HOTEL BUZZ: Pop-Up Hotel Rooms Meet Architectural Dazzle in the UK

A Swiss philosopher brings a modern edge to the British holiday home market with his architecturally-inspired concepts designed to make you stop, think and enjoy.

First we had pop-up dinners, then we had pop-up bars and restaurants, and now we have pop-up hotel rooms! The latest, if you can believe it, is a ‘boat’ precariously perched on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Hall rooftop at the Southbank Centre in London overlooking the Thames. Created by Living Architecture and ArtAngel for the London 2012 Festival, A Room for London is a temporary one-bedroom installation designed by David Kohn Architects and artist Fiona Banner available for short stays beginning in January – December 2012.

Living Architecture provide unique and award-winning holiday homes for modern architecture lovers in Britain by commissioning leading architects like Peter Zumthor, Michael and Patty Hopkins, NORD, Jarmund/Vigsnaes Architects & MVRDV to design houses for short term stays open to the general public, and not just the privileged few who can usually afford to build these architectural gems. Currently, there are five: the Balancing Barn in Suffolk, the Shingle House in Kent, the Long House in Norfolk and our favorite, the Dune House in Suffolk. But all are absolute stunners! And there are more in the works, including the ‘boat’ on the Thames.

Alain de Botton, the UK-based Swiss philosopher, is the genius behind the project. He got the idea when he was researching his book, The Architecture of Happiness, which explores how the quality of our environment impacts our psyche. If you don’t already know the answer to that question, this is a good time and a good way to find out. At $35 per person per night, it’s definitely worth thinking about.

To find out more about Living Architecture’s curated modern holidays, visit living-architecture.co.uk. Bookings for A Room for London open on 8 September 2011.