Empty
Originally uploaded by Sameli.

Dusty room in a old house (Vaasa, Finland)
63°12′32.75″N
21°48′45.01″E

Very interesting article about Hotel Fox in Copenhagen, written by Susan from Håuspa. This hotel is a part of a venture by Volkswagen company, and 21 various artists and designers has styled 61 rooms. Designers has ‘free hands’, and you can see the results on Hotel Fox site.

kjmniemi has added a photo to the pool:

Finally it’s here!

The first design hotel in Finland, Hotel Klaus K has opened it’s doors. It’s supposed to be inspired by Kalevala (Finland’s national epic) and has a Scandinavian style interior with graphics and themes.

Klaus K was built in the premises of old traditional business hotel right in the middle of downtown Helsinki. The architectural design was made by Finnish Sarc Oy and interiors by Swedish Stylt Trampoli Ab, so you should be getting a true Nordic contribution.

The hotel has multiple restaurants, lead by Markus Maulavirta. This is very promising, since Markus is an excellent chef and a big fan of short distance ingredients.

The day spa in conjunction with the hotel is of top quality with a very good reputation (it has been open already for a while).

I haven’t been to the hotel or any of the restaurants (Yes, I’ve done the spa!), so any comments and experiences are very welcome!

Some links for more information:

Hotel: www.klauskhotel.com

Architects: www.sarc.fi

Design: www.stylt.se

Finnish students of architecture and interior design are encouraged to enter a competition for the best potential design of a Finnish Nationality Classroom to be built in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. The entries must incorporate the technological requirements of the contemporary university teaching classroom into an architectural interior that is expressive of Finland’s past, prior to 1787, the year of the University of Pittsburgh’s founding. First Prize is a trip to visit Fallingwater, the most acclaimed work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and $1000, second prize is $1200 and third prize is $800. Entries must be postmarked by Tuesday January 31st, 2006 and the judging will conclude in early 2006.

The contest rules and instructions on how to enter are available online: FinnishRoomDesignContest.pdf.

The Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange of the University of Pittsburgh honors the people of many different nationalities who have come to America. The collection of 26 classrooms showcases the rich cultural heritage of many of Pittsburgh’s ethnic groups. The rooms are gifts to the University and the ethnic committees formed to create classrooms honor and preserve the traditions of their heritage.

The Finlandia Foundation, Pittsburgh Chapter and the Finnish Committee at the University of Pittsburgh are organizations dedicated to the support and preservation of Finnish culture. This group is working to raise the funds necessary for the construction of the Finnish Nationality Classroom. To reach this goal, they need the support of other Finns and Finnish Americans. Please consider sending a contribution to support the construction of the Finnish Nationality Classroom. Contributions may be made online, by credit card or by check. For more information visit the website http://www.pittsburghfinns.org.

You can also help by sharing this information with your friends, family, and local cultural organizations. Adding a link to http://www.pittsburghfinns.org on your organizations website is a great way to help spread the word.

Any help to spread the word about our project is much appreciated.