Oslo's beloved landmark is now the Sommerro, an intriguing new boutique hotel featuring 231 rooms, luxury amenities and the city's first rooftop pool. The interior acoustics needed improvement, but without interfering with the original intricate details.
Located in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, the offices of the city's electricity company were designed in the 1930s by architects Andreas Bjerke and Georg Eliassen. Beloved by locals, the building features Art Nouveau decorations, bas-reliefs by sculptor Asbjørg Borgfeldt and murals by Per Krohg, an artist best known for his "Peace Mural" at the UN headquarters in New York.
Hotel Sommerro in Oslo
© Rockfon
After a long process of meticulous renovation, the property was transformed into the Sommerro, a new hotel owned by Aspelin Ramm and Strawberry and part of the Nordic Hotels & Resorts group. Working closely with Oslo's municipal conservation officer, the owners have transformed the iconic cityscape into a project worth more than NOK 2.5 billion (£189 million).
The building was built in 1931, and its original use was very different from the current one, so during the renovation and restoration it was necessary to improve the acoustics, but without interfering with the original design.
Hotel Sommerro in Oslo
© Rockfon
Improving the acoustics of historic interiors
The renovation was handled by interior design studio GRECODECO, and architectural firm LPO Arkitekter developed solutions to ensure that the building's interiors meet modern environmental quality standards.
This is an old, historic building, where previously little attention was paid to acoustics. Acoustic solutions in today's sense did not yet exist, and furniture and curtains were most often used to control sound, says Øystein Sjøstrand, project manager, LPO Arkitekter. Therefore, improving the acoustics of the interiors without changing their original character was a major challenge. We wanted to guarantee an acoustically comfortable environment while ensuring that the solutions used were invisible.
Hotel Sommerro in Oslo
© Rockfon
The architects chose an acoustic Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling, which was seamlessly integrated into the overall design.
We used the acoustic solutions in both of the new rooms we designed, and also protected the rooms we worked on with the city's conservation officer. We tried to find a compromise that would preserve the original character while guaranteeing good acoustic properties," said Sjøstrand. The details of the facade and interior are almost identical to the day the Oslo Lysverker office opened in 1932.
Ensuring consistency through color
In rooms such as the fitness center and corridors, the architects decided to use Rockfon Color-all high-quality acoustic ceiling tiles that give great flexibility in terms of color selection.
Hotel Sommerro in Oslo
© Rockfon
Bjerke and Eliassen designed the building during the transition period between classicism and modernism. Color was an important element of the original design and its priority was maintained during the renovation. We foundthe original architecture of the building inspiring, so we wanted to transfer it to the rest of the building, so it was important that the acoustic solutions fit in with the interiors and allow for adaptation, Sjøstrand concludes.
We are very proud of this project. Rockfon acoustic ceilings of various surfaces and colors have been installed in rooms of almost all types. They help ensure optimal acoustics and at the same time maintain the chosen aesthetics, says Steinar Nygård, area manager, Rockfon.
Hotel Sommerro in Oslo
© Rockfon
Although the facade and Art Nouveau interior details have remained almost identical to when the building was built, the acoustics are now excellent. Thanks to Mono Acoustic's smooth, monolithic acoustic ceiling and complementary Color-all acoustic ceiling tiles, Bjerke and Eliassen's original vision could be preserved.
Part of a larger project called Sommerrokvartalet, the Sommerro Hotel was hailed as Building of the Year 2022 for its construction process, innovation, construction practices and sustainability, among other reasons.
For more information, visit the company's ROCKFON page on the A&B portal.
