A youth hostel in Germany using old camper vans as rooms...

http://www.basecampbonn.de/

An ingenious way of being retro, yet trendy and upcycling those long loved camper vans.

Each room is different; with all the not-so-now-mod cons of caravanning and with the outdoor space of terraces and deckchairs - without the threat of rain.

It feels a cross between a camping site and an indoor soft play area. Makes you think of all the possibilities for those wiggly-tin retail parks - perhaps there is a need for something like that over here in the UK...?

I think the childish glee comes from my memories of the Caravan and Camping Show at the GMEX, Manchester. I used to love going there as a child - all the different spaces and intimate places within this huge vast cavern.

Since doing this project all the dots throughout my life have been joining up! I never realised how important a 'sense of space' has been to me.

http://www.caravanshows.com/

http://www.niccolopandolfini.com/2013/10/base-camp-hostel-indoor/

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187370-d4311779-Reviews-BaseCamp_Bonn-Bonn_North_Rhine_Westphalia.html

http://www.designboom.com/design/indoor-campground-hostel-hosts-vintage-rvs-as-rooms-10-04-2013/

In some ways, this type of environment is inviting interactions between different groups of guests - the way it's set up almost feels as though the boundaries are blurred. You are not quite sure what 'belongs' that which caravan and so, this push-pull idea of 'permission' comes into play. Perfect for groups of young people!