Looking back to last winter in Helsinki.
It's so hot still in september in seoul, so i miss the winter time in scandinavia.
I think I can say that it was my favourite travel destination. It's not too big and crowded like London, and I felt lost in direction most of time in Milan. Actually it was not too cold even in winter time in helsinki. Above all, there are many hot places abt art and design in Helsinki.
Kiasma is worth to visit to see the architecture itself.

Panetteria Princi in Milan

... Especially as architecture and food are directly related here. This project fuses the life elements - water, air, fire and earth, which are crucial to cooking and baking, just as they are to architecture ... In principle the Panettria consists of a single, large, lucidly articulated room where all the activities needed to make bread - one of our staple foods - and other baked goods, including selling and eating them, take place at the same time. Rigorous geometry is paired with warm colours and sensual materials: rough porphyry for the floor, rough stone blocks as counters and shaped as tables to stand at, earth-coloured brass panes as wall cladding, fire for baking - visible from everywhere, presented as a focal point - and of course wood, for the place where the kneading and baking take place. Baking as elemental, primal activity, something that is normally kept from our eyes, is deliberately thrust into the foregound, spatially intensified. It happens behind great panes of glass, and can be seen both from outside and inside. The division between manufacture and selling is removed. Both take place in the same space, on the same stage. And just as all the activities are spatially linked, so are all the materials closely related to each other. 

-texts  Architectural Esssentials by Claudio Silvestrin, p126 The architect, the cook, and the taste Birkhauser

Just 5 minutes from Duomo, we could get this modern, crowded bakery. 

As the architect said, the space was for all social strata. It was a democratic space in which everyone feels good regardless of background or status. but you've got to dash to try their bread before lunchtime!

-photo July 2008 in Milan

www.claudiosilvestrin.eu

www.princi.it

그림같이 짓지 마라. 그런 효과는 담장에게, 산에게, 해에게 넘겨줘라. 그림같이 옷을 입은 인간은 그림이 아니고, 어릿광대다. 농부는 그림 같이 옷을 입지 않는다. 그는 그 자체다. 

내가 할 수 있는 만큼만 잘 지어라. 더 잘 짓지 말고, 너를 치켜 올리지마라. 그리고 더 나빠지지도 마라. 네가 산에 갔다고 해서 고의적으로 너의 출생과 교육이 쌓아준 그것보다 더 낮은 수준으로 너를 끌어내리지 마라. 농부들과 너의 언어로 이야기하라. ... 

농부가 짓는 형태에 주목하라. 그것은 선조들의 지혜에서 흘러나온 원액이기 때문이다. 그러나 그 형태의 근거를 찾아라. 기술의 진보는 그 형태의 개선을 가능하게 했기 때문에 항상 그 개선의 여지를 이용해야만 한다... 

산에 집을 짓는 자들을 위한 규칙들 (1913)

Extracts   Ornament and Crime by Adolf Loos

photo   Corniglia in Cinque terre, Italy 2008

Rather than the architecture (it's national theatre in copenhagen), I like this an easy and composed attitude. They might have been busy, working on riverside, but at least they looked happier than one in office. 

Sometimes I want to go back to the time when I studied drawing and sculpture. As I have worked in the field of architecture, I seem to forget all of those art things. When I first saw David Chipperfield's projects in plans and photos, I just found it cool or cold. I haven't been any of his projects, but this picture came to me with its warmness, and story. Come to think of it, I think I used to draw indoor space, but I never drew pictures which were focused on any buildings or something like facade. Yes, actually there were no buildings to draw here, but the state of mind could be expressed well when it was described through space. Why I reminded the time is this photo looks like a painting, not an architecture photo. Soft wall finish like touches on painting, heavy concrete bench which doesn't have a headachy detail, and the sunshine... 

Museum of modern literature, by David Chipperfield 2008

A cafe in Louisiana museum of modern art, Denmark. After seeing inside and outside of the building, I had to have a rest. With the ocean view through wide glass window, it served cozy and warm atmosphere for visitors. I could find some familiar materials like wooden louver ceiling, brick floor, etc, as I worked with those material in 101arch.

The entrance of church Temppeliaukio in Helsinki. It was too difficult to find here, so called "rock church", because it's covered with the natural rocks. The religious architecture wasn't shallow nor superficial like any other ones with only glamourous surface. Please look at the small cross, it is the only sign that you can recognise that it is a church.

It looks like a lonely place with no one in the picture, but it's actually a subway station in Stockholm. People would come to the platform to pass more than any other place, so public space should be designed properly.

This humourous handrail detail looks like a standing person.

Kiasma by Steven Holl,

Helsinki

This one is my smallest project since I've worked in 101arch, but my favourite when I look back on. It is a wine cellar for vintage wines in winetime, so it has sloping shelves, and indirect LED lighting. All the walls are covered with glass door to not touch, but have air circulation gaps.

Sense of place
Genius loci literally means genius place. It is used to describe places that are deeply memorable for their architectural and experiential qualities.

from Louisiana Museum, Denmark

Can you recognise who's design it is?
Approximatively 1 hour from centre of Copenhagen, you can visit here. Here is a cafe in Ordrupgaard museum.
It was built in 1918 as a country estate and showcase for insurance magnate Wilhelm Hansen's collection of French Impressionist and Danish paintings. A new building designed by Zaha Hadid attached to the old buildings recently.
Although peoples who know about her can recognise her buildings even from 100m away, it was challenging for me to look for. I amazed by its new concept with curves and black colour concrete which made me refresh.
Let's have a dinner at this restaurant of the museum next time.

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/hadid/ordrupgaard4/ordrupgaard4.html
http://www.ordrupgaard.dk/topics/frontpage.aspx

"I like a view but I like to sit with my back turned to it"

-Gertrude Stein, The autobiography of Alice B. Toklas

painted by Pablo Picasso, portrait of Gertrude Stein

I should have checked. I should have asked!!.. I only asked when the guided tour was in Opera, but didn't asked about admission. If you have got to get into it, you should make a reservation for the guided tour.

When we are travelling, it is necessary to go to toilets as often as we can, but I became to go to toilets everytime if I visit to designed buildings since I've worked at 101architects.

This picture is the interior of a toilet in Kiasma, designed by Steven Holl.

What was interesting is there were a shower faucet in every public toilet in Helsinki. They seemed like hand held bidets.

On third day of company trip to Japan, we went to Kumamoto castle which is in the centre of the city. It is surrounded by beautiful nature as stream, and modern buildings aside. Although some buildings were under construction or rebuilted because of the war 100years ago, the streets of zigzag shape were between tall huge walls. When most of people were amazed by the buildings above the walls, I couldn't take my eyes off from the curves of walls. They were built to defend from the enemies on purpose, and it made magnificent views also.

How can I take a picture of an impression of circular space? The church Temppeliaukio doesn't seem to be made of stones. It's more like being among stones. The timeless design of it was primitive but elegant, and delicate but powerful.

Travelling about 1 hour from centre of Copenhagen, I could reach to Louisiana museum of modern art. The exquisite museum is located between the Baltic sea and a garden which is full of sculptures. The scale of the museum is quite extensive, but it never overwhelm the nature.

www.louisiana.dk

Sky in Japan

At the museum designed by Ando Tadao in Kumamoto.

As the plan is simple, it seems to get powerful.

Asplund's library is Stockholm's most internationally acclaimed building. While I was getting closer to the library, I could see only cylinder form and squares. Only the orange colour of the elevation looked exotic. However if you get into the library, the panorama of books make an unique view and realise why the outerior had to be. It is said that the inspiration was a temple of wisdom, borrowing form and ornament from ancient Egypt. As we can see in the picture, the building is all about books and history.