Audo House: The Hotel That Is Also a Design Argument

Some rooms make you want to stay a little longer, perhaps to finish a coffee or discover why the chair is so comfortable. Audo House in Copenhagen's Nordhavn district brings a hotel, design showroom and hospitality spaces together. Its appeal lies in the possibility of living among the objects for a while rather than merely admiring them from a distance.

There is a difference between a room that photographs beautifully and one in which you can imagine putting down your bag, finding a lamp and settling in. Audo House offers an interesting opportunity to think about that difference. It is a place concerned with design, but also with the ordinary business of eating, resting and spending time indoors.

A BUILDING WITH ANOTHER LIFE

Audo describes the building as a former trading post, transformed for its present role. Around it, Nordhavn's waterfront continues to change. There is something appealing about a place that carries a little of its past into a new setting, even as the furniture and the conversations within it move on.

The house combines accommodation with spaces devoted to furniture, objects and hospitality. Rather than keeping the chair safely beyond reach on a showroom floor, the idea invites you to consider how it might live alongside a table, a book and a person who has had a long journey.

BEAUTY THAT CAN BE USED

Good design is often most persuasive in the details that become apparent after the first glance. Is there a comfortable place to sit with a newspaper? Does the light make a room feel welcoming at the end of the day? Is there somewhere sensible to put a coat and the things that have accumulated in its pockets?

These are modest questions, but a hotel is an excellent place to ask them. A guest arrives with a suitcase, tired feet and sometimes an alarming number of cables. A beautiful room becomes more generous when it can accommodate all three without losing its composure.

A design-led hotel can also invite ideas to travel home. It might be a combination of materials, a lamp placed beside a chair or the simple pleasure of leaving some space around an object. There is no requirement to buy an entirely new room to appreciate the lesson.

There is a productive tension in a place that is both a place to stay and a home for a design brand. The rooms allow visitors to experience objects in use, while also presenting the world the company would like those objects to inhabit. That does not make the experience less interesting; it gives you another question to ask about the relationship between hospitality and a beautifully composed showroom.

You do not have to book a room to notice the idea. The house also describes public-facing café, restaurant and shop spaces. Check the current arrangements directly, since access and opening times can change.

A REASON TO LINGER

Copenhagen rewards the traveller prepared for a walk and a change in the weather. A comfortable coat and shoes make good companions, whether the day includes design shops, a meal or a detour along the waterfront. There is no need to dress as though one is part of the furniture, however well considered the furniture may be.

Audo House's published information describes accommodation, design and food-and-drink spaces. Services and access can change, so check the official site when planning a visit or stay. This is a researched editorial profile; we have not stayed there.

The question that remains is a pleasant one: what makes a room somewhere you want to return to? The answer may involve beautiful objects, but it is likely to include a comfortable chair, good light and the freedom to make yourself at home.