Six months ago Steve and I left on our honeymoon:  Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki. It was amazing and I want to go back; Helsinki was my favorite and Oslo was Steve’s. Here are 22 photos from the trip.

Alvar Aalto - Cadeira Paimio, Modelo nº 41

Eero Saarinen - No. 150 Tulip (Pedestal Group)

Arne Jacobsen - Cadeira The Egg

Desde os anos 30 que o design Escandinavo se destaca pela funcionalidade, practicidade e simplicidade das formas. Para mim, estes 3 designers tiveram carreiras notáveis e  foram os grandes pontos de partida para um design com durabilidade, integridade, acessibilidade, practicidade e sustentabilidade.

http://www.scandinaviandesign.com/ - aqui fica um site fabuloso sobre o que se faz nos dias de hoje no norte da “nossa” europa.

Juan Bautista Maíno

Este sábado pasado, aprovechando que tenía una tarjeta Madridcard 24h, vi varias exposiciones que merecen la pena (y me quedaron muchas para el próximo fin de semana).

En el MNCARS, hasta el 11 de enero de 2010, se puede ver “Rodchenko y Popova – Definiendo el constructivismo“. La exposición se centra en los trabajos de Rodchenko y Popova en el periodo 1917-1925: pintura, carteles, esculturas, etc. Para completar esta visita, podéis ir también a la Fundación Canal, donde exponen el trabajo fotográfico de Rodchenko.

En el Museo del Prado, hasta el 17 de enero de 2010, hay una magnifica exposición dedicada a Juan Bautista Maíno (1581-1649), que también incluye cuadros de otros pintores que inspiraron su trabajo, como Caravaggio o Gentileschi.

Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (interior)

En el Thyssen, aparte de la seguro lucrativa exposición “Las lágrimas de Eros“, hay también (hasta el 10 de enero de 2010) una exposición de pinturas, dibujo y grabados de Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904).

Por último, en el Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas se puede ver hasta el 15 de noviembre “Alvar Aalto. A nuestra medida“, exposición que incluye mobiliario, objetos de iluminación, tejidos y piezas de cristal procedentes del Museo Alvar Aalto.

Entre estas exposiciones y las que comenté en alguna entrada anterior (la de Palladio en el CaixaForum o la de Lissete Model en la Fundación Mapfre), tenéis para estar entretenidos una buena temporada .

Lámpara del Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas

Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (mobiliario)

La mayoría de sus proyectistas hace bueno el dicho de que para evitar pasar de moda, nada como no estar a la moda

Una frase para recordar dentro del artículo de elpaís [potencia local, calidad global] en el que anatxu zabalbeacoa ensalza las virtudes de los discípulos de Alvar Aalto con motivo de las múltiples exposiciones que se centran este més en el diseño finés.

The Gropius House

Last week I had an opportunity to tour the house Walter Gropius designed for himself in Lincoln, Massachusetts.  Fleeting from Nazi Germany, Gropius immigrated along with much of his personal belongings to Boston, a circumstance that eventually led him to become Professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and established the architectural firm The Architects Collaborative (TAC), which forever changed the story of Modern architecture in Boston.

Gropius became the founder and first director of the Bauhaus, one of the world’s most important and influential design schools established in 1919 in Weimar, Germany. The school takes its name from Bau meaning “to build” or “building” and haus meaning “house.” Having attended the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) for a short period of time, I realized how much of an influence the Bauhaus had on other design schools in the world.

The curriculum at RISD and the Bauhaus share many similarities, including the “six month trial period” whereas those who were not “destined” to become true artists were weeded out of their respective program. Although I made it past the six month weeding out period and continued on to the winter session to take classes in film studies, I left RISD for personal reasons, but enough about me, and let’s learn more about the Bauhaus and the Gropius House in Lincoln.

Teachers at the Bauhaus consisted of masters like Wassily Kandinsky, Joseph Albers, Lyonel Feininger, Johannes Itten, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee, Marianne Brandt and Marcel Breuer among others. Its principles were drawn from the Arts and Crafts Movement, but whereas William Morris and his circle rejected the machine, the Bauhaus embraced it in order to provide everyone in society with access to art and good, affordable design. There is no such thing as a “Bauhaus style,” each and every one of the masters at the school encouraged the experimentation in all the arts.

The influence of the Bauhaus still resonates with us today. The furniture we see for sale in stores like Target, Walmart, Ikea and others have all been influenced by the school. The Gropiuses owned an important collection of furniture designed by Marcel Breuer, Saarinen, Aalto, Marianne Brandt and others. Some of the artwork was created by artists like Spanish Surrealist Joan Miro, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy (whom I’ve fallen in love with), Henry Moore and Ati Gropius Johansen; Walter’s daughter.

 This semester in my seminar on Boston Architecture, I have been learning that Massachusetts was a hot bed for Modernism. This was somewhat surprising to me because when I think of Modernism I think of New York City, California or the Midwest.  The Gropius House speaks to the eloquent vocabulary of modernism created in the New England region.  Lincoln is home to a few outstanding examples of Modernist houses as are the surrounding towns of Lexington, Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge. Sadly, these modernist treasures are threatened by demolition on a daily basis and as recent as last year, we lost an excellent modern house by Eleanor Raymond, one of Boston’s leading modern architects.

The house is owned by Historic New England  and is open to the public for tours.

Modernity is a gallery specialising in 20th century Scandinavian design:  Furniture, Glass, Lighting, Textiles, Ceramics, Jewelry, and Art and dedicated to offering the pieces in the best original condition possible from renowned designers such as Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto, Axel Salto, Berndt Friberg and many others and is an essential stop on your next trip to Stockholm.  Of course, their award-winning website, amply visual, is another option for those of us not on the way to pick up our Nobel prize.

Modernity, 20th Century Design Gallery

designalog@live.fr

Suomi, kuten muutkin maailman maat, pyrkivät parhaansa mukaan houkuttelemaan ulkomaisia turisteja ja liikematkailijoita. Esimerkiksi Espanja, Italia, Ranska ja Thaimaa ovat tässä onnistuneet, Suomi ei. Miksi?

Tosiasia on, että ulkomaalaiset tulevat suomeen vasta, kun ovat nähneet kaikki mielenkiintoisemmat kohteet. Ja niitä on paljon. Tai jos joku suomalainen yritys tai muu organisaatio, kuten valtion omistama Matkailun edistämiskeskus, on maksanut matkan majoituksineen.

Kuitenkin, kuten me kaikki tiedämme, Suomi on maailman paras maa. Jos ulkomaalaiset eivät sitä tiedä tai tajua, on jossakin vikaa. Tässä tapauksessa jossakin tarkoittaa markkinointia ja viestintää.

Suomen pitäisikin matkailumarkkinoinnissa korostaa asioita, joista meidät jo tunnetaan ja jotka tekevät meistä kiinnostavia. Sellainen ei ole puhdas luonto. Jos joku etsii puhdasta luontoa, hän matkustaa Antarktikselle tai Tiibetiin. Sellaisia eivät ole Pori Jazz tai Savonlinnan oopperajuhlat. Ne, joita jazz tai ooppera kiinnostavat, matkustavat (tai ainakin matkustivat) New Orleansiin tai Wieniin. Sellainen asia ei myöskään ole Salpausselän kisat, sillä suurin osa maailman väestöstä voisi kommentoida hiihtoa Ville Valon tatuoinnin mukaisesti DILLIGAF (Do I look like I give a fuck).

Ei, Suomi ja suomalaiset tunnetaan aivan muista asioista. Meistä tiedetään, että osaamme pitää turpamme kiinni, ryypätä ja ajaa autoa lujaa. Maamme tiedetään olevan pelkkää lunta, ikiroutaa ja jääkarhuja. Ruokamme on lähes syötäväksi kelpaamatonta, mutta kännyköitä osaamme sentään tehdä.

Maailma on juoppoja täynnä

“En ole missään muualla nähnyt niin monien sekä mustien että valkoisten omistautuvan juopottelulle kuin Australiassa. Poikkeuksena ehkä kuitenkin suomalaiset talvisaikaan.”

Myös muut kuin edellä mainitun kirjoittanut matkakirjailija Paul Theroux uskovat, että suomalaiset ovat kovia juomaan. Miksei tätä hyödynnetä Suomen markkinoinnissa? Matkailuesitteissä mainostetaan Aallon arkkitehtuuria, mutta se ei ikinä vedä tänne kuin muutamia tuhansia japanilaisia arkkitehtiopiskelijoita, jotka eivät ole vielä tajunneet, että minkä tahansa japanilaisen pilvenpiirtäjän pysyminen pystyssä maanjäristysalttiissa maassa on huomattavasti suurempi saavutus kuin mihin Alvar Aalto on koskaan pystynyt.

Sen sijaan juoppoja on maailma täynnä. Myös rikkaita juoppoja. Vaikka onnistuisimme houkuttelemaan tänne promillen maailman juopoista vuosittain, Suomeen saisi rakentaa tuhansia uusia hotelleja ja kymmenkertaisen määrän baareja. Jokainen voi kuvitella, mikä työllistämisvaikutus tällä olisi.

Masokistien massakohde

Suomi tunnetaan myös miljoonien saunojen maana. Saunan ja varsinkin vihtomisen eli ruoskimisen markkinointi vetäisi Suomeen tuhansia masokisteja ympäri maailmaa. Missä muussa touhussa pääsee yhtä lähelle helvetin tuskia, kuumuutta ja kidutusta, kuin suomalaisessa saunassa. Lämpöä on veden kiuhumispisteen verran ja lisäksi hakataan risukimpulla nahka vereslihalle.

Saunomiseen ja vihtomiseen voisi tietysti yhdistää avantouinnin. Se saisi kovimmankin ulkomaanelävän vikisemään kuin pikkupossun. Esimerkiksi Anthony Bourdain kuvaa avantouintia ulkomaalaisen kokemana kirjassaan Kobraa lautasella seuraavasti:
“Se oli kuin olisin jäänyt näkymättömän tavarajunan alle – jokainen soluni, jokainen atomi ruumiissani joutui mielipuoliseen paniikkiin. Pallini ryntäsivät pohjoiseen ja pysähtyivät jonnekin solisluun tietämille, aivoni kiljuivat, silmämunani tekivät parhaansa poksahtaakseen ulos kallostani, ja jokainen ihoni huokonen, joka oli apposen auki vielä muutama sekunti sitten, iski luukkunsa kiinni kuin tukkeutunyt höyrypilli.”

Urheiluhullujen paratiisi

Suomalaiset ovat tunnetusti myös urheiluhullua porukkaa. Niin ovat monet ulkomaalaisetkin. Tässä olisi oiva matkailuvaltti varsinkin, kun maailmalla etsitään jatkuvasti uusia lajeja. Viime vuosina ja vuosikymmeninä mm. lumilautailun, skeittauksen, alamäkiajon, rullaluistelun ja liitovarjoilun suosio on räjähtänyt.
Suomella olisi paljon tarjota tähän soppaan. Potkukelkkailu, eukonkanto, suolentopallo ja suojalkapallo ovat jo lajeja, joissa järjestetään MM-tason kilpailuja Suomessa. Todellista läpimurtoa odottavat vielä mm. jäägolf, kännykänheitto, kyykkä, sekä Suomen kansallispeli pesäpallo.

Kulinaariset nautinnot ja yöelämä

Kun ulkomaalaiset valtionpäämiehet Berlusconin johdolla ovat kilvan ryhtyneet haukkumaan suomalaista ruokaa, kannattaisi tästäkin huomiosta ottaa kaikki irti. Ihmiset ovat uteliaita ja luontainen uteliaisuus houkuttelisi varmasti monia kokeilemaan, ovatko poliitikkojen puheet totta.

Suomeen saapuneille turisteille ei kannattaisikaan syöttää pizzaa, kanttarellikeittoa tai lohta. Niitä he saavat kotonakin. Sen sijaan menu voisi kuulua esim. seuraavasti: alkuruoaksi kalakukkoa, pääruoaksi verilettuja, mustaa makkaraa ja tönkkösuolattuja muikkuja ja jälkiruoaksi mämmiä. Ruokajuomina sahti, kossu ja kokkelipiimä.

Ruokailun lomassa voisivat turistit kuunnella suomalaista kansanmusiikkia. Sehän on tunnetusti sydäntä särkevän kaunista, kuten Juhani Mäkeläkin toteaa matkakirjassaan Satunnainen matkailija lemmenlaivalla: ”Hän halusi panna kädet korvilleen. Hän halusi huutaa. Hän oli ollut hiljaa silloin, kun Mustan Syyskuun terroristit olivat kiduttaneet häntä Beirutissa. Mutta he olivatkin olleet vain terroristeja – eivät suomalaisia kansanpelimanneja viuluineen.”

Eli ei muuta kuin Suomen matkailuesitteet uusiksi ja odottamaan väestönryntäystä.

Questa settimana ho imparato che:

• esiste una paura che si chiama papafobia. Sarebbe la paura persistente, anormale e ingiustificata del Papa. Tanto ingiustificata non direi, eh…
• i miei gatti consumerebbero come un SUV, a questo punto mi chiedo (come anche qualche commentatore della notizia) quanto consumano invece questi sedicenti ricercatori, e li proporrei come candidati per l’ig-nobel.
• il fatto che Marrazzo vada a trans è scandaloso, invece quell’altro che si porta le mignotte nella villa, nell’aereo presidenziale e le candida al parlamento europeo è fico!
• Alvar Aalto a scuola stava sempre in punizione, ma poi ha costruito questa:

• per guarire dalle fobie bisogna fotografarle… aspettatevi una valanga di ritratti della nostra vecchia amica, la vespa mandarina!

(Tiè, così incrementiamo le visite al blog, che la mandarina tira sempre…)

Alvar Aalto (1898 – 1976)

I Skandinavia kanskje Alvar Aaltos mest kjente design er Savoyvasen med sine myke linjer. Disse linjene finner man igjen i flere av Aaltos prosjekter. Aalto, utdannet ved Helsinki Polytechnic åpnet sitt eget arkitektkontor allerede i 1921. Han var professor i arkitektur ved MIT 1946-1948 og Leder for Academy of Finland 1963-1968. Få har påvirket Finsk design som han, om noen?

Aalto er i likhet med mange andre skandinaviske formgivere i skillet mellom flere epoker. Hans tidligere arbeid lånte impulser fra nyklassisme men han gikk gradviss mer og mer over til modernismen og dess enkle og funksjonelle formspråk. Aalto har en stor produksjon utenfor Finland bak seg bl.a. i Tyskland, USA og Sverige og hans arbeid inneholder detaljer og form som svært få andre i hans samtid kan vise til. Form og planlegging var Aaltos sterke sider, hans bygninger samspillet meget godt i forhold til natur og materialvalg i tillegg til at han fremgangsrikt fikk det funksjonelle aspektet fremholdt i alle sine bygg. Mennesker, natur og bygninger hørte sammen ifølge Aalto.

Blant de mer kjente av Aaltos verk er Paimio Sanatorium, Villa Mairea, Villa Carre og hans egen sommerbolig. Han har også flere kirker, bibliotek og samfunnshus blant sine meritter. Aalto er også kjent for sin møbeldesign og selvfølgelig design av glass. Han blir regnet som en av etterkrigstidens fremste arkitekter.

Alvar Aalto ble introdusert for Harry og Maire Gullichsen i 1935 gjennom Nils-Gustav Hahl (møbeldesigner). Maire var datteren til Walter Ahlström, eier av Ahlström Timber. Hun studerte kunst i Paris i begynnelsen av 20-tallet og gifte seg med forretningsmannen Harry Gullichsen i 1928. Villa Mairea er bygget som et sommerhus, et sted å komme seg bort fra hverdagen. Visjonen var å finne ”det gode liv”. I slutten av 1937 begynte Aalto å arbeide med villaen som han hadde fått frie hender til å oppføre. Gullichsen ønsket at Aalto skulle eksperimentere og gav beskjed om at Aalto ikke skulle få skyld hvis prosjektet ikke ble vellykket. Etter noen utkast som ikke var helt etter Gullichsens smak fikk Aalto inspirasjon fra USA. I begynnelsen av 1938 holdt Frank Lloyd Right på å planlegge arbeidene med gjestefløyen ved Falling Water i Bear Run, Pennsylvania. Selve villaen hadde fått internasjonal oppmerksomhet takket være en utstilling på MoMA i New York. Våren 1938 gav Gullichsen tillatelse til å bygge Villa Mairea. Mye hadde blitt endret fra de første tegningene og i 1939 stod huset klart. I dag er Villa Mairea en verdenskjent villa som blir sett på som Aaltos fremste mesterverk.

Alvar Aalto dog i 1976 i Helsingfors.

Voila une table design qui redonnera de l’authenticité à votre intérieur! La table design Bamboo de la marque ARTEK, est à la fois intemporelle , sobre et esthétique. Signé d’un des plus grand nom du design mondial à savoir Aavar AALTO, cette table est travaillée dans les moindre détail pour des finitions parfaites.

Des chaises design de la même collection sont aussi proposées.

AYUNTAMIENTO DE SÄYNÄTSALO – Alvar Aalto, 1949-1952

HUSTANTON SECONDARY SCHOOL – Alison & Peter Smithson, 1949-1954

ESCUELA MUNKEGÅRDS – Arne Jacobsen, 1951-1958

La Arquitectura Moderna no significa el uso de nuevos materiales, sino utilizar los materiales existentes en una forma más humana.

Alvar Aalto

(1898-1976) Arquitecto y diseñador de muebles finlandés. Seguidor convencido del funcionalismo y de la arquitectura orgánica, fue uno de los primeros y más influyentes arquitectos del Movimiento Moderno escandinavo.

I LOVE this chair designed by Finish architect and designer Alvar Aalto in 1929, which was shared with us in a brief introduction to ‘the history of style’ during my first lecture at KLC. Aalto is best known for his contributions to modern architecture and building design at the beginning of the 20th century when he expanded into interior design and furnishings in a collaborative effort with his wife, Aino Marsio-Aalto, creating pieces that were organic and always had a deep sense of humanity.The armchair seat and back are made of curved plywood and the arms and base are laminate and curved beech.

Typical Aalto light solution. The light comes from above; not directly but through a tunnel. photo:hanba.

Being a Finnish blogger interested in architecture,  a post about Alvar Aalto is bound to pop up at some point. I’ve been blogging since march and have managed to hold the post off for nearly seven months.

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is The iconic figure in Finnish architecture and design. Despite having passed away well over thirty years ago, his influence is still very imminent. Having  been a groundbreaking modernist he is still today widely admired to a point where this devotion may be called ‘worship’.

Don’t get me wrong. I think he was a genius and definitely a great architect.  I am very impressed with many of his works and find them very beautiful and intersting. Still one has to wonder, is it not time to move on?

This summer I joined a guided tour of a building drawn by Aalto called the kansaneläkelaitos (The Social Insurance Institution’s headquarters) – a governmental administration building. This building, completed 1956, is interesting yet definitely not one of Aalto’s most famous ones. I’ve spent much of my childhood near the building but had never before this day been inside it.

The main hall where the customers used to be served. The central hall is typical for Aalto and is seen also for instance in Helsinki's Academic Bookstore.

Ironically enough, Aalto designed this government office to be a place where the citizens could spend time and interact with the government. It was to be a “people’s living room”.  The leather couches in the waiting area are inviting and comfortable. The inner courtyard is peaceful. Yet only a decade later, in the 1960’s, the building had to be closed for the public, and access restricted, because of vandalism. The people did not want this living room. Today, I could not even go to the toilet without somebody helping me out with an electronic key card.

Wall ceramics

I believe these attempts at producing a good relationship between the state and the individual  are very interesting. I am sorry this one didn’t turn out. The place is nice and peaceful on the inside. I don’t know if I’d like to hang out at a government institution, but given the choice, I would not mind sitting on the inner courtyard lawn on a sunny day.

Here’s a view of Aalto’s much  more known design and architecture.

The inner courtyard (not the best shot) Notice how the gate prevents people from coming in.

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Miniature of the Social Insurance Institution headquarters

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Aalto vase. A bit different version from the one you might recognize.

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Une table design by ARTEK signée Alvar Aalto qui redonne un élan de simplicité et d’authenticité à vos intérieurs. De la souplesse et des lignes travaillées jusqu’au bout de la perfection. Cette table design ” bambou ” offre bien des avantages esthétique et pratiques. Cette table design peut être composer avec les chaises de la même collection.

Le designer Alvar Aalto est un monument du design du XXième siècle. Il es né en 1898 à Kuortane en Finlande et diplômé d’architecture en 1921.

Vyborg desde la torre St Olaf. Foto de Wikimedia de Anatoly Terentiev 2006

Vyborg es la capital antigua de la región de Carelia y la segunda ciudad más grande de Finlandia antes de la guerra. Visité, junto a mi esposa, Vyborg por primera vez. De la visita a Vyborg, y de los pensamientos que pasaron por mi cabeza, hice el podcast #42 de “Del Gorro del Mundo”. También es el primer podcast de la cuarta temporada.

Arquitecto y diseñador de muebles Alvar Aalto
El parque Mon Repos

Promo:
El Podador

Viajando a Vyborg por el Canal Saimaa que atraviesa lagos, ahora rusos.

La entrada a Mon Repos. "Park Monrepo" es fácil, la palabra "Vyborg" es más duro de leer.

En la esquina del edificio el escudo con el león finlandés (un animal común en los bosques de Finlandia....) mira hacia el Parque de Torkkeli.

Well, it looks like Helsinki is going to get another round of angry debate around the planning of what the city calls a “designer hotel” in a cherished and already much-debated part of town, namely the waterfront to the east of the market, on the island of Katajanokka. This will be familiar to fans of Finland’s “jugend” architecture. Some decades after that went in, Alvar Aalto, still the unquestioned god of Finnish architecture, was allowed to replace a much-loved old building with something, well, that still upsets people. If the current plans, from the Herzog+de Meuron stables, go ahead, Aalto’s “mistake” will probably pale into insignificance.

On Sunday the main newspaper, Helsinging Sanomat, reported that a majority of the city council are probably behind the plans and ends its report with the “observation” that should it not go ahead, it would be a terrible shame as the area is going to be vacated by its current, rather unsightly users, and Helsingin Sanomat believes the only alternative to starchitecture and hotel space is to leave the “waterfront empty”.

If apparent lack of imagination afflicts some (many of those in power) all the signs are that resistance will be strong, and (British readers take note) largely spearheaded by the architectural profession. Harri Hautajärvi, former editor of Ark magazine, was forthright. And published another image from the designers, here. The thumbnail, copyright Herzog and de Meuron, is to the left. Worth chasing up the images then.

For non-Finnish readers, below is a short rendition of the article from 30.08.09:

Helsinki mayor Jussi Pajunen (kok/conservatives) is lobbying hard to enliven the waterfront area near the market. This is why he is behind the private initiative.

Should the plans not go through, because nothing else is being proposed for the site the waterfront would remain empty. Helsinki harbour has already given permission to demolish the current terminal buildings next year.

Other images of H+DM’s plans were published in Helsingin Sanomat in November 2008. Uusi Suomi, the welcome web-based alternative to HS, headlined “Scandal in Katajanokka” already in May 2008.

Much, much to discuss. A Swiss flag in concrete (glass) in Helsinki? Suitable? Lively? For the city’s inhabitants? For the global financial elite and their hopeful hangers on who hope and believe that the economic crisis will go away and leave nothing unchange? The debate rages on the website of Hesari and, no doubt, elsewhere, to be picked up here anon.

Photos of the area to follow. This  is fascinating stuff and brings debates about urban space and the political economy to Helsinki like few other things have done.

P.S. Announcements for high rises on another area vacated by former harbour, in Jätkäsaari, were made in today’s HS as well. Helsinki’s student accommodation organisation to be the first on this empty plot, plans for the Marriot hotel have gone on ice due to recession

Hoas rakennuttaa Jätkäsaaren ensimmäiset talotTaloustaantuma viivästyttää Marriot-hotellin rakentamista

 Brocante du marché de La Baule. Photo lavieenrouge.

Encore quelques chaises et fauteuils vintage que l’on peut trouver sur le marché de la brocante à La Baule. Vers le 15 aout quelques belles pièces que j’avais repéré en juillet avaient disparu. Forcément. Voir l’article sur les chaises des années 50.

 Brocante du marché de La Baule. Photo lavieenrouge.

 Brocante du marché de La Baule. Photo lavieenrouge.

Mais il y avait trois chaises comme celle-ci en bois moulé ce qui n’est pas sans rapeller le travail sur le bois d’Alvar Aalto.

 Brocante du marché de La Baule. Photo lavieenrouge.

J’ai complètement flashé sur cette chaise de bébé des années 60/70 mais comme je n’ai pas de bébé je me suis dis ” A quoi bon? “

 Brocante du marché de La Baule. Photo lavieenrouge.

Un semaine plus tard c’est au marché de la brocante de Pornichet que je suis allée trainer mes tongs. L’article va paraitre bientôt.

 http://enveuxtuenvoila.wordpress.com/category/brocante-reportage/

Architettura moderna non significa utilizzare materiali nuovi e immaturi; la cosa più importante è raffinare i materiali in una direzione più umana.

Alvar Aalto

Sopra: un’immagine dell’interno della celebre Villa Mairea, capolavoro del grande maestro scandinavo

Le fauteuil design Paimio d’ARTEK n’est pas seulement un classique du designer d’ Alvar Aalto: c’est une pièce fondatrice du design scandinave actuel. la forme de ce fauteuil design a été repris par de nombreux designers, signe de l’avant-garde de ce dessin.

Composé d’une armature en bouleau plié et d’une assise ergonomique aussi en bouleau (naturel ou laqué), les formes simples et pures de ce fauteuil design traversent les ans avec bonheur.

Aujourd’hui, le fauteuil Paimio 41 de ARTEK existe aussi entièrement en blanc laqué avec la finition Artek White. Le fauteuil Paimio est un des objets emblématiques du XXième siècle.

The remarketing of Penguin Classics with blank draw-it-yourself covers seemed a craven way to extend the brand. There isn’t muchintegrity in their repackaging, continually thinking of new ways to make us buy more copies of books we already have. The real Penguin classics, from long dead authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens are in the public domain and now available free of charge through iPhone applications that are themselves free of charge. And it seems to me an iPhone application with classic books is the ultimate expression of Allen Lane’s inspiration for Penguin, that classic books should be cheap and convenient, modestly beautiful and made with contemporary printing technologies.

In the last few years I’ve seen Penguin mini’s, brochure length excerpts sold in stands in bookstores, stripped down, economical Penguin classics aping the original Penguins and now there are Penguin Moleskine-like notebooks with famous Penguin covers: write your diary inside A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf or Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. And there are Penguin book covers wrapped around the barrels of coloured pencils.

If I were Penguin I would do these things:

Artek Recycled Chairs

Readers Copies: Buy back genuinely old Penguins and recycle them. Fix the covers, clean them a bit, disinfect them perhaps, and put them back on the market, at a low price. The original ones are pricey, and collectors items if they’re in incredibly good condition but there are all of the ones that have an extraordinary patina: ex-library copies, some with touching inscriptions. It would be fantastic to see rows of them in bookstores. The lives the books have led should add to the value of the books. Tom Dixon has done this with Alvar Aalto chairs.

A Genuinely New Penguin Idea. Penguin Newspaper Classics.

Since print editions of newspapers are becoming extinct, Penguin could buy a newspaper printing plant in each of their major territories (England, Australia, USA, India etc.) and collect newsprint paper that would otherwise go unused. They could bring in technicians to clean up the process, save on power, make sure the emissions and waste aren’t too damaging, and print A5 saddle stitched collections of classic journalism, stuff that isn’t easily available online. It should be black and white, minimal, few photographs and illustrations (if any). No more newsprint paper should be produced. The editions will grind to a halt when the newsprint runs out. The Science pages, World News, Film News. There could be about ten stories in a collection.