A warm and colourful welcome awaits visitors to Bunks at Rode, a hostel experience with unique charm for sightseers in central Oslo. Within this thoroughly relaxed environment, Palettone PUR provided a contemporary palette of soothing tones, contributing to a memorable stay for guests in the Norwegian capital.
Located within the fashionable Rodeløkka neighbourhood of Grünerløkka, close to the beautiful Botanical Garden in Tøyen, this modern accommodation complex opened its doors in Summer 2024, offering much more than simply a place of rest.
Across this eleven-storey building lies a unique combination of vibrant dorms, private studio apartments, social spaces, and a spectacular rooftop terrace with panoramic views.
Established in 1975, Bunks at Rode is a modern hosteling concept from the Anker Foundation (Stiftelsen Anker), which aims to improve student living in Oslo. Since then, the foundation has ventured into hospitality by forming Anker Hotel and Anker Hostel.
More recently, Bunks at Rode (formerly Anker Apartment) was created as a modern hosteling concept, cultivating the ultimate social experience for budget-conscious visitors with a renewed focus on community.
The impressive internal design is the work of Åse Jerrhag, Project Manager & Partner at Hødnebø Prosjekt, Oslo, who joined the company with an extensive interior design background. Whilst Bunks at Rode was the first hostel project for Hødnebø Prosjekt, the assigned Design Team had previously worked on similar projects, including a boutique hotel in Risør, Norway.
Bunks at Rode provided a design brief which was suitably relaxed and free-flowing. Jerrhag was aware of the generally younger demographic who would be visiting and the subsequent desire to offer them fun-filled surroundings. As such, her Design Team created a unique, forward-thinking building interior to meet such needs.
When considering the flooring, it needed to be easy to maintain and hardwearing against the heavy footfall from its regular flow of visitors. Jerrhag was familiar with Polyflor products and subsequently specified balanced shades from Palettone – alongside a popular Expona Commercial option – to complement the exceptional interior design scheme visible throughout the hostel. The final selection of the Design Team was as follows:
- Palettone – Fired Ochre (8642)
- Palettone – Sugar Candy (8627)
- Palettone – Freshly Ground (8624)
- Palettone – Pennyroyal Mint (8652)
- Palettone – Regency Room (8629)
- Palettone – Garden Sage (8643)
- Expona Commercial – Grey Terrazzo (5128)
“The colour scheme was interesting with a lot of choice,” confirmed Jerrhag. “Our selections look brilliantly fun; it is so different from what we usually see. Also, the Polyflor Nordic team provided immaculate service, which made it easy to use the company.”
Lothe & Motzfeldt, based in Drammen, Norway, and led by Vidar Trogstad Larsen, completed the flooring installation. His team spent many hours removing the existing flooring and preparing the subfloor before the new installation began.
The upbeat flooring design included a bespoke waterjet design in the foyer, which reads ‘HELLO.’ and acts as a centrepiece to welcome guests. Flooring cutouts added colourful focal points to identify restrooms and other shared spaces. For detailing and finish, the team integrated contrasting floor shades around the base of the pillars.
“We enjoyed working with this eye-catching selection of flooring and were incredibly pleased with the results,” said Larsen.
Since its launch, Bunks at Rode has greeted visitors from across the globe who have benefitted from its relaxed, social atmosphere and optional weekly activities. Inside, Palettone blends perfectly with the overall design scheme created by Hødnebø Prosjekt. The creatively laid flooring is an attractive partner to the charismatic mix of bright pink furniture, abstract wall art, and neon signs, all offset by complimentary neutral tones.
“It was a pleasure to be involved with this innovative and exciting project,” said Jerrhag, reflecting on her experience.
“Each floor of the hostel offers something different whilst working in harmony with one another, from the ground floor foyer up to the rooftop terrace. Our decision to specify flooring from Polyflor undoubtedly played a huge role in realising our vision for the project.
“Palettone allowed us to choose from a broad spectrum of attractive shades, which combined to form an outstanding hostel amongst the alternative accommodation options available in Oslo.”
