Set on the edge of a lake adjacent to a quaint stacked-stone wall, a strange wooden structure hovers several feet above the water. Its facade is covered in thin, peeled vertical logs, its copper-clad roof rising in an unusual curved shape. If you were to pass it by day, you’d only see the reflection of the landscape in the huge floor-to-ceiling window facing the water. But at night, when the structure is illuminated from within, its unusual interior is exposed: giant honeycomb shapes filled with bee-related imagery, and pod-like seating reminiscent of egg sacs.

From far away, the apiary looks much smaller than it really is. It’s not until you enter that you realize its true scale, with a copper-lined ceiling that rises all the way to the peak of the roof. The exhibits and seating inside were arranged so that you wind your way through, taking it all in before reaching the final reward: the view. Invisible Studio designed the picture window so it juts out from the wall, its glass floor offering a view straight down into the water below. Best of all might be the fact that the architects successfully crafted this lovely attraction on such an unlikely site. Occupying a former landfill, the apiary certainly makes better use of the lakeside location.

“The Beezantium has been designed to provide a sensory, otherworldly experience,” says Piers Taylor, director of Invisible Studio. “It appears jewel like, quirky, and playful – almost like a fol...