Fogo Island Inn sits at the very edge of the north Atlantic on isolated Fogo Island in Newfoundland. Designed by internationally renowned architect Todd Saunders, the inn’s arrestingly modern appearance is meant to call to mind the shape of an iceberg from a distance, with its raised section representing the island’s traditional stilted fishing platforms. But when visitors get up close, they see the wooden boards layered together, and it’s clear that everything is handmade. The by-hand ethos spreads to all the furniture and furnishings, too, which are created by local artisans who’ve worked with artists in residence to create contemporary versions of traditional objects.
Staying at the inn is admittedly expensive, but this is essentially a living art piece that supports the local community and aims to honor the island’s past while carrying it through to the future. It feels like a grand home with staff to tend to your every need. A private 42-seat cinema, partnered with the National Film Board, carries a vast movie library for guests to enjoy at any time; there’s also an art gallery, a well-stocked library, and even a supply of Gore-Tex hiking boots and other outdoor equipment to borrow. The inn is designed to show off the dazzling landscape, and it’s easy to spend all day glued to the windows and watching the sea while whales breech, icebergs float past, or storms dash on the rocks.
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland Architect: Todd Saunders
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island Inn
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Modern Design Meets Natural Beauty
At night, the Fogo Island Inn glows like a futuristic lighthouse. Perched on 50-foot stilts, it looms above a craggy outcrop on an island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Architect Todd Saunders designed the building with sharp angles and rough contours that echo the jagged landscape. Every element of the 29-room inn was created on Fogo, a result of collaborations between residents and Canadian and European designers. The local quiltmakers’ guild stitched pieces based on antique designs, and six traditional patterns were used in the wallpaper. The inn’s public spaces include a movie theater, an art gallery, rooftop hot tubs, and a restaurant that uses locally foraged ingredients such as caribou moss.
Iceberg Hunting
With a salty fisherman at the helm of our open punt, we surfed over the top of towering waves for more than an hour, white knuckling it over to Change Islands, Newfoundland, to see an iceberg.
opening in 2013 - this place will be HOT
a relatively isolated place off the northern tip of Newfoundland, the Fogo Island Inn is a pretty big gamble for its developers. I am sure that with the boom times in the area, it will do just fine. You most likely have to fly to the capital St. John’s first and I recommend a visit there as well being one of Canada’s prettiest (and friendliest) cities.
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