Claesson Koivisto Rune is a Swedish multidisciplinary office based in Stockholm. It was founded in 1995 by former classmates Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune.

Is the Nobis Hotel Stockholm your first hotel? Did it present any particular challenges and how did you resolve them?
Before the Nobis project we designed the Hotel Skeppsholmen, also in Stockholm. Being situated in the very heart of downtown Stockholm, Nobis had to be available to not only the hotel’s guests but also the Stockholm diners and bar crowd. The ambience of the public areas are diverse and people find their favourite area.

Your design for the interiors avoided luxury hotel cliches such as thick carpets and gold effects (apart from the mirrors in the Gold Bar). So what is your definition of a luxury hotel and how do you think you achieved it here?
The quality in the details of materials and the treatment of space. There is nothing that has not being looked after.

So what was the thinking behind the Gold Bar, which is quite opulent looking in comparison to the homely feel of the rest of the hotel?
The space for the bar is small with a very low ceiling. We wanted the first guest to the bar to feel as comfortable as when the bar is full. The mirrors give you the warm feeling of never being alone.

You mixed the old and new in the suites of the Nobis. How did you find and select the antique pieces?
We spent a few days visiting and looking around the antique dealers in Stockholm, trying to pick objects we really liked.

You used a selection of lighting by well-known designers, including David Chipperfield and Ilse Crawford, in each room. Are there any others you’d like to mention, and how important a part of the design was lighting?
Light is major in every interior design, and the Restaurant Caina would not be as good without the large Mama-cloud by Frank Gehry, and the lobby needs its 25 globes not only to light the space, but also to indicate the hotel’s presence to the city square outside.

What is your favourite part of the hotel ?
Our favourites are the lobby and lounge, where you feel the hotel is in conjunction with the city square.

Do you have any other hotel projects in the pipeline?
We have a few, but they are only at the proposal stages at the moment.