Design

Hemma hos

Design, An Unusual Swedish Hotel Experience

By Kristi Robinson

Forward thinking with a big dose of fun, Swedish designers and architects are responsible for creating some of the world’s most unusual hotels. If you’re planning a holiday in Sweden this summer, read on. Even if you’re not, read on anyways because these extraordinary hotels might make you change your mind.

The Hanging Tree Hotel in the Northern village of Harads consists of five self contained, differently themed rooms, suspended 4-6 meters up in the trees. With great sensitivity to sustainability and ecology the hotel was built without chopping down any trees on site. Instead, each room was fabricated around the trees and all construction materials used were chosen to have the least possible ecological impact. There’s the UFO room designed to take you to your childhood dreams, The Blue Cone that’s actually a red cabin, the giant Bird’s Nest, and the Cabin which looks more like a modern shipping container; each outfitted with custom furniture, lighting, and fabrics.

Undoubtedly, the most impressive of the five rooms is The Mirrorcube designed by Swedish Architects Tham & Videgård. Aptly named, the Mirrorcube is a 4x4x4 meter cube built around a tree with mirrored exterior glass walls that reflect the surrounding forest and make the cube seem to disappear into nature. Clad in birch plywood,

‘The Mirrorcube’ at the Hanging Tree Hotel. Photo Credit: Tham & Videgård Architects

the interior of the cube is minimal and bright. Six windows, only visible when inside provide a spectacular vista.

If you’re someone who enjoys flying, why not begin your Swedish vacation by taking a plane to the capital city to stay at the Stockholm Arlanda airport in a jumbo jet. The once operational Boeing 747 converted to Jumbo Stay Hostel is sectioned into 27 rooms decorated in simple modern style. Basic white bedding is accented by multi colored striped pillows. Orange mini drapes replace the standard pull-down

Room at Jumbo Stay Hostel. © Jumbo Hostel

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shutter airplane windows. Some of the rooms have an accent wall cleverly dressed with wallpaper that depicts the view one could see out the window of an airplane flying above the clouds. If you’re looking for a room with actual scenery, booking a night in the cockpit of the hostel’s most luxurious room which provides you with a panoramic view of the airport.

Treehouses, a plane…where to next? How about 155m underground to the world’s deepest hotel room in the Sala Silvermine located 120km north of Stockholm. Accessed by taking an elevator way below the earth’s surface and walking through winding tunnels and caverns, these cave rooms can be best described as elegant and cozy. Styled with a nod to the renaissance era, the time period when mine production began,

Mine suite at the Sala Silvermine. Photo: Pappilabild

the rooms are furnished by Swedish design company Wohnzimmer. The soft light of pillar candles bounce off the rugged surface of rock walls that arch up over the bed- pretty romantic isn’t it? Just bring a few extra layers because the room remains at a constant 2 degrees Celsius year round.