If Copenhagen is (more than probably) the best city in the world for its quality of life and status as a cutting-edge design centre, then Arne Jacobsen’s Radisson SAS Royal Hotel is one of its defining design statements. The ground and first floor public areas are currently benefitting from a comprehensive ‘refreshment’ under the direction of the interior team from designers Graven Images.

The Danish capital was recently awarded top spot of the list of the world’s best cities in which to live by lifestyle magazine Monocle, and the SAS Royal which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this month, set the ball rolling when it opened as not only Europe’s but the world’s first design hotel. The pieces created by Jacobsen specifically for the hotel, such as the Swan and Egg chairs, are still specified worldwide to this day.

The building itself has an incredible history and pushed boundaries as soon as it was constructed; it was the largest hotel in Denmark when it was completed in 1960 as the SAS Royal Hotel and was the first skyscraper in Copenhagen, with interiors which epitomised the 60s – think Don and Betty Draper of TV’s Mad Men, or the young Britt Ekland.

Although it has remained a style icon during the ensuing decades, time has taken its toll on the SAS Royal with inevitable wear and tear resulting in the loss of some of its original elegance. In addition some of the public areas have been subjected to some unsympathetic interventions, such as the clumsy conversion of a smart and sexy concession boutique area into a restaurant.

Graven Images was commissioned in 2008 by Radisson as interior designers to restore the integrity of what is arguably the most important project undertaken by Arne Jacobsen, and certainly the best showcase for his trademark functionalist approach.

The interior designer’s mission was to bring the public areas of the SAS Royal up-to-date, restoring their design integrity and thereby making them accessible to a wider audience without compromising any of the unique features. The focus has been on streamlining and ‘cleaning up’ the original spaces, rationalising the layout and providing a more appropriate back-drop to showcase the original Jacobsen features.

Design Director Jim Hamilton said, “It’s been an honour to work on such an important and interesting project, which is close to the hearts not only of the design community but of hotel aficionados worldwide. The new hotel will share many qualities with the old – it will be glamorous, stylish, contemporary and with outstanding comfort to attract a wide variety of clientele from Copenhagen’s own design and style conscious population, as well as visitors to the Danish capital many of whom come because of its reputation as one of Europe’s most important design destinations.”

Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers opens its doors at the crossroads of Scandinavia

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its first hotel in Denmark with the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers.

The 366-room Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers stands 85 metres tall with stunning views over the Copenhagen skyline and the whole Oeresund region. The hotel is located minutes away from Copenhagen International Airport and a stone’s throw from the motorway, underground and overland train stations providing easy access to attractions such as Tivoli, the Royal Castle and Nyhavn. This makes the hotel ideal for business and leisure travellers alike.

The hotel has a bar and a Scandinavian restaurant as well as 3,500 square metres of meeting room space made up of 12 flexible meeting rooms and a large ballroom that can accommodate up to 800 guests.

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers is one of the world’s greenest hotels with EU Green Building and Green Key certification. The hotel is a member of the UN Global Compact. The hotel building is on a journey to becoming carbon neutral. Environmentally responsible technology is used throughout the hotel, including:

- The first groundwater-based cooling and heating system in Denmark, expected to reduce the energy used in the hotel for heating and cooling by almost 90%

- Low energy lighting and hand dryers

- The largest solar panel park in Northern Europe to be integrated into a building, covering all the hotel’s sunny facade.
All bedrooms are equipped with designer furniture, a flat screen TV, adjustable air conditioning, a mini bar and a safety deposit box.
The hotel is operated by Copenhagen Hotel Management under a 20 year franchise agreement with IHG.

Allan L. Agerholm, CEO and co-owner of Copenhagen Hotel Management said: “Our location is known as the crossroads of Scandinavia because it’s the access point for Denmark, Sweden and other Nordic countries making it a great destination for domestic and international business travellers. Crowne Plaza hotels are designed for guests who enjoy business travel and want to make the most of their stay and we felt that Copenhagen needed a hotel like this.”