Austrian firm Precht used animated characters 'Minions' to inspire a modular hotel design

Inspiration can often come from the strangest of places, but in this case the word “strange” really doesn’t cut it. Austrian architecture firm Precht used Minions as one of the starting blocks for its newly unveiled modular hotel project, Bert.

Yes, you read that correctly. The stout yellow creatures with begoggled eyes and annoying voices from the popular animated movie franchise Despicable Me helped inspire the overall shape and look of the design, which was created for tiny house startup Baumbau.

“We believe [the] future of tourism is not in large hotels and mass tourism, but rather in special buildings that offer a unique experience. With Bert, we cater to the people who seek adventure, nature and inspiration,” Baumbau chief executive Rudolf Obauer said.

The likeness to Minions is pretty obvious when you examine the pictures; the design features an upright cylindrical trunk with large cylindrical portholes with balconies sticking out that resemble their eyes.

Each module is stacked over and around the last in a kind of Fibonacci sequence to create a structure that looks as if it’s growing naturally out of the ground. The modules include kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

Inside, the structure is clad in dark fabric to make it feel as if you’re rugged up in a dark, cosy cave. On the outside are wood shingles that come in various colours to help blend into the natural surrounds. There are also steel versions of Bert for areas without tree coverage.

The whole thing is capable of being off the grid, with solar panels on the roof, a compost toilet, and a water treatment facility on the ground floor.

“We are fully aware that architecture is this serious and profound craft with a long culture and tradition,” Precht studio co-founder Chris Precht said of the unique inspiration.

“We took a playful look at this project and wanted to create a rather unique character than a conventional building. A quirky looking character that becomes part of the wildlife of a forest. I think this quirkiness can create feelings and emotions. And maybe these are attributes in architecture that are missing these days.”

Precht studio co-founder Fei Tang Precht said designing the modular building was particularly fun.

“The process to create Bert was a very joyful one, and we constantly had a smile on our faces, because he seems more like a cartoonish character than a building,” she said. “I think this project creates some emotional connections and, in the end, we believe, this is the task of architecture and the future of tourism.”

“We tried to look at Bert from this perspective. How would children imagine a treehouse? As architects, no matter if young or old, we have an inner child that looks at the world with playfulness and curiosity. That curiosity makes us want to explore, experiment and create. That same curiosity gave birth to Bert.”

The designers chose the name Bert from their other big inspiration: Sesame Street. That’s right, the long-suffering sidekick to the affable Ernie will now be immortalised in timber and steel.

The smallest version of Bert comes with a price tag of $194,556 (€120.000), but can be upgraded and enhanced with various different modules. Baumbau is planning to have the first shipment of Bert ready by March next year.