When the Ports of Stockholm decided to rejuvenate the quay in front of the Grand Hotel Stockholm and build contemporary buildings for the accommodation of different services and establishments, they asked the hotel if they were interested in renting one of the buildings. Grand Hotel Stockholm saw this as an opportunity to reach a local clientele that wasn’t naturally inclined to visit the hotel. A café with a more laid-back atmosphere appealing to a wider variety of people, so that more can enjoy the high-quality cakes and pastries produced by the hotel’s pastry chefs.

The process entailed a close knitted collaboration between Priority and the hotel. With a high frequency of efficient meetings the work was done in a short period of time, with a very rewarding final result for both parties.

The design was to convey Grand Hotels combination of history and quality while adding a contemporary style. Priority has through all of it’s previous work for the hotel tried to add a bit of ”twinkle in the eye”, something to demystify the view of a classic luxury hotel, and to show that luxury is about people and quality and not about being expensive or arrogant.

Situated outside the hotel area, the café was allowed a colorful design that juxtaposed to the style of rest of the hotel. The café building, with sharp corners and a brass exterior, demanded for a soft and fun design. Priority found inspiration in pastry shops from the beginning of the 20th century, and created a color palette filled with pastels. The palette is used not only on the color-changing logotype and larger surfaces like patio parasols, but also as a pattern on everything from straws to wrapping paper. The final result shows that a simple design idea can be versatile and used on wide variety of surfaces in a fun way. Since it’s opening The Grand Café has become a regular stop for the Stockholm pastry and coffee aficionados.