Snøhetta unveils plans for serpentine mountain hotel

Snøhetta, an Oslo- and New York-based architecture firm, has unveiled plans for a winding hotel and apartment building that will be be built between the mountains and the sea in remote Glåpen, Norway.

The low-rise hotel will showcase views of the sea to the south and west, Dezeen reported.

"The spectacular view and the feeling of being 'in the middle' of the elements are the premier qualities of the site," said Snøhetta in a statement.

The building will cover more than 11,000 square meters, and will also include spa facilities, hiking, sea water basins, and an ampitheatre.

The project is located on Lofoten, one of Norway's 18 tourist routes. Construction is expected to start late this year.

Snøhetta's design essay:

The site extends out to sea to the south and west, linking the contact between ocean and the tall, shielding mountains to the north and northwest. The location is spectacular, sunny, in the mighty landscape elements, yet in touch with old settlement and sheltered harbors.

Snøhetta has developed a project and looked at a number of factors: the landscape “critical load” vs. new construction, functional and technical aspects of access, infrastructure, ecology and sustainability, connection to outdoors areas and existing buildings. The main goal is to find the development patterns and shapes that trigger the functional, architectural and experiential triggers the plot `s formidable potential. We think it will be essential to find a building program and a scale that “hits”, both in terms of economy, market and individual experience opportunities.

The spectacular view and the feeling of being “in the middle” of the elements are the premier qualities of the site. Plot view, organization and habitat as form have been inspiring elements behind the concept. In a unifying gesture the site is captured in a circular movement, the complex layers of references to nature, culture, land qualities are translated into a band that transforms the site into a place.

This form creates an inner and outer space, and enhances the site’s inherent potential of an architectural expression. Concept and program are balanced in a mix of hotels, apartments, amphitheater, spa, hiking and sea water bassins within a total size of 11,000 sm. The local beach culture and storstuga are included in the project. The organic form protects and opens at the same time.

Since early 2020, Americans have been forced to sequester themselves in their homes with outdoor activities, in most cases, being the sole respite for social distancing. And many of people are going back to the basics with a quintessential outdoor activity: biking. Bike sales absolutely skyrocketed during the pandemic, growing by 69% in 2020.

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