The Arctic Circle getting a hotel that produces more energy than it uses

With the Arctic Circle opening up more and more to tourism, maintaining the delicate eco-system is a concern for sustainable travellers.

In collaboration with Arctic Adventures of Norway, Asplan Viak and Skanska, Snøhetta has designed "Svart" the world’s first Powerhouse hotel, at the foot of the Svartisen glacier that runs through Meløy municipality in northern Norway. The hotel will be situated just above the Arctic Circle.

"Svart" is the first building to be built after the energy positive Powerhouse standard in a Northern climate. Not only does this new hotel reduces its yearly energy consumption by approximately 85% compared to a modern hotel, but it also produces its own energy – an absolute "must" in this precious arctic environment. The hotel will also become the world’s northernmost Powerhouse building.

Designed as a circular extension of the Holandsfjord shoreline, Svart is the Arctic Circle’s first energy net-positive hotel and also achieves Powerhouse design criteria—over a 60-year period, it will generate more renewable energy than it would be required to build, operate, and theoretically demolish it.

Inspired by the forms of local fishermen’s homes and fish-drying structures, the circular hotel is supported over the fjord on weather-resistant wooden poles that also double as a summer boardwalk.

Svart extends in a circle from the shoreline, giving guests a panoramic view of the clear waters of Holandsfjorden fjord and the surrounding mountains. In the summer, guests can stroll around the hotel on the boardwalk and in warmer weather they can even kayak underneath the structure.

"Nature in the Arctic is fragile and pristine," said Snøhetta project manager Zenul Khan in a statement. "We have to respect the beauty of the location and not ruin what makes Svartisen an attraction in the first place." That, he admits was an "extremely challenging task." The site is sensitive in its flora and fauna, and experiences extremely cold temperatures and less solar intensity than equatorial climates, so building materials need to be properly weather-resistant.

The resulting design is a circular wood building set on poles that effectively extends the shoreline over the fjord. It’s a design that is informed by nature and built for visitors’ appreciation of it. Referencing the forms of local fishermen’s summer homes as well as fish-drying structures, crossing supports create a two-tiered configuration that leaves a minimal footprint on the site. The hotel, with surrounding views of the fjord and mountain, "floats" above a summer boardwalk, which also allows paddlers to explore the water below.

Despite the challenges of the site, the Svart hotel will achieve a net-positive energy output. Rooftop solar panels, geothermal wells, and the geometry of the building have been optimized to reduce consumption, 85 percent less compared to contemporary hospitality peers. But, the structure’s sustainability goes further, accounting for the embodied energy used to produce, transport, and build the structure, as well as in daily operations and eventual demolition. It is the northernmost building and the first hotel to achieve this level of sustainable design. Explained Khan: "By building such a sustainable structure, we thrive to encourage a more sustainable approach to tourism by making our society conscious and aware of the way we live, travel, and experience exotic locations responsibly."

The hotel can only be reached by water and there are plans to introduce an energy-neutral shuttle boat from the nearest town of Bodø, the capital of Nordland and the gateway to Norway’s north. Svart is a collaboration between renowned architect firm Snøhetta and Arctic Adventure of Norway, who wish to become the leader of sustainable tourism in the country.

 "Building in such a precious environment comes with some clear obligations in terms of preserving the natural beauty and the fauna and flora of the site", said Snøhetta’s Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. "Building an energy positive and low-impact hotel is an essential factor to create a sustainable tourist destination respecting the unique features of the plot; the rare plant species, the clean waters and the blue ice of the Svartisen glacier."

Completion of the project is planned for 2021.

Images: Snøhetta/Plompmozes

Valere Tjolle

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