Archive for 2005
Finding Architecture
Ever wanted an easy way to find good architecture and how to get there from where you are? galinsky is really clear and concentrates on the basics with a few well chosen modern buildings from around the globe,where they are, how to visit etc,and clear website design. You can contribute also so is in principal [...]
Zaha on TV
Zaha Hadid is a bit of an enigma, undoubtedly someone with a unique architectural vision which alone is very unusual, she is a women in the starchitectural world of men, and she can seem touched by flackiness and genius by turn. I remember seeing her at Architecture Winterschool in Edinburgh in 1990 (she hadn’t built [...]
Hiroshi Naito Lecture-Innerscape
The Alvar Aalto Academy and the MFA last night brought us Hiroshi Naito to speak at the Atheneum in Helsinki about some of his projects. For me it was the first time I saw his work and it was a real revelation. He produces wonderful buildings generated principally from a connecting detail usually a beautifully [...]
fabric concrete
After my earlier translucent concrete post comes textured concrete from concrete blond. A great idea, who would have thought the Victorian Favourite anagypta could be so well updated for the 21st Century! & the waterglass table below by them is really beautifull! (via inhabitat)
Struve Geodetic Arc
There are Six world heritage sites in Finland at the moment, heres the list, Suomenlinna, Old Rauma, Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki,Petäjävesi Old Church,Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, and Struve Geodetic Arc. I found out by accident that I’d visited two already, Rauma and Suomenlinna, & they don’t differ from most of the others [...]
Edinburgh Weekend
I went ‘home’ to Edinburgh on Friday for the weekend coming back on Monday. I had a full programme but it didn’t feel too busy. Bought some food back from the UK I can’t get here (packet bread sauce amongst other things would you believe!), and got from Dad a copy of his new book [...]
Surface Pressure
I have a Tommy Perman print on my wall bought at analogue. He is a great artist & one day I will listen to some of his music too. But in the meantime go to his website Surface Pressure and take a look.
The Dissolving Corporation
After the bad attempt at an article on Finnish Architecture I found in my last post The Dissolving Corporation by Peter McKeith is the real thing. A report on current corporate architecture in Finland although its conclusions could be applied to most countries in the global economy currently. I have been meaning to link to [...]
Architecture is as Helsinki does
My friend nick posted me the link to this article Architecture is as Helsinki does in the Harvard Independant (note you have to register to read the whole thing just press the print button!). Its a really interesting take on Finnish Architectural Identity, but with some major flaws. Basic premise is that Finnish Architecture has [...]
to the bbc
I’ve been listening too the bbc at work recently. I think unlike previous generations of expats you can keep in touch with almost all aspects of life from back ‘home’ and not feel so cut off. I can forinstance go to the news page to keep up to date and even watch programmes like the [...]
Happy Birthday Dad
Happy birthday dad today,& congratulations again on your forthcoming new book! Buy one of my dads books here from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk. I have some great childhood memories of reading my dad’s books with him but don’t just take my word for it here is a quote of a review from Amazon Giftwish… ahhhh what [...]
Finnforest office update
Helsingin Sanomat plays catch up with me!They published an article about the new all timber finnforest office. Also see my post on it. As proof of concept and demonstration of Timber technology it is very good, however how many real advantages eco or not does it really have over current building practises?
Helsinki Planning
Helsinki city planning departments english website has an interesting flash video covering the four current major urban building projects within the city at Arabia Waterfront, Pikku Huopalahti, Ruoholahti and Viikki. This gives a good overview of current urban strategy, architectural work and planning in the city. Planners are not my favourite profession exactly but what [...]
Carelia
We went out on Saturday evening for the first time for months and months, and ate at a restaurant called Carelia. Quite unusual for Helsinki it has the atmosphere of an older age, and that’s because it has the interior of an old Pharmacy from the 1920′s. It really has that interwar art-deco feeling which [...]
Stirling Prize 2005 Winner
Scottish Parliament wins the Stirling prize 2005 which goes to show how much I know (see last post for my prediction!). Anyway a worthy and probably right winner as I think it fulflls the purpose of the prize the best out of the contestants.
Contrast
This Saturday the winner of the 2005 Stirling Prize will be announced, while this article in the Guardian, interviews the people of Europes largest Housing estate which is about to be knocked down. My money is on the Lewis Gluckmans Gallery.