The hotel is designed by Snohetta Architects (an Oslo based company), and has been commissioned by Arctic Adventure of Norway. The hotel is circular in form, and it “extends from the shoreline by the foot of the Svartisen glacier, and into the clear waters of the Arctic fjord,” as stated in its official website. The wonder-hotel’s circular form allows guests to enjoy panoramic views of the fjord.
Keeping an eye on responsible tourism, the hotel is set to be designed in such a fashion that it would suspend above the water. Its V-shaped stilts will be in place to reduce deep environmental impact. The poles that run down into the fjord would be constructed from weather-resistant wood. The sun’s energy will be concentrated towards those areas that usually require more power, these include restaurants and bars.
The designers working on the hotel have set local structures as their reference points, and their design would ensure that the hotel resist hard weather. The two prominent styles are ‘hjell,’ which is a wooden structure used to dry fish, and ‘rorbu cabins,’ which are basically seasonal homes of fishermen. The hotel is designed to be built at such an angle that it will be capable of deflecting harmful winds.
Being conscious
The hotel is definitely a step forward in the cause for environment friendly travel, and it is of course set in one of the most delicate parts of the world. As Kjetil Traedal Thorsen, Founding Partner, Snohetta, said that the sustainable building that is being built for the hotel, will leave minimum environmental footprint, and will also promote Norway as a sustainable tourist destination.
