Until recently Bergen offered little in the way
of inspiring accommodation. Norway’s
second city was dominated by dully efficient
chains; the De Bergenske group, behind the
Grand Hotel Terminus and Augustin Hotel,
was the only local independent operator.
The balance, though, is shifting. Last year,
De Bergenske’s Kjetil Smørås opened three
new properties – Villa Terminus, Hotel
Zander K and Bergen Børs Hotel – doubling
its room count in the city.
Wanting to expand his family business,
Smørås understood that contemporary design
could give it a cutting edge and turned to
Swedish architecture and design studio
Claesson Koivisto Rune. Smørås’ mother had
read about the studio’s work on Stockholm’s
Nobis Hotel, completed in 2011. Her son
studied the team’s resumé, then called them
for a meeting and they quickly signed up.
Designer Henrik Nygren was also brought in
to work on the graphics and identity.
‘For me, it is very important to share an
understanding of aesthetics with the
designers,’ explains Smørås, ‘and that they
have a passion for hotels.’ The design trio’sKjetil Smørås and
Claesson Koivisto RuneFROM LEFT, HOTELIER
KJETIL SMØRÅS
AND DESIGNERS
MÅRTEN CLAESSON,
EERO KOIVISTO AND
OLA RUNE AT BERGEN’S
HOTEL ZANDER KUpcoming and recent collaborations
Augustin Hotel, due 2020
The step-by-step renovation of Bergen’s
oldest family-run hotel will begin in 2019
Grand Hotel Terminus, due 2019
A gradual, floor-to-floor refurbishment of the
hotel, first opened in 1928, in the heart of Bergen
Hotel Zander K, 2017
A new-build concrete structure softened with
warm lighting and rich, solid-wood furniture
Bergen Børs Hotel, 2017
Located in the city’s former stock exchange, this
upmarket hotel features sophisticated interiors
Villa Terminus, 2017
A 18th-century wooden building transformed
into a characterful boutique hotelEero Koivisto adds, ‘We told Kjetil that each
hotel should have a unique atmosphere. We
stay in many hotels, so we know what we like
and don’t like. I favour spaces that feel like
they haven’t been “designed”. We want to
create spaces that just feel good.’
The partnership first bore fruit with the
conversion of a 1770 wooden building, located
next door to the 131-room Grand Hotel
Terminus, into the 18-room Villa Terminus.
Originally built as a home for the elderly,
the structure went through a meticulous
restoration, retaining its character while
receiving a facelift fit for the 21st century.
Each room is different and the building’s
structural quirks are maintained, resulting
in a hotel that feels more like a home.
On the same street, the 249-room Hotel
Zander K opened as a modern counterpart
to Villa Terminus, and has become a social
hub for both visitors and locals.
The most recent addition, the 127-room
Bergen Børs Hotel, is the most upmarket
in the portfolio. Occupying an entire block
in the centre of the small city, this former
stock exchange dating from 1862 is now a
fashionable yet quietly luxurious place to stay,
where contemporary design complements
remnants of the building’s past.
‘Claesson Koivisto Rune has impressed
me many times with its surplus of creativity.
The designers are always enhancing my ownideas,’ reflects Smørås. ‘They have progressed
the inherent qualities of Scandinavian design,
celebrating natural materials in an authentic
and contemporary way.’
And now, as Claesson Koivisto Rune
continues to work with Smørås to refresh
first the Grand Hotel Terminus and
then the Augustin Hotel, one might think
the hotelier will eventually embrace some
downtime. He grins, ‘Well, I haven’t opened
my last hotel.’ Max Fraser
debergenske.no; claessonkoivistorune.se152 ∑ PHOTOGRAPHY: BENT RENÉ SYNNEVÅG
Travel