Ulf Mejergren Architects, the Stockholm-based eponymous architecture studio that appends playfulness and punk in their works and often experiments by amalgamating archaic theories and practices with newfangled artistic visions, have come up with another installation recently—Zombie Tree. Installed near Lilla Edet in southern Sweden, Zombie Tree is the first of the many structures that will be installed on the Esperöd Farm as part of a larger land art trail. This project began when the couple running the Esperöd Farm—measuring four acres—contacted Ulf Mejergren to conceive a concept for a land art trail in their forest. The couple also intended to build a traditional log cabin in this area and utilise the leftover material from this construction for the land art trail.

However, a few weeks after Mejergren was commissioned with this project, a severe storm struck the town and toppled over 200 trees on the couple’s farm. “The storm had a significant impact, affecting roughly two acres of the Esperöd Farm. Many trees were uprooted, and the landscape was dramatically altered,” Mejergren shares. Reeling from the devastation, the couple saw an opportunity in this wreckage. They decided to utilise the fallen trees as the main material for the land art trail. “This adversity has sparked a wave of creativity and renewal, turning a natural disaster into an opportunity for artistic expression and ecological restoration,” the Swedish architect shares.

While the couple on the farm sold a majority of the fallen timber, they also set aside some for the aforementioned wooden cabin, for their house and barn, for the land art park and usage as firewood and shingles. Elaborating upon plans for the land art trail, Mejergren shares, “The plan is to expand the trail with at least one artwork per year and we have already made some new sketches for upcoming artworks that will be built this autumn and in the upcoming years by different land artists.” This series of future installations will come up under the theme After the Storm and will spread out across the forest, with materials and thoughts derived from the storm that devastated the region. The first in this series is Zombie Tree.

For Zombie Tree, Mejergren conceived the idea of resurrecting a fallen tree and transforming it into a public art piece that could also serve as a lookout. When asked about the choice of naming the installation Zombie Tree, Mejergren shares, “The name Zombie Tree is both intriguing and fitting. It reflects the concept of giving new life to what was once lifeless. After the storm, many trees were left for dead, but through artistic transformation, the Zombie Tree symbolises resurrection and resilience, rising from the ruins to become a beacon of creativity.”

In order to emphasise the theme of resurrection, the Swedish artist decided to draw visual cues from njalla, a traditional Sami building found in northern Sweden where an uprooted tree stands supported solely by its roots. These structures, tracing their origin back hundreds of years, are reflective of the ingenious ways in which the Sámi people utilised their resources and creativity. Various njallas either found or documented are estimated to be over 500 years old—demonstrating the structure’s presence across generations. Traditionally, these raised storage huts were used by the indigenous Sámi people to store food and supplies, keeping them safe from animals and moisture. With the need for such structures diminishing in current times, it has become difficult to come across njallas now. However, since they still hold a significant cultural and historical significance in the region, they are sometimes constructed as a nod to cultural heritage, for preservation and educational purposes.

By drawing inspiration from njallas, Mejergren not only attempts to alleviate the devastation caused by the storm but also helps revive Indigenous architecture that is slowly declining. Njallas are structures that highlight indigenous and vernacular living practices and building methods—that are less extractive and symbiotic. Such practices, flourishing from generation to generation across the globe, were enriched by new learnings and secrets of the land that came as a result of examining and experiencing the land for several centuries in continuity. Laden with knowledge and familiarity about the local land and climate, and with a dearth in the availability of universally produced materials everywhere, people would make do with vernacular materials—for building their shelters, undertaking religious and spiritual ceremonies and for artistic explorations. This frequent and unabridged interaction with natural resources was essential in helping establish the relationship between people and nature and in guiding the latter’s non-wasteful usage. It is this respectability of natural resources that also results in traditions and diurnal practices that designate nature and its resources the important status of a collaborator rather than a mere tool or disposable resource.

Against the reality of climate change—reported by Oxfam, United Nations and similarly reputed organisations to have exhibited a fivefold increase in natural disasters in the past five decades—it becomes essential to take a pause and reflect on the living practices and building methods that do not leverage unforeseen reactions by natural entities recurrently. While structures such as njallas demonstrate the respect and regard that natural resources enjoyed within Indigenous communities, the extant society is witnessing the exacerbation of globalisation and capitalistic practices, and with it, the intensification of wasteful and hedonistic consumer practices. It is not too difficult to speculate that the popularisation of such imprudent practices has resulted in the decline of the global climate and landscape. Such wasteful attitudes, further aggravated by industrialisation and the merchandising of products and aesthetics for profits, have not only resulted in the common practise of hoarding but also encouraged the notion of cornucopianism and consequently, the illusion of abundance and permanence of resources around us.

The simple revival of njallas, via the installation of the Zombie Tree by Ulf Mejergren Architects, hence, serves as a subversive statement that tangibly demonstrates the simple ways in which nature can be honoured and utilised respectably. Mejergren says, “Deriving inspiration from traditional indigenous construction practices for contemporary structures is not only feasible but also incredibly beneficial. These practices are often rooted in sustainability, using local materials and techniques that have minimal environmental impact. Integrating these methods into modern construction can lead to more sustainable and resilient buildings. It's a way of honouring cultural heritage while addressing contemporary challenges, such as climate change and resource depletion. Embracing these time-tested practices can offer innovative solutions and foster a deeper connection to our natural surroundings.”

The couple on the Esperöd Farm, after surveying the area, selected a spruce tree with roots that were more or less intact. After clearing out the stones and dirt from around the uprooted tree, it was cut to an appropriate length, placed on a flat patch in the forest and levelled with stones to ensure that it stood straight. Emulating the traditional methods utilised to build the couple’s log cabin, the Zombie Tree, too, was built using similar techniques. “The structural concept was to make use of a whole tree and sort of using different sizes of the tree for different purposes,” the architect shares. Upon the erect tree, a cross—constructed from two large logs taken from the upper stem of the fallen tree so that it wouldn’t have unnecessary weight yet be sturdy enough to carry some load—was propped up to structurally support a horizontal platform. On the floor of this platform, the makers spread out the fallen tree’s thick branches that had their bark peeled off. Further, a pyramid-shaped structure, made from four triangular walls of dead slender spruce branches was placed on top of the platform, resembling a tree crown. This was covered with a mesh and filled with dead spruce branches.

When asked about some measures that need to be taken to ensure the longevity of the structure, the architect shares, “The wood is treated with linseed oil to ensure the longevity of the structure. Regular maintenance involves inspecting the structure for any signs of wear, reapplying treatment as necessary, and performing minor repairs to keep everything in good condition. The couple on the farm are committed to preserving this and upcoming artworks for future generations to enjoy.”

The form of Zombie Tree bears a striking visual effect. Further, the sticks hammered on the vertical stem to serve as a ladder, allow access to the platform, which serves as a lookout spot with the circular hole in the pyramid. The circular window offers panoramic views to the farm and the surrounding area. Aptly titled the Zombie Tree, the public installation, first in this larger land art trail, symbolises the resurrection of the land.

Project Details:

Name: Zombie Tree
Location: Lilla Edet, Sweden
Year of completion: 2024
Architect: Ulf Mejergren Architects
Builders/Land owners: Travis Child & Therese Corneliusson
Project funded by:  LEADER, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development