Owner: Arctic Bath AB
Architectural design: Bertil Harström, Johan Kauppi, AnnKathrin Lundqvist
Interior design: Input Interior
Furnishings: Carpe Diem, Karl Andersson and Söner, Stolab
Lighting: Atelje Lyktan
Photo credits: Anders Blomqvist, Daniel Holmgren, Swedishlapland, Pasquale Baseotto
It’s hard to find words that don’t make noise when you talk about the legendary Lapland region of Sweden. Words that do not break the spell of silence cast by its extreme natural elements. Just two seasons, a short but intense period of light and a very long period of darkness. From the midnight sun to the polar night, when the magical aurora borealis lights up the compact shadows with flashes of green, yellow, pink, sometimes red, that gradually shift and overlap in a silent tempest that leaves even the most distracted observers entranced.
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A once-in-a-lifetime experience that deserves all the comfort of a unique, enchanting setting. The volumes of the Arctic Bath Hotel adapt to the exceptional geographical conditions, the tradition of construction and the repertoire of symbolism of the great Swedish north, seeking contact with the landscape through very discreet signs. A nature that sometimes overwhelms the design, revealed in terms of composition and expression as a subject, a poetic intrusion and backdrop, a relative value of a climate condition and absolute measure of reference.
The resort is on the Lule River, in the town of Harads, and on the land it places six cabin-suites along the bank, each with an area of 62 m² and equipped with large glass walls, designed by AnnKathrin Lundqvist. There are also floating structures, destined to remain trapped in the ice when the winter sets in. The latter, created by the architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi, offer six cabins of 24 m² with private entry from a long footbridge, and a dramatic circular volume set aside for wellness spaces.
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The inspiration for the complex draws on the old local tradition of woodworking. The cabins make direct reference to the trunks, which when felled were dragged by the current to the place of processing. In the circular structure, embracing the large central outdoor pool containing the cold water of the Lule, the warm pools, three saunas, spa and restaurant, a corona of trunks suggests the clustering of the logs in the river.
All the spaces are made exclusively with natural and sustainable materials like wood, stone, cowhide and fabric. The furnishings are all Swedish design pieces, including items by Karl Andersson and Söner, Carpe Diem and Stolab. Pink, green and blue accents are combined by contrast with a palette of basic hues, featuring quiet, harmonious shades of beige and gray. The Kvast lamps are custom pieces by Atelje Lyktan.
