How the tale of a clever little bird inspired a city hotel design 

Wren Urban Nest is a compact nine-storey Dublin building. We discover the ideas that made this sustainable dream take flight

Exterior of Wren Urban Nest. Picture: Nick Caville/BDP

The word for wren in Irish is dreoilín and it’s also associated with cleverness. Because this tiny creature’s smarts earned it royal status, according to an old tale.

The story goes that the bird that could fly the farthest would be crowned King of All Birds.