A Nordic architectural gem hides under this lush green carpet!

Looking for an escape from your apartment and dive into nature? The Øyna Cultural Landscape Hotel in Norway is your destination. This hotel is wrapped in a lush green carpet and is hidden away on a hill with the sweeping views of the Trondheim fjord – a Nordic landscape with a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. Øyna’s location is right out of an enchanted forest storybook.

Designed by Green Advisers AS, the hotel’s unique layout maximizes the guests’ connection with nature. All 18 rooms are built inside an existing sloping terrain with a cantilevered design so every person staying gets an unobstructed view of the cultural landscape. The rooms are primarily crafted from timber which is the regional raw material and a nod to the Nordic building heritage. The light timber interiors are a contrast to the exterior’s dark wooden cladding. The overall aesthetic and colors are contemporary yet cozy – a balance between the cabin feeling and the luxury of a hotel room. They are covered with green roofs so the hotel, as well as the guests, are immersed in the scenic setting of the Golden Road, Fosen Alps, and the Trondheim fjord. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor shared spaces and each has a breathtaking view. The hotel is naturally ventilated and lit due to its height and the waterfront location.

The property is owned and operated by the Sakshaug family and it originally served as a restaurant + events venue, but given the location, there was an increasing demand for overnight stays which led to the expansion of the site into a hotel. Since the restaurant was the conception point of the hotel, it was imperative to preserve panoramic views for the loyal patrons, therefore the reception, conference area, and the hotel rooms were placed on a lower level of the slope – a win-win for everyone. The lower levels can be accessed using an elevator and are interconnected via an underground corridor that conforms to the shape of the hill. “Although the extension of the facility was carefully adapted to the topography, it creates new landscape accents through its formal language and fits in well with the owner’s overall concept,” said the architects. Green Advisors AS did an exemplary job of giving us absolute Pinterest cabin feels on modern hotel property and burying all of it under a green carpet like a secret gem!

Designer: Green Advisors AS