design et al are delighted to announce that Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen have been shortlisted for Hotel Over 200 Rooms – Europe Award in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2019.
Originally designed by Arne Jacobsen, Radisson Collection Royal Hotel has undergone an extensive renovation by Space Copenhagen. The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, is one of the most recognisable and cherished examples of Danish modernist architecture and interior design. When the Hotel opened it heralded a new era of modern hospitality brought to life through design from the architecture to the furnishing to the lighting right down to the details of the cutlery and hardware.
In order to re-establish the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel as a design destination, Space Copenhagen dug deep into the hotel’s archives to understand the spirit and intent of Jacobsen’s original scheme. Through this understanding, Space Copenhagen has modernised the hotel’s interiors, whilst carefully preserving the original design. The full renovation included 259 guest rooms and suites, lobby, meeting rooms and the new Café Royal restaurant and has taken two years to complete.
Many of Jacobsen’s most famous furniture pieces were designed for the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel: the Egg chair, Swan chair and the Drop chair amongst them. Working closely with Danish brand Fritz Hansen, Space Copenhagen has revitalised some of these existing pieces with new upholstery from Kvadrat / Raf Simons to suit contemporary use. In addition, Space Copenhagen has designed new furniture – the Loafer chair and Amore mirrors for &tradition – continuing the legacy of the hotel as a place where guests engage with new and inventive contemporary design.
One of the most spectacular and recognisable features of the original design is the suspended staircase, which connects the ground floor entrance to the first floor meeting area. At the time it pushed the boundaries of what was possible in construction and engineering. Using photographs pulled from the hotel’s archives, Space Copenhagen has recreated original elements such as leather wrapping on the handrails. They also introduced a bespoke lighting unit, a giant halo hung from the ceiling on the mezzanine floor above the staircase to reinforce the spectacle.
The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, is one of the most recognisable and cherished examples of Danish modernist architecture and interior design. The renovation by Space Copenhagen has modernised the hotel, creating an updated stylish, Scandinavian look whilst remaining true to Arne Jacobsen’s original design and vision for the hotel.