DESIGN AWARD TO “NEWPORT HOTEL” IN SWEDEN

Stenungsbaden Yacht Club’s Villa JC Stevens won the award of best interior design (conference, meeting & banqueting areas) at the European Hotel Design Awards. The hotel from 1963 is owned by Choice Hotels Scandinavia and has been renovated by design firm Stylt Trampoli. The villa has an intimate feel with tasteful design where keywords are Gant, Ralph Lauren and Newport, undoubtedly inspired by the America’s Cup. Not only is Villa JC Stevens named after the very first captain to win the America’s Cup with the the ship America, the cup’s namesake, the 12 rooms are individually designed with the same number victorious ships in mind.

Funny fact: Both owner of Choice Hotels Scandinavia, Petter Anker Stordalen and Creative Director of Stylt Trampoli, Erik Nissen Johansen are Norwegians.

Sources: Stenungsbaden Yacht Club

CITY SAYS NO TO PRIVATE PARK

Drammen citys richest man is denied fulfilling his vision of a park surrounding his home. After heir to the Block Watne company, Lars Nilsen, bought his ‘dream house since age 15’, “Lyche-villaen”/”Villa Lyche”, he has acquired three neighboring houses -all of which he wishes to tear down. The houses are from the 1930s built in the style of Functionalism (or Modernism) and represents an important aspect of the city’s architectural history and culture, according to local newspaper DT.

Funny fact: His company builds houses.

Photo, Source: Blom, Drammens Tidende

10 MILLION DOLLAR HOMES ON THE MARKET

Is the owners of luxury homes feeling the financial crisis? Two properties in the high-end segment have been on the market for months, each with a price-tag of 70 Million Norwegian Kroner, not selling. A townhouse from 1884, built by architect Ove Laurentius Ekman, has  been renovated for millions in the exclusive neighborhood of Briskeby in Frogner west in Oslo. At 1,100 square meter it includes no less than 11 bathrooms, eight fireplaces, three balconies and roof-top terrace.

Another property just outside the city is the gated 1,400 square meter Halden Hovedgård (Halden Manor) (photo below, down-right corner) perched on a small hilltop on the island of Snarøya. It too has been completely renovated since the seller bought it in 2002 and the property even features a beach (painting by Kaare Espolin Johnson from 1930 at the end of the post) and a wharf by the water. There are panorama-views in all directions, but nosy neighbors have no view of the house.

Sources: Finansavisen, Nettavisen, Arc!, Blom

NEXT YEAR’S TALLEST BUILDING IN EUROPE

Megapost featuring interior pictures including apartments designed by Armani.

It might not be as spectacular as the future tallest building in the world, but still pretty impressive considering European standards in skyscrapers. The spire will be 506 meters (1,660 ft) and the roof of East Tower (A) will be at 360 meters (1,182 ft). The Federation Tower will be the crown jewel in the business centre Moscow City, Russia.

The inside of the towers will be just as amazing as the outside. Of course there will be a restaurant, a bar, a club, a spa and spectacular elevators!

The Federation Tower will include four exclusive two-level Armani style apartments. Elegance and functionality are keywords in the Armani Casa design.

ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES IN NORWAY FOR SALE

Located at the peninsula Snarøya in Bærum, just outside Oslo, the property bathes in sun from sunrise to sunset. The owner is Alexandra Huitfeldt, one of numerous heirs of the media conglomerate Schibsted fortune, who together with her husband Johan Thidemansen kept it as a second home. The house is expected to go for around 150 million NOK (10s of million dollars).

Sources: Blom, Budstikka, Ek

THE PRIME MINISTER’S NEW OFFICIAL RESIDENCE

US has the White House. UK has 10 Downing Street. Norway now has Inkognitogaten 18. The complex of new and old buildings called Regjeringens Representasjonsanlegg (the Government’s Representation complex) is at a total of 1320 square meters (14208 square feet). It includes Parkveien 45, Riddervoldsgate 2, Inkognitogaten 18, which have been connected with new structures, and the gardens.

Parkveien 45 “Villa Parafina” (1876-1877) is in the italian classical revival style by architect Johannes Henrik Nissen, and will be used for representation together with the 1 floor of Inkognitogaten 18 (1890). No. 18, which is at 670 square meters (7212 square feet), will house the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg and family, where the 2 and 3 floor will be private. This villa is more simple than the grand Riddervoldsgate 2 (1889-1890) which was built in a powerful new renaissance with towers, but both buildings are by Henrik Bertram Bucher. The latter will continue to be the official residence of foreign dignitaries.

The original facades have been preserved, and the rooms have been modernised, but with direct reference to the buildings’ history.

Much space is lost in the thick walls, elevator shafts, technical and security rooms, but the main reason for the project was for the Prime Minister’s safety. There is also a huge semi-underground garage and numerous terraces and balconies. The gardens dates back to the 1880s and will be restored and renewed by Snøhetta, famous for the Norwgian Opera House in Oslo and the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.

Funny fact: The complex is next-door neighbors to the Royal Palace.

Sources: Aftenposten, Dagbladet, VG, Wikipedia, Statsbygg

THE TEARING DOWN OF THE NO.1 LANDMARK

The demolition machines have already removed the tribunes, the commentary boxes and the area around. Even the tarn that was know as “Besserudtjernet” (“The Besserud Tarn”) is gone, drained to “Kongedammen” (“The Kings Pond”) that lies higher up, behind the sports monument. Tomorrow the white icon that is the Holmenkollen Ski Jump will be taken apart piece by piece, starting with the “diamond”.

The deconstruction starts at 16:30 CET=Central European Time=UTC (GMT)+1 hours. You can watch it live and even control the camera here. Another site documenting live is here. The local newspaper Akersposten shows us historic pictures from the beloved place.

The city will not look the same without it as it was visible from all parts of the town and even neighbouring counties. Farvel gamle venn.

Sources: Aftenposten, Akersposten

PROPERTIES OF THE RICHEST MAN IN NORWAY

Or should I say from? Though John Fredriksen chose to abandon his Norwegian citizenship and take up a Cypriot passport in order to avoid Norwegian taxes, he officially now is the richest man in Cyprus, but he continues to soar high above the rest on the rich-people-lists in his former home country with his $8 billions (55 billions NOK). Described as a modern-day Onassis, he started out with nothing on the east side of Oslo, but he currently owns the largest tanker fleet ever. Among the companies he is majority shareholder is Frontline, Golden Ocean, Seadrill and Marine Harvest. Fredriksen has the twins Kathrine and Cecilie (born 1983) with his late wife Inger Katharina Astrup Fredriksen. Together they have accumulated personal property around the world, almost all of which have one common feature: beachfront.

The Old Rectory

John Fredriksen mainly controls his companies from his 3000 square meter Chelsea home in London, the Old Rectory, which he bought from fellow shipping magnate Theodore Angelopoulos. The mansion dates from the 17th century and has the second largest garden in London, second only to Buckingham Palace. The Rectory was were author Charles Kingsley spent his youth when his father was the rector of Chelsea Old Church in the 1830s. Charles Dickens married in the livingroom and the battle of Waterloo was planned in the neat gardens.

House at Bygdøy

Østre Movik Farm

His late wife was the chief of the family’s Norwegian property portfolio, including the house the twin-sisters bought from their father this year at Bygdøy in Oslo, the farm Østre Movik at Nøtterøy in Tønsberg and several apartments.

There is also his palace between Puerto Banús and Marbella (above) bought from a Persian Queen in the early 90s and said to have housed celebrities such as Bruce Willis and Kevin Costner. Last but not least, is his luxury 500 square meter penthouse apartment in Limassol, Cyprus (below), with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean.

Fun fact: Fredriksen reportedly received an offer of £100 million on his London home in 2004 from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich on the property, only to turn it down.

Sources: Blom, Google, E24, Dagbladet, RBKC libraries, Wikipedia

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

While we wait for Bond, the villains, his girls, his toys and that magnificent car of his -let’s watch some previews, shall we?

Teaser 480p 720p 1080p

Trailer 480p 720p 1080p

Here‘s a whole page of videos at yahoo.

As usual Ian Fleming’s agent 007 takes us on a wild ride around the world to great locations!

Alicia Keys & Jack White – Another Way to Die

Interesting fact: James Bond will be driving Aston Martin DBS, the same car he drove in Casino Royale.

FUTURE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD

In September Emaar Properties declared that their Burj Dubai’s height is over 688 m (2,257 ft) surpassing the Warsaw Radio Mast in Poland as the tallest man-made structure ever built. About a month later Nakheel Properties announced that they are planning Nakheel Harbour & Tower, with the tower to be over 1 kilometer high. Finally a normal looking coastline of Dubai!

The design is incorporating the four disctricts that were inspired by Islamic cities of the past, such as Tangier’s grand promenade in Morocco, Alexandria’s glorious port in Egypt, Isfahan’s transcendent bridges in Iran, and Alhambra’s majestic gardens in Spain.