GREETINGS FROM NORWAY: FACETS OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

I am trying...I am trying really hard to keep my Norway blogging to just one week. However, that seems to be an impossible task. We may be in the hinterlands again, but there is lots to cover. So today I will show you two extremely different buildings, and if anyone wants more, I will do another round of Norway pics next week...just let me know....or I may just decide to do it anyway.

1. NEW IN THE CITY

Oslo, founded in 1048 by the Viking King Harald III, is a beautiful city that was once even more beautiful, that is, before the Germans destroyed much of it during WWII. Of course, many of you saw the city's great sculpture park a few weeks ago. Oslo is the business center of Norway, and often named the most expensive city in the world...sometimes fighting it out with Tokyo and London, often winning. There is quite a bit of building happening, especially on the water. Numerous new luxury apartment buildings are going up, next to slick new offices. Needless to say, the world economic downturn has not touched this little country much.

One of the newest additions to the waterfront is the new opera house completed in 2008. Looking to Sydney for the WOW factor, Oslo put out the call for all architects to submit proposals. Unlike the Aussies who hired someone half a world away, Norway decided on the local firm of Snohetta (check out their great website: http://www.snoarc.no/). This was likely a good choice to keep controversy to a minimum. However, no one in Norway was too happy when the Norwegian architecture firm chose to clad much of the building in Italian marble instead of Norwegian granite! Although I must say I think the granite would have been too gray....the marble is beautiful. Shhhh...don't tell anyone in Norway.....

Not only is this a beautiful place to see the national opera and ballet companies, the space is what the architects call an 'open house'. This means its open to the public essentially all the time. Go have a coffee in the lobby, walk up the ramp to the rooftop and enjoy the view, or sit literally at the waters edge. There are also outdoor concerts on the roof and in a floating stage.... rock, jazz, Shakespeare....everything.

Anyway, I think the WOW factor is definitely there... hope it comes across in my photos!

These shots courtesy of the Opera House:

And these courtesy of my camera:

(The Guggenheim done Nordic style...indoors and in wood!)

There are numerous elements that have been comissioned by artists, such as the stage curtain by Pae White (an American) which was woven to look like crumpled foil.  This is ACTUALLY all MATTE COTTON...:

And the 'Other Wall' by Olafur Eliasson from Iceland.  This pierced and lit wall clads the services areas (such as the cool bathrooms...sorry no pics, you have to visit!) in the lobby:

Here you can see the colored lights to greater effect, thanks Papafrezzo:

And the sculpture (which many Norwegians don't particularly care for) just outside the Opera House by Monica Bonvicini.  Must be left-over annoyance from the whole Italian marble thing...I kind of like this too, looks to me like an iceberg....don't tell the Norwegians I like this one either please:

2. OLD IN THE COUNTRY

Well, anyone who likes country charm, step right up. This amazing house is located on a small island in the Oslo fjord, belongs to a good friend of the family's who also happens to be the Queen's gardener. Needless to say I had to include some photos of the garden. He is a genius with dirt and bulbs, that’s for sure. But not too bad on the interior either. The thing that always strikes me in Norway, is the effortless charm that so many houses are able to conjure.  Nothing looks staged or dressed, just casual, easy and simply oozing charm.  After visiting his house this time around, I had my very first desire to move far from any large city and find a quite spot with an old farmhouse and well, hire a great gardener. Please enjoy:

The main house:

The guesthouse:

The garage!:

The garden (of Eden):

The Interiors: There is no formal living room, just a very large dining room, a working kitchen, a fabulous library, and a small enclosed porch, perfect for four.

Upstairs, two charming bedrooms:

With equally charming views:

GREETINGS FROM THE VERY MUGGY BIG APPLE

Well, I must say it's very good I no longer live in Manhattan because I fear I would abandon all my clients just to blog about exhibitions, buildings, and random design events ALL THE TIME! There is far too much going on here, and I must say I am almost looking forward to the slower pace of Utah, where there are, of course, always things to blog about, but maybe just one or two things per week instead of seventy. ALMOST.

Anyway, since there are so many things going on, and the memory stick in my pathetic little point-and-click camera is totally full, I decided to pick two things I most enjoyed over the past few days and am hoping you might enjoy as well. But don't worry, the other stuff will be on view later when I run out of Utah things to discuss.

So here we go....
 
 

 

 
NYC PART ONE: THE MET MUSEUM ROOF GARDEN

OK. So at first one must just bask in the glory of the view. Don't worry about reading the text on the artist, don't even look at the really cool installation. Walk directly out to the edge of the garden and behold - Manhattan in all its glory....

And some more....

And just a bit more....

(And yes, I know there is some green in here too, but I can handle nature as long as its highly manicured and framed by the glories of man.)  OK, now we can get on to the exhibition. Yes there is art, if you can pull yourself away from this view. Utah, you've got it good in the red rock department, but you just can't beat this for my taste. Sorry.

Every summer the Met's rooftop garden hosts a new art installation unique to this glorious spot. It is always a treat to visit, especially since they serve wine up here.  In the past the roof garden has seen the great works of:

Roxy Paine (2009) :

Check out a video about the above installation at: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={6267CA47-491B-4776-A468-0673F8362B0F}

Jeff Koons (2008) :

Frank Stella (2007) :

And this year I was lucky enough to make it to a most interesting installation by Doug and Mike Starn entitled Big Bambu. Now, I think it might not be my absolute favorite I have seen in this locale, but it is certainly towards the top of the list. (I would say Ms. Paine pulled her Maelstrom installation off beautifully, however Mr. Koons, I was somewhat uninspired).

Instead of regurgitating everything I read there about the artist's intent, I will merely quote the museum:

"The monumental bamboo structure, ultimately measuring 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 50 feet high, takes the form of a cresting wave that bridges realms of sculpture, architecture, and performance. Visitors witness the continuing creation and evolving incarnations of Big Bambú as it is constructed throughout the spring, summer, and fall by the artists and a team of rock climbers. Set against Central Park and its urban backdrop, Big Bambú suggests the complexity and energy of an ever-changing living organism."

Here you can see the still-developing cresting wave outline:

Big Bambu towers above the roof garden...not the most settling thing to look at when you are already on top of quite a high building. At least for me. I can only think of its ongoing construction and this amazing image from the Met website:
 

Although according to one insider, it is quite an amazing experiece to ascend up the walkways into the heart of the installation:

However, the uneasy feeling looking through the mess of reeds and out across the nothingness that hangs above Central Park, is countered by the density felt when walking under the stalks...it is almost as if you are in a forest and reminds me of Hawaii. It is quite peaceful looking up through the bamboo.

I would love to see it at night with these lights on and all the cast shadows.

Have you seen any of the above?  What do you consider the most successful...this is such a great space, it warrants someone really taking the location into consideration and accentuating...

For more info visit: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={9C6923D2-D348-4761-BEB3-A943934068D2}

NYC PART TWO: A FEW TOWNHOUSES IN MY DREAMS

So I thought after so much high art, we would just quickly stroll down the streets close to the Met (my absolute favorite area of NYC- the blocks between 60th and 90th between 5th Ave and Lex) and look at a few townhouses of my dreams.  This would not be the only place I would purchase property if I was a billionaire along Bill Gates' lines, but probably one of the first. 

1. #15, somewhere in the 60's (I have real thing for lion heads outside a residence...we will discuss that later....but this is just a beauty...refined and elegant, what more could you ask for?  Well, maybe the car out front too?!)

2. # 7 somewhere in the 70's (what a neoclassical beauty!  Very regal with beautifully proportioned  columns)

3. # 8 in the 80's (A much more subtle, Federal-styled townhouse)

4. The twins in the 90's (I would have trouble choosing between these neighboring houses...it would probably come down to the balcony on number 2...but then there is all that lovely ivy on number 1!)

Which one would you purchase with your Gates-style money and then have me decorate for you?  See you next week in the Land of the Midnight Sun!