Fuglemyrhytta
A panoramic self-service cabin

2017–2018

Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Architecture

In the dense forest by one of Oslo’s most beautiful viewpoints overlooking the Oslo fjord at Vettakollen, Snøhetta has designed Fuglemyrhytta, a small self-service cabin ideal for school groups and families with small children. The space has already become a hugely popular hiking destination for people in the Oslo area. Thousands of people have visited the cabin to enjoy the view, stay the night, have a meal inside, or sitting around outside the cabin. Fuglemyrhytta is open year-round and can be booked through the Norwegian Trekking Association’s (DNT) booking system.

Fuglemyrhytta is beautifully placed on the west side of a small hill by Fuglemyra, only a short walk from the panoramic viewpoint of Vettakollen outside of Oslo, Norway. The cabin can only be accessed by foot and is situated close to the Vettakollen metro stop which connects with the city center. Fuglemyrhytta can also be accessed by foot from popular trekking destinations further away, such as Sognsvann and Frognerseteren.

Typologies

Hospitality, Sports & Activity, Recreation

Status

Completed

Location

Oslo, Norway

Client

The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT)

The area surrounding the cabin offers visitors access to a “gapahuk” shelter and benches made of timber. Behind the cabin one finds a small outhouse with a toilet and woodshed.

The cabin can accommodate up to sixteen people by day and ten people over night. Since its opening in September 2018, Fuglemyrhytta has hosted over 2 000 overnight guests – more than six times the average for similar self-service cabins – and is usually fully booked every day of the week.

One of the central attributes of the cabin is a spacious common room with a large, generous window facing southwards. Seating opportunities and an oven and stove make the space ideal for a self-made meal after a hike through the popular trails of the Nordmarka forest.
By the entry, a long hall offers a generous space for shoes and jackets. A drying room and two bedrooms add convenience and comfort to the sheltered space.

The cabin is composed of two staggered pentagonal volumes, whose shapes and height add a sense of lightness to the different rooms. The shape of the rooms further creates clever sleeping solutions and more interesting views out on the surrounding landscape.

The structure is made from cross-laminated timber and two stiffened glulam frames isolated and clad with ore-pine. The choice of locally sourced, natural materials contributes to a healthy indoor climate and ensures that the cabin has a low carbon footprint. The solid cross-laminated timber materiality also dominates the interior. Selected inside walls are treated with hard wax oil to create variations in the surfaces, and color choices ranging from light gray, burgundy and orange offer a modern take on the traditional Norwegian cabin life.

Fuglemyrhytta is owned by the City of Oslo (Oslo kommune) and is operated by the Agency for Urban Environment (Bymiljøetaten).

Introduction

Technical details