Arknat visited Norrbotten – architecture meets nature along the Solanderleden trail
The internationally acclaimed architecture festival Arknat visited Norrbotten in the summer of 2026. The festival, which has received great attention both nationally and internationally since its start in 2017, unites architecture, nature and social development by allowing students from architecture and engineering programs to create unique buildings in natural landscapes. The Norrbotten Region hosted the festival, which this time took place along the Solanderleden trail between Piteå and Luleå.
Architecture festival visited Norrbotten
In the summer of 2026, the internationally renowned architecture festival Arknat was held in Norrbotten. Over two intensive summer weeks worked Fifteen architect- and engineering students from Sweden and Europe together - for to create three location-specific wind protection along the approximately 23-mile long Solander Trail between Kallax south of Luleå to Jävre south of Piteå
The festival followed Arknat's proven method where the students first visited their respective locations to get to know the landscape, the history of the place and local conditions. Based on these impressions, they developed their own design proposal makes then developed further i team and was traded to reality on a scale of 1:1. From idea and koncept to finished wind protection was carried out whole processes of hardly two ¥ weeks.
The three windbreaks were built at Långberget, Högberget and Flyggtjärn and were designed to function as rest areas, meeting points and architectural experiences in nature. projects was carried out i near cooperation between students, municipalities, business, landowner and civil society w/ focus of sustainability, outdoor life and local site development.
When the festival concluded with a public opening on July 23, the completed works were presented to the public. The windbreaks will now be managed by the non-profit association Solanderleden and will contribute to strengthening the trail's attractiveness for regional, national and international visitors. Arknet Norrbotten var at the same time one example of how architecture and shaped habitat can to be used makes tool - for to develop attractive and sustainable places.
Find the windbreaks
Wind shelter Skogsrået at Flyggtjärn in Rosfors
65°34'47.9"N 21°26'56.6"E
Have you heard the story of Skogsrået? According to Nordic folklore, this enigmatic creature is the protector of the forest. It is said that she sometimes appears to those who walk through the forest, usually in the form of a woman in a beautiful dress and with long, flowing hair. She is helpful and friendly to those who protect nature, but those who do not show respect for nature can get into trouble or get lost. According to legend, you can recognize Skogsrået by her hollow back, which resembles an old, hollowed-out tree trunk. The story has taken shape in front of you. Her long, beautiful dress sweeps in the wind where she stands between the birch trunks. When the wind catches the fabric, the dress blows up, creating a sheltered place where you can crawl in and rest for a while with a view of the lake. Those who dare can climb up through the hole in her back and reach the lookout tower high up among the trees. Welcome to Skogsrået!
Wind shelter 45° on Högberget in Jävre
65°08'11.5"N 21°29'38.8"E
45° is a windbreak inspired by the natural rock formations shaped and placed by the last ice age. The starting point is a simple cube, a clear geometric shape that creates a conscious contrast to the organic landscape. By turning the cube 45 degrees, the simple volume changes and creates a series of spatial experiences, a protected sleeping loft, a place to sit and gather, and openings that frame the landscape and let in daylight. The windbreak is carefully placed between trees and mountains to give the feeling that it has always belonged on the site. Instead of competing with nature and the view, the architecture acts as an addition that enhances the site's own qualities. As you get closer, the experience gradually changes. What from a distance appears as a simple cube reveals new rooms, angles and relationships between inside and outside. In this way, architecture becomes a way to discover and experience nature from new perspectives.
Wind shelter Two on Långberget in Alvik
65°34'17.5"N 21°48'32.8"E
Welcome to the shelter Två. Here you can climb into the bird's nest, pour a cup of coffee from the thermos and look out over the landscape. Or you can crawl into the cave and make your way to the shelter for the night, protected from wind, rain and snow. If we had been standing here ten thousand years ago, we would have been under the sea. The boulders scattered across the mountain were ground down by the sea water until the land uplift turned the mountain into an island and finally a mainland. Doesn't it almost look as if someone has cut pieces of cake out of the mountain and dropped them here and there? The pine trees that grow here are not really that old, but in contrast to the flat stone mounds, they rise towards the sky. Together, the stones and trees form a place where both the horizontal and vertical coexist. This is precisely what Två takes advantage of in its architectural design. Two identical wooden structures face each other, one perched between three tree trunks and the other sunken into the rock. We'll let your imagination tell the rest of the story...
Who made it possible?
Arknat Norrbotten was a collaboration between Arknat, Region Norrbotten via Arctic Design Center, Solanderleden, Piteå Municipality and Luleå Municipality. Sparbanken Nord participated as a co-financier of the festival.
The festival is co-organized within the regional development project Arctic Design Center . A collaborative project between Region Norrbotten, Region Västerbotten, Skellefteå Municipality and the Foundation for Swedish Industrial Design with the aim of establishing a node for the policy area for designed living environment in upper Norrland. Co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
This summer's partners also included Sweco, SCA, Strong-Tie, Cramo and XL-BYGG Stenvalls.
Contact information:
Martin Björklund, project manager Arknat
E-mail: martin.bjorklund@yahoo.se
Carolina Weinz, strategist for sustainable community development and housing supply, Norrbotten Region
E-mail: carolina.lundmark-weinz@norrbotten.se
