Stopover, a new chain of climate-smart hotels by Mod Architects
By Malin Norman | Photos: Mod Architects
Mod Arkitekter has developed the concept and interior design for a new chain of climate-smart roadside hotels in Sweden. Stopover is focused on travellers on the roads – from business travellers to families and sports teams – who value comfort and accessibility. The first of around 20 hotels opened in Falkenberg at the end of October.
Founded in 2016, Stockholm-based architecture firm Mod Arkitekter has broad knowledge working on projects with requirements for function, sustainability and economy, as well as user experience. Regardless of location, type of project and end user, the team at Mod carry out designs that are full of life.
“In all our projects, whether it’s developing new hotels or restaurants, or reimagining historical buildings, we focus on context as well as detail,” explains architect Marie Ebersdotter. “The primary function of architecture is to make life possible. Good architecture is spaces and interiors in which we feel comfortable, environments we come back to and that make us want to stay.”
Comfortable stays for those on the road
This autumn sees the launch of Stopover, a brand new chain of climate smart hotels with concept and interior design by Mod. Initiated by Strawberry Hotels and real estate equity firm Slättö, the chain’s focus is on those who travel by car and value comfort and accessibility, from business travellers to families with children and sports teams, but also those who need temporary housing during a transitional period.
“Domestic and intra-Nordic travel has increased significantly since 2019, and there was a place in the market for a new roadside hotel concept,” says Ebersdotter. “Stopover will be a place to stay well and conveniently on the way to and from the destination, with efficient solutions and superb services for guests, including children and four-legged family members.”
The first of around 20 hotels in the chain, the 151-room pilot hotel in Falkenberg features a restaurant, a gym, a playroom for the young ones, a laundry room, a convenient meeting room and phone booths, a dog park, as well as parking and charging stations for electric vehicles.
Wooden modules made in Värmland
Stopover is a hotel chain developed for a new era, with new requirements for infrastructure and technology, and increasing demands for sustainability. For instance, the hotels will integrate renewable energy production with solar panels and geothermal heating.
Like the pilot in Falkenberg, future hotels in the chain will also be built out of wooden modules made in Värmland, which are to be assembled on site. “Working with rooms as modules is complex but also a lot of fun, and it’s fascinating to see how the modules come together to form a whole,” explains the architect. “As we’ve been bound by a small space, we’ve worked a lot with layers, colours and patterns to create an attractive design.”
Flirting with the American motel and diner vibe of the 1960s, Mod has integrated playful details into the design of Stopover. “We’ve asked ourselves, how can we create more from less? Similarly to how architects work with compact living, the answer is to make something functional and durable, but also aesthetically pleasing.”
With a high number of guests, hotels tend to face plenty of wear and tear. Ultimately, the design should last over time, with a variety of textures and materials used to entice guests. “With Stopover, we want to challenge the image that stops along the way are merely boring necessities. Instead, we see it as an opportunity for travellers to recharge and enjoy,” adds Ebersdotter.
Within the next 10 years, at least 20 hotels are planned for the new hotel chain – at strategic locations, with high quality and sustainability at the core. The goal is for Stopover to become a common sight along Nordic roads.
The team at Mod Architects.
About Mod Architects
Established: 2016
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Area of specialty: over 30 years of national and International experience in hospitality, restaurant and public spaces
Upcoming project: Quality Hotel SkyWalker at Arlanda Airport, Stockholm to be opened Q1 2029
Design philosophy: to create environments with impact – where design, function and feeling work together to enhance the overall experience
Mod Architects strives for personal, functional and aesthetically sustainable environments that strengthen the brand and guest experience.
www.modarkitekter.se
Instagram: @modarkitekter
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