Miss Clara Hotel by Gert Wingårdh // Stockholm, Sweden.

At Miss Clara Hotel, in the very heart of downtown Stockholm, world famous architect Gert Wingårdh and his team have transformed an old school into a hotel that merges the past with modern day exclusivity. With many of the original details and features of the building kept in tact, the new interior is a celebration of the building’s history. High ceilings, stone floors, graceful arched windows and original school staircase are just some of the features of this 92-room hotel where Scandinavian restraint meets top-notch craftsmanship.

Originally built in 1910 and designed by the Swedish architectural power house Hagström & Ekman, the building was created to host Ateneum, one of the nation’s biggest all-girl school. Clara Strömberg was the extremely popular head mistress of the Ateneum girl’s school, who has been a true inspiration for the hotel, so much that the hotel adopted her name.

When designing Miss Clara, Wingårdhs architects drew inspiration from the building’s original Art Nouveau style, distinguished by it’s soft and graceful organic lines and use of solid natural materials. Characteristic traits in the original architecture have been interpreted into new contemporary expressions. The interiors feature many specially designed and crafted furniture pieces. These are made from solid, superior quality natural materials of predominantly Swedish origin, such as limestone, oak, bentwood, and natural leather. The colour scheme is orchestrated with sophisticated darker notes at ground level acting as a base, with white walls and ceilings that emphasise the openness of the rooms. 10 points from me.

[Images courtesy of Design Hotels.]