Sri Lanka-based 3D visualizer and architectural designer Thilina Liyanage has made some of the most spectacular architectural designs that correlate to their surroundings beautifully. For example, there’s a goldfish-shaped bar overlooking an ocean, a jagged bungalow resting upon a rocky beach, a hideaway cabin hanging from the side of a jungle cliff, and a bird-beak-shaped restaurant cantilevering off the precipice of a mountain. And while they’re all just conceptual, his renders look realistic and are awe-striking.
The Sky Restaurants
The Sky Restaurants, wholly suspended from the precipice of the mountain, give you a thrill as you dine and a breathtaking birds-eye view of a valley. The pitcher plant inspired the design. Its boat-like base projects from the slope, cantilevering the entire structure out over the mountainous terrain. The roof above is slightly raised and secured with cables to the mountain for structural support. As many of his designs do, the designer uses curved bamboo pieces, giving the building a natural and tropical vibe.
Cliff Cabins
Liyanage’s Cliff Cabins – remote, escapist getaways and villas stationed in a rugged rainforest, off the sides of a steep jungle cliff – are equally thrilling. These retreats appear to hover in midair, resting atop four support beams bored into the cliff-side and held in place by four high-tensile cables attached to the cabin’s roof and the cliff’s edge. The structure takes on a primarily triangular shape and is made of right triangle glazed glass facades and metal cladding. However, the cabin is made entirely of natural wood elements inside, creating a cozy atmosphere in contrast to the daunting and durable exterior.
Goldfish Beach Bar
Many of Liyanage’s designs stand out for their seamless interweaving of natural materials like bamboo and wooden beams to create inhabitable models of wildlife and other natural forms. For example, the Beach Bar is a bamboo beach shack designed to resemble a scaled-up model of a goldfish. It’s clad in a fish-scale-inspired golden fabric, so when the lamps are on, and the sun sets, the fish radiates with a glorious warm glow. The space right beneath the fish’s tail provides seating, while its hollow body serves as the bar + counter area. The designer has made the Beach Bars 3D model available to download for free so you could pop on your VR headset, visit the place, make yourself a cocktail, and enjoy a virtual walkthrough!
The Ocean Cabin
The Ocean Cabin is a neat, A-frame cabin built on a giant boulder facing the ocean. It’s the ideal environment to escape society and its traffic, unrest, and constant bad news. You might even decide never to return, remaining there to live in the tranquility of isolation. The cabin-on-a-rock looks sharp and jagged like the rocky beach below, thanks to its A-frame design. But while the outside is rough, the all-wood interior is exceptionally warm and inviting. The cabin sits on stilts, so you’ll have to climb several flights of stairs before you make it in; although, that should give you a spectacular view of the coast and the lush greenery behind you. The ocean-facing façade is full glass, ensuring you always have a panoramic sea view. At the back, the slanted skylight provides you with sleep under a blanket of stars.
