Immersed in the Norwegian wilderness, the world’s first energy-positive hotel and spa – Svart – will open in 2024 as a Six Senses resort, following the signing of an agreement between the operator and the hotel’s owner, Svart Eiendom AS.

The circular glass-fronted property will be built on stilts and hover above the clear waters of the Holandsfjorden, at the base of the Svartisen glacier. The word Svart means black and blue in old Norse – a reference to the way the light plays on the glacier through the long Arctic winters and summers.

Designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, with interiors overseen by Space Copenhagen, the aim is for Svart to be fully carbon-positive, including zero waste to landfill within the first five years of operation. The team is also working to ensure the 94-room hotel is built with a minimal environmental footprint.

Six Senses has earned a reputation as one of the most sustainably-minded hospitality brands on the market, thanks to its dedication to integrating sustainability throughout its operation – including its spa operations.

Wellness is ingrained deep within Six Senses’ philosophy and the brand has plans to ensure wellness will be the beating heart of the destination.

“Building a unique environment through cutting-edge design and superior craftsmanship comes with clear obligations, so creating a sustainable destination through an optimised resort operation requires us to collaborate with the right partner,” said Ivaylo Lefterov, Svart development director.

“Six Senses shares the same ethos and ambition, to redefine bespoke travel through technological innovation, a carbon-neutral approach, ground-breaking design and an exceptional guest journey.”

Integrative wellness
In line with the nature-first ethos behind the property, Six Senses Svart will house an indoor-outdoor spa, which will allow guests to soak up the benefits of the stunning backdrop. The spa was originally designed by consultant Felicity Leahy, and is now being fine-tuned in line with Six Senses’ approach.

Wellness at the property will extend beyond the walls of the spa and fitness centre to become an integrated experience. Svart plans to cover the ‘full gambit’ of integrated wellness, from compression boots and vitamin IVs in the biohacking lounge, to all-round wellness in the sensory treatment suites.

Guests will also enjoy state-of-the-art fitness equipment and wearable tech integration, including a specially-developed Svart Touch wellness concierge concept that Six Senses says will “further elevate the brand’s wellness approach”.

The new technology will be integrated into each guest room and delivered via non-invasive touchless consoles. It’s claimed the platform will adapt the room to the guest’s state of mind and health, providing intuitive options to evoke a deeper sense of wellbeing.

Six Senses Svart will have four restaurants – including an interpretation of Six Senses’ Marketplace concept – and an Alchemy Bar highlighting the history of the region.

A centre for engagement and innovation, the Earth Lab at Svart will serve as a sustainability outreach space, showcasing lifecycle living initiatives on and off the property.

There will also be a Svart Design Lab, which will act as an incubator for innovation and education for guests to better understand how new technologies can bring the hospitality sector closer to carbon neutrality, as part of a cradle-to-cradle lifestyle hospitality offering.

Space Copenhagen – founded in 2005 by Peter Bundgaard and Signe Bindslev Henriksen – has designed the hotel in its signature style of ‘Poetic Modernism’

Henriksen said: “The design aesthetic does not seek to mimic or filter the magnificence of the Norwegian landscape, but to be a humble backdrop to it. The building itself – an unbroken, seamless circle – will become a portal dedicated to enhancing human connection to nature, the seasons and to time itself”.

The design vision for Six Senses Svart is influenced by a ‘fiskehjell’ (an a-shaped wooden structure for drying fish) and the ‘rorbu’ (a coastal fisherman’s cabin).

A project of firsts
CEO of Six Senses Neil Jacobs said: “Sustainable properties call for extraordinary creativity, and Six Senses Svart – our first property in Scandinavia – takes us to 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.”

Six Senses says the building will harvest enough solar energy to power the hotel, adjacent operations, the boat shuttle, and the energy needed to actually construct the building – rendering it independent from the grid.

“Such energy-positive buildings could deliver 89 per cent of the 45 per cent decrease in emissions required to reach the scenario where global warming is limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels,” says Jacobs.

“As such, Six Senses Svart is the northernmost implementation of the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that carbon neutrality can not only be feasible in a sophisticated development at an eco-sensitive site, but can also be profitable.

“The project has been a long time in the planning to make sure all parts of the operation support the vision from the start, rather than being bolted on as an afterthought,” said Jacobs. “The result will set a new standard in carbon-neutral travel.”

Leading by example
Six Senses believes the operation at the destination will inspire guests and raise awareness of the possibilities of regenerative travel and the importance of the polar region, in partnership with the local community. It states that inherent in the project is the commitment not to compromise the fragile and pristine glacial surroundings or the property’s beauty and quality.