design et al are delighted to announce that Mellbye Arkitektur Interiør AS have been shortlisted for Lobby/Public Areas in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2019.
The Scandic Victoria Hotel project in Oslo was a tripartite task for Mellbye Arkitektur Interiør AS. The restaurant needed renovation, and the hotel wanted the restaurant spaces to be more flexible. Mellbye Arkitektur Interiør AS were tasked with establishing a new gym in connection to the reception on the ground floor, and the reception was to be renovated with a new layout. Located in the centre of Oslo, the Scandic Victoria Hotel’s new reception offers an efficient check in area as well as an urban chill out zone for meeting, greeting and work.
The restaurant on the first floor is placed in an indoor atrium within the hotel. It is a magnificent space with high ceilings and a lot of natural light from the glass roof above. The challenge was to maintain the feeling of a light and grandiose space while making the restaurant snug and intimate. The concept was to treat the restaurant as a space within the space. The existing atrium was painted blue. The chosen nuance of blue creates an illusion of blue skies when the outside sky is grey and on days with a clear sky the two merge together. When it is dark outside it creates an intimate and warm ambience.
Due to the central location in Oslo, the hotel can offer an alternative urban meeting area outside of the office. From a quick sit-down in the ground floor lounge area in the reception to large parties and functions in the restaurant. The materials and colours on the ground floor reflects the urban scene outside the hotel doors. The restaurant represents a contrast, sheltered from the urban buzz, with only views to the sky above. The project was completed on site during a very short time span in which the hotel was open and fully booked. Subsequently, the planning and implementation had to be carefully executed and quick decisions had to be made on site. Mellbye Arkitektur Interiør AS’ strong concept helped them make the fast decisions that the project asked for. The project owner supported the concept, which meant that Mellbye Arkitektur Interiør AS could be uncompromising throughout the process.
