Inspired by Helsinki's Kaartinkaupunki district, the hotel design mixes comfy functionality with cool, art-inspired details. It’s a sustainable and safe space that captures the district's classic charm while adding a modern, artistic twist—think a ‘classy lady rocking swanky sneakers’ kind of vibes.
Kaartinkaupunki district is a truly gem-like tiny district of Helsinki, located right in the middle of everything. It was fun to walk around the Kaarti neighborhood, taking photos and notes on what we saw and felt, and then turn that into the unique Bob W. Kaarti local story. You can see the spirit of Kaarti in the unique design we delivered for the property that are seen in custom-made carpets and fabrics, as well as in the wall coverings, hand-picked design pieces, and vintage furniture. The color tonality comes from the iconic Helsinki color chart, and gives a small nod to the original Rivoli Jardin hotel, build in 1980´s, which had a lot of green.
Since Bob is all digital, we wanted to include something handmade: the rooms feature hand-drawn artworks showcasing the unique aspects of Kaarti district, like the President's band, Helsinki's oldest fire station, and some of the beautiful art found in the district.
The hotel design needed to uze that four-star hotel-like stay for the digi-native traveling Gen Z & Y nomads with an authentic, sustainable and relatable local story connected to design. Bob W is an innovative, affordable luxury hospitality brand that blends the best of hotel experiences with the comfort of short stays.offering fully kitted-out apartments and authentic local knowledge.
What were the key challenges?
The hotel was built in 1980´s, yet, still it has almost all the rooms unique in size and form. So that was a practicality challenge. Then the challenge, which feels a bit funny even now, was this: how to get the building owner on board with the idea that not all has to be new. As the operator, Bob W. values sustainability highly, we absolutely wanted to keep something from the old hotel that was originally built in the 1980´s. At first, some thought we were almost mad-women when suggesting we keep the old hotel room and corridor lights and doors and also some of the furniture. All the old lights we restored locally, and at the end, they are one of the most loved features in the building.
What materials did you choose and why?
As this is a home away from home, we really wanted to emphasize the materials that are M1 qualified (i.e. non-toxic) and that support that comfortable mood and good vibes of home-like stay. There is a lot of wood that feels wonderful underneath those bare toes, and colors that are soothing for the mind. As highlights, there is unique art and unique design that comes across in unique carpet design, unique patterns for fabrics, and in unique art that we hand drew for the property.
Team:
Architect: Design Office KOKO3
Other participants: Matri, Fiskars, Saas Instruments, Lepo, Innolux, Basta, Annala
Photo credits: Riikka Kantinkoski
Material Used:
1. Flooring: Halbmond, Parky
2. Interior lighting: Saas Instruments
3. Interior furniture: Lepo, Basta, Innolux
