Tropicana Magazine Mar-Apr 2017 #112: Riding on a Life Line

LIFE IS SWEDE | THE VACATION
Ikea and Volvo, Abba and The Girl
with the Dragon Tattoo; Sweden
has contributed a diverse array
of ingenuity to world culture.
However, tourism surprisingly
makes up a relatively small part of the
Swedish economy even though the land
of the midnight sun has charms aplenty.
Sweden is a country that reveres nature
as much as design and has more than its
share of stunning places to stay where
the hotel itself is a destination. Here are
three excellent resorts which combine the
signature Swedish aesthetics of elegance
and simplicity, while being committed to
sustainability in design and practice.
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
An abandoned factory in a former
limestone quarry may sound like the least
likely setting for a luxury hotel, but when
photographer Johan Hellström visited
the Furillen islet of Gotland, his artistic
sensibilities intuited the potential for a
one-of-a-kind eco-resort. Hellström, who
discovered the 500-hectare peninsula in the
1990s when it was still a restricted military
area, would sneak onto Furillen and use the
barren landscape of limestone, concrete,
and sand for his photo shoots. The army has
since moved out, and the peninsula’s unique
brand of wild, romantic and brutal beauty
is now the dramatic backdrop for Fabriken
Furillen (www.furillen.com), a boutique,
18-room destination blending high design
and nature.
Hellström wanted the hotel to reflect
his tastes, and his sensibilities have served
him well. The building stands out against
the surrounding landscape while at the
same time acting as a natural extension of
it, reflecting the former quarry’s shapes and
colours. Much of the original infrastructure,
preserved with additions, was crafted from
local recycled materials such as limestone,
concrete, and hardwood. Interiors echo
the industrial character of the buildings
and the colours of the surrounding area,
yet still feel warm and welcoming in a
minimalist Swedish way. For those desiring
solitude, there are two isolated ‘hermit
cabins’ which were designed to detach
you from reality and immerse guests fully
in the environment. Compact but cosy,
these ‘eremitkojor’ do not have electricity,
running water and you heard it right, wifi!
The former factory canteen now hosts
the hotel restaurant, complete with heavy
chains still hanging from the ceiling. In line
with Fabriken Furillen’s sustainable ethos,
they’ve chosen to work with renowned chef
Filip Fastén for an offshoot of Agrikultur,
a farm-to-fork restaurant offering guests
delicious dishes based on ingredients from
Furillen and Gotland.
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MARCH/APRIL <strong>2017</strong> | TM