Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Finland
Solo Sokos Hotel Torni Tampere is a local favourite.
Hotel of the Month, Finland
A tribute to Tampere Solo Sokos Hotel Torni Tampere delivers on many fronts: there is the rock-themed beer heaven, the display and sale of the work of a mix of local artists, and the cocktail bar with a view that celebrates those reaching for the top. A sense of pride in and respect for the past binds it all together. By Hanna Heiskanen | Photos: Aki Rask
“The inspiration behind the hotel is the classic Eagles song: ‘you can check out any time you like / but you can never leave’,” says hotel manager Mikko Kankaanpää. “We want to create an experience that makes our guests feel something that stays with them long after they’ve left.” The hotel, which opened in 2014 close to the city’s main railway station, is deeply 110 | Issue 122 | March 2019
rooted in Tampere, its history and culture. One of the two buildings that make it up dates back to 1874 and was originally a railway roundhouse, and local artists are on prominent display on every floor. The design of the hotel was a collaboration between architecture agency Sampo Valjus and design agencies Gullstén & Inkinen and Stylt Tramboli AB. Having an outsider on board was helpful in establishing the genius loci and bringing it to life.
Celebrating history and culture “The entire building is a tribute to our way of life,” Kankaanpää says. There are 14 different meeting spaces that can be combined flexibly to create the right platform for any event – named after either the types of steam locomotives that used to be maintained there from the 19th century until the 1960s, or various train tracks. The ground floor’s Paja Bar is dedicated to the vibrant local rock music scene that has produced many of the country’s most loved songs. Visual arts feature in every hotel room, and if you develop a liking for the painting in yours, simply go ahead and purchase it. All in all, works of art by 22 art-