040 BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
Veronica Simpson finds illumination in the philosophy of a Finnish designer whose lighting artistry has transformed luxurious homes, restaurants and hotels
LESS IS MORE – that old minimalist edict attributed to Mies van der Rohe – has certainly found expression in contemporary architecture and design. Clarity and simplicity of line and form, rooms uncluttered by daily detritus, colours muted or monochrome; these rules applied for decades, though the current mood for comfort, nostalgia and visual distraction is drawing us back to chintz upholstery and printed wallpaper. I had never previously applied that philosophy to lighting design, but now I’m increasingly persuaded. And that’s thanks to a conversation with Håkan Långstedt, CEO and owner of Helsinki based lighting consultancy, Saas Instruments. Te Finns know a thing or two about the importance of light – they are largely deprived of it for two months of every year. Långstedt says: ‘For us, light is a precious gift from nature, our source of wellbeing. But to master the light one must be comfortable with darkness.’
How very zen. But also, brought home to me quite powerfully when I had the chance to stay in a hotel lit by Långstedt. Te Baro hotel is a deliciously low-key, quietly luxurious eco-
resort, which opened in 2022 an hour along the coast from Helsinki. Designed by architect Lena Weckstrom, there are 12 cabins (modular, timber-clad frames perched lightly on the land) set within a forest overlooking the tranquil sea that flows between the multitude of islands along the Finnish archipelago. Te Saas team has placed the bare minimum of lights inside these dark cabins so that you are only aware of the forest view through the huge, plate glass window in front of your bed. Tere’s plenty of task lighting – two small reading lights either side of the bed, just bright enough wardrobe and cupboard lights and fridge lights to guide you around the storage and facilities, as and when needed. And one slender beam of warm, orange-toned light placed down one side of the main window, mimicking the way the sun catches the trees as it sets. As night falls, instead of finding yourself gazing at a dark, shiny surface – or at your own reflection – you find your view gently fringed by trees, leaves and branches.
Tis subtle but effective ethos runs across the entire site. Around each cabin, you can find your way easily thanks to lights that line the underside of the timber walkway – providing illumination enough to see where you’re going, while keeping the trees and the landscape very present.
Says Långstedt: ‘We have lighting under the paths but then always where you’re heading – the room – is lit so it becomes like a beacon. Using light for orientating is a really big thing in making you feel comfortable. You know where you’re going.
‘At Baro, there’s minimal light pollution, so we were very careful not to affect that. Tere are a couple of trees that we lit, but most of the lights are downward. So you get the darkness, you get the starry sky, you get all the effects you have in nature.
‘For me the starting point is always: what’s the use of the space? And, inspired by that, what are the different textures in the space you want to bring out? I also think about people – how do you look in the space and how do you feel in it? With Baro, nature is of course the major thing. So we emphasise the surroundings, but we do not light you. We keep you in the darkness and you would
become an observer of all the things around you.’
Not everyone is comfortable with that degree of darkness, he admits. ‘Contrasts can become scary, so you need to do it in a very subtle and soft way. Tat means the transitions between dark and light are smooth and they feel natural.’
As for the inevitable sauna – which no good Finnish hotel would be without – this is a similarly tasteful, charred-wood clad cabin down by the water’s edge with its own large glazed wall overlooking the water. But how to create the necessary privacy, even when sailing vessels are floating up and down the waterways in the summer? Långstedt has taken care of that too: he has only lit the underside of the steps and the benches, not the people. In other words, you can sweat there in perfect privacy.
From below left Baro is a low-key and luxurious eco-resort that opened in 2022 an hour away from
Helsinki. Its lighting matches its minimalist design through use of large windows, task lighting and pathfinding
ALL IMAGES: PETER LUNDQVIST
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117
