Energy-laden building: Hotel Svart by Snøhetta

The world's first energy-positive hotel has been designed by Snøhetta for a site at the bottom of Svartisen glacier in the Norwegian community of Meløy. The name Svart (black) awakens connotations with the deep blue colour of the glacier and also with linguistic history: Old Norse did not differentiate between blue and black.

The hotel's annual energy consumption will be 85 percent lower than in buildings erected according to contemporary construction standards. Located on the coast of Holandsfjorden fjord, the circular energy-efficient hotel has a design inspired by such vernacular elements as the "fiskehjell" wooden structures used for drying fish and the "rorbu" seasonal huts used by fishermen.

The hotel's load-bearing structure will consist of weather-resistant wooden poles to ensure that the building has a minimal impact on the wild natural environment. In keeping with the Powerhouse standard, only materials with low embodied energy will be used, along with geothermic wells connected to heat pumps for heating purposes. A projecting canopy is to protect the interior from direct sunshine during the summer season, while large windows will let in as much sunlight as possible in the winter months.