A Modern Spa Retreat in Norway - Remodelista
Here’s a novel concept: an übermodern Scandi hotel whose proprietors are so fixated on reconnecting guests with nature that they lament having to charge a fee. Located in a forest outside of Alesund, Norway, the Juvet Landscape Hotel is sited on a gorge of the river Valldí¸la. Slinning commissioned Oslo architects Jensen & Skodvin to design seven small cabins, each with at least one entire wall made of glass. With the ethic of being a guest in nature, the hotel’s cabins are built on stilts; when they’ve finished living their useful lives, they can easily be removed. A porthole window in one of the cabin bathrooms offers its own unique view. All view rooms, such as the hotel sauna, are intended to give the impression of being inside a camera. Occasional walls of bold color break concrete monotony in the spa. There are no curtains in the stark bedrooms and the natural light is bright in summer months. Bathrooms are among the few rooms with color. The cabins were first planned without bathrooms or showers to emphasize simplicity in nature, but in the end a few modern comforts were added. Walking into a cabin is meant to be a dramatic experience, as if nature is rushing in through the massive panoramic windows to greet you. The hotel owners didn’t want the architecture to stand in the way of guests’ experience of nature; they in fact want guests to realize that life in Norway has been a struggle for survival. Keep planning your Norwegian stay: