Norway’s new Six Senses Svart looks like Apple’s high-tech HQ

Norway is renowned for its astonishing beauty. Its deep fjords and soaring peaks; northern lights that dance across the Arctic sky. More than just the natural world, its architecture is similarly enchanting – and this new luxury resort could be among its most spectacular buildings yet.

Suspended on wooden poles above the frigid waters of Holandsfjorden fjord, moments from the base of Norway’s second largest glacier – Svartisen – the five star Six Senses Svart is described as a blueprint for the future of sustainable tourism.

Set to open its exquisite doors in 2024, it will also mark the luxury brand’s Scandinavian debut, joining existing properties in the Maldives, Fiji, and Oman. 

Designed by Norwegian firm Snøhetta, the circular, spaceship-like exterior is inspired by the country’s fishing heritage. It incorporates elements from traditional fisherman’s ‘rorbu’ cabins and the A-shaped ‘fiskehjell’ structures used for drying fish, yet the end result is anything but old hat.

The distinctive hotel is designed to connect guests with its location.

Interiors designers Space Copenhagen will deliver a warm and contemporary Scandinavian aesthetic inside, with long corridors filled with quirky artworks and artefacts, and references to the wild landscape and local heritage.

Each of its 94 guest rooms will also contain Six Senses’ unique Svart Touch wellness concierge concept – a non-invasive, touchless technology that will adapt the room to the guest’s state of mind and health, and provide intuitive options to evoke a deeper sense of well-being.

When complete, the hotel will be the first building to be designed and built in line with the highest energy-efficiency standards in the Northern Hemisphere. It will harvest enough solar energy to go back into the system, covering the hotel, adjacent operations, boat shuttle, and the energy needed to construct the building – rendering it independent from the power grid.

Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs believes sustainable properties call for extraordinary creativity, with Svart set to reach “a whole new level in terms of pushing boundaries.”

“The concept has become bigger than the project itself, as it will provide a futuristic showcase for what can be achieved in terms of sustainability and energy solutions, and therefore a blueprint within our hospitality industry and the development sector in general,” Jacobs elaborates.

Six Senses Svart takes its name from Norway's second largest glacier, Svartisen

In keeping with Six Senses’ wellness-focused DNA, guests will be encouraged to unplug and enjoy healthy eating options, as well as utilise sleep and wellness programs to help improve sleep patterns, de-stress and restore energy.

The Marketplace will be the resort’s zero-waste dining venue, where “the lines between food storage, prep, and dining are blurred to create an inviting and active environment”.

Guests can also lounge in the Experience Centre, which includes stimulating, regionally-inspired scents and scrubs at The Alchemy Bar; plus the Earth Lab and Svart Design Lab, educational areas which showcase “lifecycle living” initiatives on and off the property.