Located along the sea in southern Norway, the town of Larvik is internationally known among stone industry members for its high-quality granite production - most notably its varieties of Blue Pearl, Emerald Pearl and Silver Pearl. And when the time came to build a new, modern hotel in the town - the Farris Bad Spa Hotel - the use of these materials was a natural fit, and they were quarried by Lundhs AS of Larvik.

The Farris Bad features 176 guest rooms, including 10 suites, and it is more than 160,000 square feet (15,000 square meters) in size. Meanwhile, the spa stands as the largest in all of Scandinavia, measuring nearly 27,000 square feet (2,500 square meters), with 12 saunas, six treatment rooms, a swimming pool and direct access to beach and sea. Total investment in the facility was around $60 million.

The hotel developer and owner, Mille Marie Treschow, is also a 50% shareholder of Lundhs AS. She wanted to create a modern looking hotel with focus on use of local materials, specifically granite and beech wood. Another intention was to use a range of different local granite materials with different surfaces. While the stone was quarried by Lundhs AS, it was processed in Italy by Nikolaus Bagnara S.p.A., and the firm used state-of-the-art machinery and methods to achieve the desired final aesthetic.

The main architect for the project was Halvorsen & Reine of Drammen, Norway, and the interior architect was Björkén Arkitekter AB of Luleå, Sweden. 

A strong first impression

The use of stone at the Farris Bad begins with the exterior facade, which is clad with panels measuring 120 x 60 cm in size, with a thickness of 3 cm. For this element, the specified material was Lundhs Silver granite (Blue Pearl Fjord granite, taken from Lundhs’ Quarry No. 3). The finishes are flamed and “Silk,” a matte-structured finish obtained by using abrasive tools from Tenax.

The granite serves as a “frame” around the main structure of the building, which also includes elements of metal and glass.

Local granite can also be found as guests enter the hotel lobby. In this space, the floor is comprised of large-format 60- x 60- x 2-cm tiles of Lundhs Blue granite (Blue Pearl granite, taken from Lundhs’ Quarry No. 4). For the flooring, the stone was furnished with a “Caress” finish - described as a “shiny, structured” surface obtained using abrasive tools from Tenax.

The main reception desk is topped with Lundhs Emerald granite (Emerald Pearl granite, taken from Lundhs’ Quarry No. 30), and it has a unique combination of hammered and polished finishes.

The same Lundhs Emerald granite was also specified for the main staircase, with steps measuring 154 x 28 x 8 cm. For this application, the granite was given a polished finish.

Amenities in granite

In addition to its dramatic location, the Farris Bad Spa Hotel is, of course, known for its first-class amenities, including its celebrated spa as well as upscale dining options. Among these, the Water Lounge was designed as a venue for informal business meetings, or for winding down after work. The countertop at the Water Lounge is comprised of Lundhs Antique (Labrador Antique granite, taken from Lundhs’ Quarry No. 60), and it features a polished finish.

Natural granite was also used throughout the spa area, and the architects chose Lundhs Royal Blue granite (Royal Blue granite, taken from Lundhs’ Quarry No. 11). The granite was used for both flooring and wall applications, and a range of tile sizes was selected - primarily 40 x 60 x 1.3 cm, but also some longer, ”planking-style” wall pieces at the ”Spring Cave.” While the wall tiles feature a polished finish, the flooring tiles were furnished with an ”Eco Antik” surface - a matte-textured finish from Nikolaus Bagnara, treated with a sealer.

In the public restrooms, the floor and wall tiles are made from polished tiles of Lundhs Silver granite in a polished finish. Meanwhile, the guest suite bathrooms feature walls of Lundhs Royal Blue and Lundhs Silver granite, also in a polished finish.

The main contractor for the Farris Bad was Veidekke AS of Oslo, Norway, and the stone installation was completed by Ellinggaard AS of Oslo, Norway.

Sidebar: Farris Bad Spa Hotel

Larvik, Norway

Main Architect: Halvorsen & Reine, Drammen, Norway

Interior Architect: Björkén Arkitekter AB, Luleå, Sweden

Stone Quarrier: Lundhs AS, Larvik, Norway

Stone Processor/Supplier: Nikolaus Bagnara S.p.A., Verona, Italy

Main Contractor: Veidekke AS, Oslo, Norway

Stone Installation: Ellinggaard AS, Oslo, Norway

Additional Photos