Mum" (Norwegian: Mor), perhaps suggesting that the pieces were made by children in a transitory phase towards adolescence, awaiting to leave home and finding their own place. It is possible that the artists also constructed the nearby kid hut, which was supported on some solid branches 3 meters above the ground. Several artefacts were found close by, including a chair and a sofa that seemed to have been dragged out from the ruins to be used in connection with the tree hut. However, most of these artefacts were now being reclaimed by vegetation. In any event, building material was plenty inside the barn, and part of the hut had been constructed with parts of the ruins, including the use of a door as part of a platform.
The dense tree canopy seemed to make a roof somewhat superfluous. In fact, the dense vegetation which concealed the hut, the availability of building materials, and the exploratory possibilities within the ruins made the site an ideal spot for a kid hut. Condemned by the authorities, the site had probably nevertheless been secretly occupied for years.
By coincidence we came across a hidden kid hut on the outskirts of the centre of Arendal, concealed within the dense foliage of a copper beech (Fagus sylvatica forma Purpurea).
The locality was placed within an abandoned area consisting of the ruins of a 19th century wooden house, a barn and an overgrown outhouse. The worm-infested tall grass surrounding the site made access somewhat difficult, and vermin had moved into the vacant ruins.
However, inside the ruins of the house there were also signs of recent activity. Adolescents had taken their time to spray graffiti messages across several rooms, some of which read "Mum" (Norwegian: Mor), perhaps suggesting that the pieces were made by children in a transitory phase towards adolescence, awaiting to leave home and finding their own place. It is possible that the artists also constructed the nearby kid hut, which was supported on some solid branches 3 meters above the ground. Several artefacts were found close by, including a chair and a sofa that seemed to have been dragged out from the ruins to be used in connection with the tree hut. However, most of these artefacts were now being reclaimed by vegetation. In any event, building material was plenty inside the barn, and part of the hut had been constructed with parts of the ruins, including the use of a door as part of a platform.
The dense tree canopy seemed to make a roof somewhat superfluous. In fact, the dense vegetation which concealed the hut, the availability of building materials, and the exploratory possibilities within the ruins made the site an ideal spot for a kid hut. Condemned by the authorities, the site had probably nevertheless been secretly occupied for years.
