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The canopy at the entrance to the lodge – by Tenthouse Structures – mimics the canopies over the rooms. The two beehive-shaped buildings on the left, inspired by traditional dwellings of the Lozi people, house the shop and library. They each feature a skylight in the apex of the dome that allows a beam of sunlight to illuminate the interior. The thick walls help to keep the interiors cool -
A floating timber-and-steel jetty, complete with a fire pit for dining and drinks, links the lodge to the river. It also gives guests easy access to the boats used for sunset cruises, birding and fishing. -
A floating timber-and-steel jetty, complete with a fire pit for dining and drinks, links the lodge to the river. It also gives guests easy access to the boats used for sunset cruises, birding and fishing. -
In the bedroom suites, glass doors slide open to provide unobstructed views of the river flowing gently by, creating the illusion of floating on water. Sliding mesh screens ensure safety, and sailcloth canopies overhead deflect heat, keeping the interiors cool. The bathrooms were prefabricated and installed on site. Every unit also has an outside shower and plunge pool. -
In the bedroom suites, glass doors slide open to provide unobstructed views of the river flowing gently by, creating the illusion of floating on water. Sliding mesh screens ensure safety, and sailcloth canopies overhead deflect heat, keeping the interiors cool. The bathrooms were prefabricated and installed on site. Every unit also has an outside shower and plunge pool. -
Perfect for private dining, the timber decks with sunken built-in seating are at just the right height to provide a link between the room and the water. -
Fox Browne Creative’s effortlessly chic mix of antique and Mid-century Scandi dining chairs – from antiques shops and Mezzanine – combined with dramatic copper pendant lamps from Sutherlands Home Furnishing creates a cosy focal point around the table. The curved wall of the temperature controlled wine room mirrors the curved walls of traditional Lozi buildings. Flanking the glass doors to the wine room are two cabinets from Amatuli. -
Railway-sleeper cladding on the walls and copper cladding on the cocktail bar add warmth to the main lounge, where oversized bean bags contribute to the casual chic ambience. The pendant lamps are from WireWorld, and the sofa and armchair were designed by Fox Browne Creative and made by Hark Design. -
A two-tiered pool gives guests the option of swimming in the deep rim-flow section or wallowing in the shallows to cool off while enjoying river views. Even better viewing is to be had while reclining on loungers from Igneous Concrete, which are made of a resin based polyconcrete. -
Because of the lodge’s location within a conservation area, minimal impact on the environment was key. To encourage indigenous flora and fauna to thrive around the rooms, a wetland was reestablished. This gives the lodge the feeling of being surrounded by water. Landscaper Tore Ballance used a combination of basalt rock, river sand, indigenous plants and leadwood logs – all elements of the Zambezi River. -
The spa and gym, housed in domed buildings similar to the reception and library, sit harmoniously in the wetland landscape against a backdrop of tall trees on the river bank.
PHOTOS DOOK PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes WORDS Jane Broughton
Located on the water’s edge, the safari-style suites at Thorntree River Lodge give the illusion of drifting down the Zambezi River on a boat.
African Bush Camps – a safari outfit started by professional safari guide Beks Ndlovu – was until recently best known for its explorer-style camps in Zimbabwe and Botswana, including flagship Somalisa Camp in Hwange National Park.
Ten years on, the opening of Thorntree River Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi is not only the company’s first foray into Zambia but also its hippest, most sophisticated property to date. Located upstream from Victoria Falls in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, close to Livingstone, the lodge’s suites sprawl between a bird-rich wetland and the slow-flowing waters of the Zambezi. Each has a private pool and sunken outdoor lounge.
There’s a distinct safari camp ambience, but the main inspiration for Thorntree’s design was the Zambezi. The team behind it comprised designers Alex Stovold and Cherry Hulley, Michael Kornmüller of Tenthouse Structures, builder Warwick McCance-Price of Inside Projects, and Fox Browne Creative, which collaborated with Alex and Cherry on the redesign of Somalisa Camp for Beks two years ago.
Chris Browne of Fox Browne Creative describes Beks’s style as a natural aesthetic sense of collectibles and layering, which is reflected in his camps and private homes in Zimbabwe and Cape Town. The overall effect is one of a collection that has no strict rules and no conclusion – a look that can be added to, layer by layer, over the years.
“Clean and uncluttered, the 12 suites are like shipshape river cabins, moored on the water,” says Chris, who worked closely with colleague Stefania Magni on the project. The understated nautical lines were inspired by the cruise boats that operate on the Upper Zambezi – although not here in the secluded private concession where Thorntree is situated.
Key elements include tensile hightech canvas-like material forming the roofs, walls panelled in reclaimed railway sleepers, the sheen of Zambian copper sheets, and locally sourced reed ceilings. A calming palette of soft blues, from indigo dip-dyed curtains designed by Johannesburg-based artist Ira Bekker to cerulean fish-print cushions, completes the sense of floating down the river. A double layer of sliding doors on three sides of the suites include a steel mesh layer that functions as a mosquito net while securing the space.
With the glass layer opened wide and the steel layer closed, a fresh breeze blows through the suite, and the sounds of hippos and birds can still be enjoyed. Further design inspiration was drawn from the Lozi, a group of people who traditionally relocated seasonally up and down the river following their king, for the design of beehive-shaped structures that house the reception, library, shop and spa.
In the main areas of the lodge, floor to ceiling glass stacking doors were the obvious solution, blurring the boundaries between the river and sophisticated spaces for relaxing and dining. The furnishings are a mix of second-hand pieces and Mid-century Scandi furniture such as rattan sofas and curved slatted chairs.
Fine designs and luxury amenities aside, Beks is quick to point out that he is not a hotelier. “As safari camp operators, we’re used to canvas and being immersed in the sights and sounds of the wild. We wanted to bring those elements into play here, while also providing our guests with an easy transition from the intimacy of a small bush camp to a lodge close to Victoria Falls – as an antidote to the bustling hotel experience more typical of the area.” Mission accomplished then.
