Picture: Treehotel Instagram
Northern Sweden is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, vast forests, and unique biome.
With this magnificent landscape as the hotel’s backdrop, the Treehotel was founded in 2010 by the couple Kent and Britta Lindvall, who are also the co-owners.
Suspended from and around the trunks of pine trees, their main focus has always been to create spaces that reflect the environment through the designs.
Treehotel's first rooms, each with their own unique personalities and ways of interacting with nature that surrounds them, were designed in collaboration with a number of Scandinavian designers, ranging from the glistening Mirror Cube to the branch-covered Bird's Nest.
On their latest addition, architects and designers from Bjarke Ingels Group, more popularly referred to as BIG, as well as local bird specialists, were consulted to construct the awe-inspiring “Biosphere”, the eighth entry in the series.
The project was led by Ulf Ӧhman, an ornithologist and chairman of the Norrbotten County Ornithological Association. Ӧhman explained that deforestation and climate change have contributed to the decline of various local bird populations, and that bird nests near Biosphere could help to mitigate those losses.
BIG shared more insight into this on their website stating: “By designing a treetop hotel room with a façade of bird nests, the aim of Biosphere is to decrease the downward spiral of the bird population in the Swedish woods and, instead, strengthen the biosphere and natural habitat.”
According to the website, Dezeen, the idea for the bird box-covered room was revealed following bird experts calling for legislation to enforce the prevention of bird deaths attributed to glass façade frequently used in modern architecture.
“In late 2021, hundreds of migrating birds died after crashing into New York City's glass skyscrapers,” they reported.
Made to attract bird species and help them thrive, BIG shared more insight into the goal of their project on their website.
“Inventories in Norrbotten County, carried out both by us as ornithologists and by the County Administrative Board, show that a number of different bird populations are decreasing. deforestation has led to a reduced number of natural holes in trees where breeding bird nests.
“The installation of bird nests is, therefore, an important measure to take. Furthermore, climate change leads to the insect boom happening earlier in the year and, by the time the birds' eggs hatch, the boom has already passed.
“Feeding is an important support mechanism for the birds that stay in Northern Sweden and require food during winter,” BIG said.
Ӧhman shared that demonstrating the use of bird nests and feeding, not just at the Treehotel but for people to install near their own homes, is valuable.
“An initiative from Treehotel, to take such measures, may inspire their visitors to do the same,” he said.
As for the aesthetics of the building, the architectural firm said strong seasonal climatic variations have necessitated highly robust building forms that incorporate indigenous wood and stone resources. The hotel appears secluded, as it is accessed by a suspended footbridge.
Visitors of the hotel can blissfully enjoy a stay in the 34 square metre suite. Echoing the raw, unspoiled beauty that it exists in, the room has a textural palette that is inspired by the organic and wooded surroundings.
The hotel room's mezzanine-style arrangement will feature a living area on the lower level and a bedroom on the upper level. Birdwatching will be easy, with triple-pane, floor to ceiling windows, as well as glazed ceilings and floors, and a roof terrace will allow for uninterrupted views of the forest.
If the above isn’t enticing enough, the Treehotel has other bucket-list-worthy attractions too. From September to March, visitors have the chance to watch the Northern Lights illuminate the sky above them and, in the summertime, they have daylight all night long.
In the winter, the activities broaden tremendously, with ice-fishing, snowmobile safari, dog sledding, and more.
As for the food, the restaurant on site ties in with perfectly with the entire vibe of the hotel, with an offering of local Swedish delicacies from the northern pantry, whether it’s wild game or their finest hand-picked berries.
Opening in May this year, for those looking for something truly unique to experience on their next vacation, a night at Biosphere for two people, including breakfast, will cost 12 000 SEK (about R18 000).
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