Not just a place to stay , it is an
inspiring setting
We were told stepping into The Thief is sure to rob you of something. And the thing is that the hotel is so good at it…that we only noticed it at the end…
Thief Island, once the scene of shady dealings, has become one of the hottest districts in Scandinavia, “The New Oslo” with all its creative energy. “Building a hotel like this one doesn’t start with a budget. It starts with a dream.” Petter Stordalen says, property developper and owner of 170 hotels. He wanted the art to be something which has some stand-alone unique experience and asked Sune Nordgren the former director of Norway’s National Museum of Art, to handpick original artwork. This is what we experienced when walking into the hotel designed by award-winning firm Mellbye Architects. We see a huge piece by Richard Prince “The Horse Thief”. There is video art from Julian Opie in the lift, Andy Warhol in the restaurant. All 118 rooms have unique art. Works from Richard Prince, Tony Craig and Albert Merz are amongst the pieces.
The 160 square metre penthouse serves as homage to pop art legend Sir Peter Blake. Celebrated interior designer Anemone Wille Våge’s play with contrasts is the strongest in the rooms. Dark wood-panelling is interspersed with back-lit panels, rich brown carpets are paired with light parquet floors and sand-coloured curtains.
Through monumental glass facades, we enjoy a great view to the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art and are looking forward to our tour around the fjords with the hotel’s Riva boat. And now we know what has been stolen…we haven’t had a single thought about our very long to-do list, the responsibilities at home, everyday worries.
Photos Copyrights: The Thief Oslo
