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Values and visions
Villa Lofoten is a holiday and cultural destination.
Our name comes from the classic concept of villas, which dates back to antiquity. A place to retreat, to expand our understanding, and to live in harmony with nature, whilst reflecting on earlier fishermen’s way of life on land and at sea: their frugal and sympathetic treatment of their surroundings. Staying in our listed buildings provides access to contemplation and tranquility, intellectual immersion and creative expression. Whilst at the same time, following nature's rhythms; the days and the cycle of the seasons.
Vision
Villa Lofoten wishes to contribute to the development of a new basic narrative around our culture. We want to move from the present-day fixation of demands for economic growth and the term ‘I’ to a narrative that focuses on a positive future and the term ‘we’. A ‘we’ who strive to live in harmony with our surroundings. We do this through ecotourism and film production, by offering a residence for artists, researchers and craftsmen and a space for conferences and workshops. In doing this, Villa Lofoten contributes to a sustainable society, public discourse, freedom of expression, and democracy.
Values
Villa Lofoten works in tandem with its surroundings, in terms of sustainable values and individual knowledge. We address the question of the relationship between past and future, nature and culture, faith and belief. We highlight the antagonism between rural and urban, consumption and sustainability, the ambivalence around old and new, and the tension between freedom and free trade.
1. Villa Lofoten conducts ecotourism and cultural film production as an extension of and true to the frugal and environmentally adapted lives of former fishermen.
2. Villa Lofoten invites longer stays, the use of public transport, and sustainable experiences in the local environment so that guests contribute to active nature and cultural protection.
3. Villa Lofoten is based on a circular economy through the reuse of the environment, buildings and objects, the least possible consumption and use of environmentally friendly products.
4. Villa Lofoten contributes to the longevity of an abandoned fishing village, uses local raw materials and labour, conveys local natural and cultural history and is a collaboratively open space.
5. Villa Lofoten actively contributes to cultural preservation through conservation, restoration and reuse of earlier fishermen's environment and buildings, through the use of local materials and competent development within the craft trades.
6. Villa Lofoten's hosts convey broad knowledge of the region's cultural and natural history through personal meetings, films, books, and workshops.
7. Our guests return home from Villa Lofoten with memories of unique experiences of nature in sheltered surroundings and stays in exclusive buildings furnished with Scandinavian art and design, food experiences from the fishermen’s pantry and happy animals grazing, knowledge of the history of Lofoten fishermen and memories of conversations with others on the quayside.
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