Northern Sweden, renowned for its natural beauty, expansive forests, and unique biosphere, is home to the Tree Hotel in Swedish Lapland. This distinctive hotel boasts a diverse range of cabins, each possessing a unique identity that interacts with the surrounding forest environment. The latest addition to the Tree Hotel is the biosphere treehouse, designed by Danish architectural firm BIG in close collaboration with Swedish ornithologist Ulf Öhman.
The biosphere tree house is the eighth hotel room on the property and features a facade adorned with 350 birdhouses. This innovative design seeks to reverse the decline of bird populations in Swedish forests and strengthen the biosphere and natural habitat.
The hotel room, suspended between two trees, is housed within a predominantly glazed cube. The cube is encircled by a metal lattice that supports birdhouses of varying sizes, forming a spherical shape.
Guests access the 34 square metre biosphere tree house by way of a suspended bridge that gently inclines towards the room. The interior features rich, dark colours and organic materials inspired by the surrounding landscape, directing visitors’ attention outward to appreciate the natural beauty of the environment.
The double-height living area offers large windows for observing birds and the surrounding forest, while a raised double bed provides views of the birdhouses outside.
Ulf Öhman, chairman of the Norrbotten Ornithological Association, emphasises the importance of taking measures to protect bird populations.
“Inventories in Norrbotten County, carried out both by us as ornithologists and by the County Administrative Board, show that the number of different bird populations are decreasing.
“Forestry has led to a reduced number of natural holes in trees where breeding birds nest. The installation of bird nests is therefore an important measure to take,” he explains.
The biosphere tree house not only aims to create an interesting and immersive experience for guests but also hopes to inspire them to install birdhouses near their own homes.
“Demonstrating the use of bird nests and feeding, not just at the Tree Hotel but for people to install near their own homes, is valuable,” Öhman says.
By enveloping the new hotel room in an ecological habitat, guests are afforded the opportunity to experience birdlife up close and exist at the heart of nature unfolding.
Surrounded by subtle bird songs and buffered by the exterior triple-glazing facade, guests enjoy an intimate, immersive nature experience.
