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Natural Beauty

Just when you thought Northern Lights hotels couldn't get any quirkier than tree houses, ice hotels and glass igloos – along comes a spaceship on stilts. Svart sits at the foot of the Svartisen glacier by the Almlifjellet mountain and has a distinctive shape that emulates an extra-terrestrial cruiser.

This dramatic new hotel project in Norway's northern Salten region is an exciting mix of high design and groundbreaking sustainability.

The circular Svart hotel (named for the dark blue ice of the bordering Svartisen glacier) will project out over the Holandsfjorden fjord, and afford sweeping 360-degree views of the remote Arctic terrain. Its shape and striking structural elements — like wooden stilts that lift the building out of the water — are inspired by traditional rorbue houses and fiskehjell, used by fishermen to dry fish.

Powerhouses (or plus houses) are designed to produce more energy than they consume and use renewable sources like wind, sun and water to power their properties.

In order to meet this collective's tough criteria, the hotel will need to be built with minimal impact on the environment so the area's rare plant species and the blue ice of the Svartisen glacier remain protected.

This will be the first hotel of this kind above the Arctic Circle, and will use 85 per cent less energy than normal hotels. Anything extra will power amenities such as hairdryers and mobile phones.

Geothermal wells will harness energy from the ground below to provide heating and solar panels will be placed on the roof.

The property's circular design and large windows will not only allow guests to enjoy 360-degree views of the fjords, mountains and glaciers, but will optimise sunlight to the rooms, restaurants and terraces throughout the seasons.

Also on the cards is an energy-neutral boat shuttle from the city of Bodø to the hotel, which cannot be reached by land, and is set to open in 2021.

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