Travelling across the continents with your hands gripping the wheel of a legendary vintage Volkswagen mini camper, stopping to catch some shut-eye, a string of new and unexpected experiences. The designer Werner Aisslinger and his staff must have been inspired by such feelings of absolute and gratifying freedom, when developing the concept for the Hobo hotel, Stockholm.
The designer has struck the same note inside the facility, by means of a jagged atmosphere, laden with elements such as authenticity, communality, cordiality, sustainable design and sharing. In short, a stay at the Hobo is decidedly an experience of pure and modern travel, underpinned by a slight hippy touch. This mood prevails across both floors of the 1970s brutalist building which houses the hotel, entirely dedicated to socialization, with its restaurant, bar, pop-up zone and spaces for events. A sense of connection reigns supreme, defining the contours of interiors, along an array of directives: from hospitality to clientèle and vice versa, towards the city and its places.
The design positively reinforces open layout and ease of access to public premises, with Cappellini‘s sofa system, specially conceived by Werner Aisslinger and Tina Bunyaprasit, devoid of elements which “embrace” users, thus enabling flexible seating for individuals and groups. Communication is favoured by configurations with combinable upholstered units and free-standing stools.
All other furnishing elements have also been selected and designed by the German firm in collaboration with important brands. For example, the family of lamps developed in conjunction with the Swedish firm Wästberg. Truly versatile, they transform into suspended, table and appliqué versions according to need, more or less iconic as befits the situation at hand, offering plays on colour and luminous effects.
Even the bathrooms have a new feature in common: a tap by AXOR/HansGrohe featuring a U-Base System clay surface which enables the creation of personalised spouts. There is also impeccable attention to materials and colours, focused on achieving the perfect balance between aesthetic warmth and natural textures. Stone and wood is matched with ceramics and wallpaper, metal finishings, including brass, are matched with colourful fabrics. Special plant installations take pride of place in this ensemble, fitted with a hydroponic urban agriculture system, for supplying the Hobo with its own fresh herbs.
Creative functionality also reigns supreme in the rooms, 201 in total, defined by the bed oriented towards windows offering views of the city skyline and annexed to a multifunctional metal facility. The bathroom is separated by a red or green glass wall whereas all other furnishings – wardrobe, cork stool and bedside cabinets, have been edited directly by Studio Aisslinger, mindful of rationality and efficiency. A reflection of the quirky and open-minded life of true urban travellers.
