Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
For Those Long Dark Winters
30 June 2008
If you are ever visiting Stockholm during the winter and are concerned about the lack of daylight... then perhaps you should consider the Nordic Light Hotel. The modern Scandinavian interiors are given a bit of whimsy with the use of colored mood lighting. Set on a 24 hour schedule, the lighting changes throughout the day, yet can still be calibrated to the individual guests' desires. And just in case you didn't find the light patterns in the rooms and common spaces helpful enough, you can even partake in light therapy through the hotel. More photos here..
Via Been Seen
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Prefab Plus
02 June 2008
I really like Swedish design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune's body of work... Every product and piece of architecture they work on has a clear, yet delicate direction... nothing is too heavy handed..
The pre-fab house they designed for Arkitekthus is particularly nice. The simple 'Plus House' manages something that most pre-fab projects don't... it has roots. The proportion of the house is based on a traditional Swedish barn house, and the materials are consistent with both new and old building in the region. Its actually quite hard to imagine this house in any setting other than the one photographed... To me, this is particularly impressive for a pre-fab designs. In my opinion, many pre-fab modern projects are lovely aesthetically, but they seem like they could be plunked down in the middle of a field anywhere. And while I guess that's the point... I miss the locale specific design. This project on the other hand, really seems indigenous to the region, and I really love that about it.
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Form Us With Love
19 May 2008
I really like the interiors and product design by Swedish firm Form Us With Love. Shown above are the Kocksgaten Herrekipering, Origami Chair, and Prothes Hanger. I really like the bold and crisp lines of the designs... no need to paint everything a crazy color. White will do fine when you've got a clever design!.
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Fragile, but a coat hook nonetheless
03 January 2008
Ok, so just because its ceramic doesn't mean that its fragile... but still, its hard to imagine throwing your coat onto a ceramic coat hook. Even so, I love the idea of this coathook by Gustaf Nordenskiöld... using a traditional domestic material in an unusual manner..
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Up Stairs
22 October 2007
I quite like the images of this Sfera Building project by Claesson Koivisto Rune. The facade has a delicate texture, not unlike projects by Delugan, H&dM and others. But more than the facade, I really like the verticality and the attention to light in this design. Known for horizontal lines, Japanese infill projects have been embracing the vertical nature of their given sites. This culture house in Kyoto is no exception. The exterior skin which illuminates the entire block while still providing light to the entire spaces even manages to enhance the vertical with the brightest lights at street level drawing your eye upward to the black evening sky.
This second project No Picnic, an industrial design agency in Stockholm, Sweden is another fun project... One that reminds me of a studio project (especially the study models). The space created by the cuts and subtractions offer distinct vignettes and creates spectacular light and shadows. Still, the energetic interior seems quite appropriate for an industrial design firm. In fact, its not surprising to me at all that a firm specializing in industrial design would select a multi-disciplinary (architecture, interiors, products) like CKR.
I also wanted to bring your attention to the two staircases. These two projects are very different and yet the solutions for their vertical circulation are very similar. The narrow and tall stairwells create a sense of being in a deep chasm, but because they are filled with varying degrees of light and shadow and offer glimpses of spaces beyond, these chasms feel warm and inviting rather than oppressive and intimidating. I actually want to climb these stairs.
I also wanted to bring your attention to the two staircases. These two projects are very different and yet the solutions for their vertical circulation are very similar. The narrow and tall stairwells create a sense of being in a deep chasm, but because they are filled with varying degrees of light and shadow and offer glimpses of spaces beyond, these chasms feel warm and inviting rather than oppressive and intimidating. I actually want to climb these stairs.
TAF Arkitektkontor
19 March 2007
I found TAF through Bloesem, and like Irene, am so glad I did. I think that their product design is very clever, but their interiors and architecture are divine. As you can see, this relatively young, Stockholm based office is doing some lovely work...Sweet Swedese
15 March 2007
The Swedese brand is famous for their Tree coat stands and wall rack. But personally, I much prefer their seating... These wood benches and stools are absolutely gorgeous.
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