The Clarion Hotel and Congress Trondheim | Space Group

The Clarion Hotel and Congress Trondheim, designed by Space Group, is quite the building. It doesn’t even hold itself back to just one ground-breaking architecture concepts- it’s got many. In fact, given their number, I am going to turn this article over to the pros- Space Group- and let them describe it from here. Enjoy.

Space Group is an international architecture office with offices in Oslo and Sao Paulo. Our favourite assignments are complex and challenging projects, where we can use our analytic skills and broad collective intelligence to solve ‘the impossible’. We don’t just design buildings, we design culture. Our mission is always to empower our clients and enhance businesses through intelligent projects.

The hotel at Brattøra redefines the classical atrium hotel typology to a new and strong identity. The rooms are arranged/organized in four highly rational structures all oriented towards the perfect view. The rotation transforms the atrium from an enclosed central space to a 3-dimensional star shaped lobby space.

Unlike the classical American and Asian hotel atrium where everything is exposed in a centralized and vertical, magnificent but one-dimensional experience under a glass cover – the lobby is here given a 3-dimensional and dynamic spatial experience with a programmed roof, and a sequence of shifts between glimpse and panorama, intimacy and spectacular exposure.

The hotel bears references to the local city fabric of Trondheim in the combination between the large structural lines and the small intimate ‘ally’. The hotel becomes a landmark without front or backside – but oriented towards the city and the fjord for optimal views in all directions. A lighthouse by the sea and inviting from the city.

The hotel room structure is ‘dissolved’ at ground level to increase the public accessibility at ground level. The openness secures good orientation from inside and out – and internally between reception, elevators, lobby bar restaurant, exhibition area and conference. Cross connections, shortcuts and moving of common functions into the adjacent squares are encouraged: outdoor dining at the south-west faced terraces by the Brattøra basin, pause areas in the park, exhibition and entertainment can turn towards an outdoor arena and representative ‘red carpet’ entrance with fountain and stone garden are facing the city.

SUPERSTAR LOBBY, the exceptional common space of the hotel connects all the public functions from ground level to the upper floors.In the 3-dimensional lobby, the fireplace room, conference facilities and sky bar with roof terrace are shaped in a free form to take advantage of unique attractions towards the park, the Brattøra basin and the free view above neighbour buildings. The internal crystalline shape is fragmented, but vertical sacral – gives associations to dramatic ice formations with cliffs, rips and ice floes.

Project info:
Architects: Space Group
Country: Norway, Trondheim
Area: 35000 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs: Peter Hebeisen, Space Group, Ivan Brodey
Manufacturers: Cane-Line, Protan, Trysil Interiørtre AS
Landscape: Space Group, PLAN arkitekter AS
Engineering: Arup
Construction: A. Aas-Jakobsen Trondheim AS
Project Development Team: Gary Bates, Gro Bonesmo, Adam Kurdahl, Anne Wodstrup, Fredrik Krogeide, Gesine Gummi, Claudia Laarman, Thomas Bang Jespersen, Jens Niehues
Competition Team: Gary Bates, Gro Bonesmo, Adam Kurdahl, Wenche Andreassen, Fredrik Krogeide, Naofumi Namba, Tim Prins, Minna Riska, Lotte Sponberg, Gerald Bliem, Grant Cooper, Nathan Smith
Fire: Reinertsen Engineering
Visualization: Luxigon, MIR AS
Client: Star Property C