Birds and Humans to Cohabitate at Treehotel´s NEW Room

Designed in close collaboration with Treehotel and Swedish ornithologist Ulf Öhman, the new BIG-designed hotel room will bring 350 bird houses to the renowned Treehotel in the small village of Harads, Swedish Lapland. Suspended in the pines of Harads, BIG’s design seeks to enhance the surrounding biosphere and is the eighth hotel room on the property.

The hotel room titled Biosphere is the latest addition to Treehotel, which includes individually designed rooms from some of Scandinavia’s most renowned architects including Snöhetta, Rintala Eggerstsson and Tham & Videgård among others. BIG was invited to design the eight room by founders Kent and Britta Jonsson-Lindvall in 2020. Situated about 70 minutes drive from Luleå airport in northern Sweden, the 34m2 Biosphere is designed to attract wildlife and to fully immerse guests in the surrounding forest. The room will be open for visitors in May, 2022.

“I got to spend a few days and nights in some of the Treehotels rooms right before the pandemic, and left with a sense of rejuvenation from a complete immersion in nature. I couldn’t help wondering if there was a way to take the immersion one step further – and almost instantly the idea of inviting not only the human visitors but also the resident bird and bat population to cohabit a spherical swarm of nests came to life. After our first conversations with the chairman of the Norrbotten Ornithological Association we were relieved to learn that birds don’t leave droppings where they nest – so there is hope for the glass to remain clear within this cloud of aviary architecture.” BIG Founder & Creative Director, Bjarke Ingels.

Northern Sweden is known for its natural beauty, expansive forests, and distinctive biosphere. Strong climatic contrasts through the seasons have required highly resilient buildings, incorporating the local materials of wood and stone. The Treehotel is known for its broad variety of cabins, with each cabin having a distinct identity that responds and interacts differently with the surrounding forest. Biosphere amplifies Treehotel’s focus on sustainability and natural tourism, helping facilitate the conservation of the local bird population: the treetop hotel room with a façade containing 270 bird nests, Treehotel aims to decrease the downward spiral of the bird population in the Swedish woods and instead strengthen the biosphere and natural habitat.

“We are very happy to initiate a project together with yet another group of leading Scandinavian architects, the renowned Danish BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. This completes our goal of working with architects from all the Scandinavian countries,” explains Kent Lindvall, founder and co-owner of Treehotel.“We have always depended heavily upon our leading Scandinavian architects, who have helped us build a holistic view – from the smallest to the largest details- of the design process. We have been waiting for the right time and the right architect for our next step. The fact that our eighth room will be created in collaboration with Danish BIG, at this very point in time, and with a future-focused concept where the natural environment becomes an interactive part of the experience, feels perfect,” concludes Kent Lindvall.

Biosphere is accessed via a suspended bridge that slopes from the ground to the top of the trees. The interior of the 34m2 hotel room incorporates rich dark interiors and organic materials inspired by the surrounding landscape, which further serve to reinforce the visitors’ view outwards and to focus on the natural beauty of the surroundings.

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