Designed by the same team as Treehotel, another amazing development by Britta and Kent Lindvall, located in Harads, Sweden.
Image courtesy of: Thrillist, photographed by: John Kauppi
Architecture
Floating Sauna Hotel
Catching an unobstructed glimpse of the Northern Lights can be a life-altering experience, there’s a serenity to that part of Northern Sweden unlike almost any other part of the world. By the end of 2018, the Arctic Bath Hotel, located on the Lule River, will be open, offering it’s guest a unique opportunity to savor all that’s going on in the sky above.
This main, floating pool is kept at 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
Image courtesy of: Thrillist, photographed by: John Kauppi
The hotel’s design was inspired by Swedish log-shipping traditions. Up until the mid- 20th century, logs were transported along Swedish waterways where often times, en route the timber would get stuck on the rapids and form a cluster of floating logs. This is a image that remained seared in the architect’s brain… and the obvious inspiration for the Arctic Bath Hotel’s zany design. What resulted is a circular structure which is a unique combination of man-made and natural influences.
The spa facilities and treatment room are constructed within timber walls, while the cold pool sits amongst the open air!
Image courtesy of: Swedish Press
The importance of forests and timber to the development of Sweden can’t be underscored and as such, the logs are the focal architectural point of the structure. With its circular shape, a protected environment is created. The center of the bath is ideal for “sunbathing” in summer and winter alike. Within the main building, several saunas, a spa treatment room, a cold bath, a lounge, a small boutique and a place to eat and drink are located.
The hotel will be open year-round; although November through March are the best months if your interest is to catch the best views of the Northern Lights.
Image courtesy of: Thrillist, photographed by: John Kauppi
The hotel has six individual guest rooms which, similar to the main bath, will be frozen in place during the winter and free- floating (within reason of course) in the summertime. Big windows are installed in all the rooms to allow guests a chance to view the Aurora Borealis at night. Designed in a typical Scandinavian clean-lines and simple ecstatic, the cabins measure roughly 270 square feet and are each equipped with a wood-burning fireplace and skylight… another spot from which to dreamily stargaze!
Image courtesy of: Arctic Trend
There are so many reasons to love this hotel, but another one is that the designers put a lot of thought into how to minimize the environmental. Luckily, the area provides a large amount of wood which was used, along with other local materials, to build this intense structure. The surrounding forest also plays a big part in the overall feel of the hotel. The end-product, so ideal, is a seamless connection of architecture and nature.
