Few hotels these days have as disruptive a name as The Thief. But its unusual name is an authentic part of its DNA: it is… [Read More]The post The Thief Hotel, Oslo, Norway appeared first on Pursuitist.

Few hotels these days have as disruptive a name as The Thief. But its unusual name is an authentic part of its DNA: it is borrowed from the island known in the 18th century as Thief Island. A former den of vagabonds, it was a true derelict site: a prison inlet where thieves, robbers and murderers were imprisoned and often executed.Within the last decades, however, the inlet has been repurposed and expanded into something new: the Tjuvholmen, an islet that includes, parks, residences, The Thief Hotel, and next door, the Astrup-Fearnley Museum, designed by Renzo Piano. All of the buildings on the Tjuvholmen overlook the Oslofjord, allowing great waterfront views from all areas. And The Thief, located on the edge of the car-free Tjuvholmen Peninsula, is almost entirely surrounded by water. The Thief was opened in January of 2013.The Thief is a cutting edge member of Design Hotels, a group headed by Petter Stordalen, a well-known activist, philanthropist, billionaire and by his own admission, hotel nerd. After seeing the Thief Island, he envisioned two similar ideas: first, he wanted to create an cutting edge, iconic hotel, which would, in turn help Oslo?s artistic renaissance move forward. He succeeded with both. With the architectural design created by Ajas Mellbye, the...