Copenhagen, Denmark

If utopia exist it would be here, and its house would be the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art on the northern coast of Sjælland in Denmark. A statement which may change but thus far it takes the cake.

Have you been brought to tears from an exhibition?     New Nordic-Architecture & Idenity did that.           Left with regret for not purchasing the book, but as it goes the 2-d never achieves the actual experience, especially with architecture. 

The city of Copenhagen is pretty much perfection & with 30 hours to knock through the suggested spots, lucky for us the sun sets past 10pm during the summer months..     La Glace for pasteries, a cortado at Coffee Collective & stroll through Christianshavn. Exactly 30 minuets was spent at Tivoli Gardens. Woohoo! Whirlwind!

  

The unexpected came from the weekend streets being swarmed with singing graduates aboard open busses, which is the customary 'to do' for highschool seniors. Remember that awesome feeling?

A city which has mastered bike culture! Making so much such sense why are most places slow to catch on? We returned thinking as to how we can instill a similar life here. Best solution so far is visiting again and devoting much more time to experiencing such a special place. 

The rest of the pics can be seen HERE

Berlin

Berlin ist der Ort schlechin! Believe the hype, if you have been you know.

This young city is bubbiling over with its evolving urban form and creative milieu. This is the magnet city for free thinking artisits, designers & musicians.  But before I get into all of that...

Having spent the previous three days in London, and before I dove into Berlin I welcomed a day trip journey away from cities and through the wintery Brandenburg countryside to visit the small town of Dessau.   

I traveled solo to Germany with this mission:

visit the Bauhaus.

Now lets put on our thinking caps and place these dates 1919-1933

These dates are one year after WWI and three years shy of WWII. In nearby eastern europe Czar Nicholas II of Russia reign has collapsed and communism becomes an unprecedented power.

This rebirth in time creates a cultural revolution of new thoughts and ideas. These fourteen years are in which the Bauhaus school radiated a new social edifice lead by Walter Gropius and a slew of talents.

Putting a period of time in context to what one is seening and being here in January virtually alone can cause something of an of an understanding. 

The two dimension of books pales in comparision to being engulfed in the real deal.

Naturally if this does not relate to, or understanding of the magnitude of how ahead of time this is, one could forgo the effort put in visiting such a place. Why one must think to travel during such bleak time of year?

It lent better to the effect.

Before this visit german expressionism// international style felt a bit too removed from nature for my tastes. I was wrong, these structures elegantly pay tribute to the surrounding landscapes. 

I could go on about the nuances of large glass being similar to water, the linear beams as surrounding trees, oh the subtlety of color... But better to leave it since I have Berlin to get through.

* the battered Bauhaus after WWII

In the meantime while I gather more of my thoughts and get (actual) film developed you can read about my trip to Münich back in '08. 

Auf wiedersehen!

Geodescent Scabiosa

I love me some scabiosa pods.

Especially when I can expound my architectural history knowledge and say to the unsuspecting patron also lured into geometric detailed beauty of the scabiosa that they most certainly look like a Bunkminster Fuller Geodescent Dome. Sometimes they chuckle in a wit filled wink moment, otherwise a reaction of complete loss of wonderment concluded by a subtle blow off most NY'ers have perfected.

Did I tell my non-commenting readers that i'm about to be an even bigger know it all? Possibly being a slight exaggeration but I sure am knee deep into the history of the decorative arts. Can I get a whoop! whoop! for continuing education? Here I go flexing the ol' brain muscle this spring semester. 

Garden Clubs In Virginia Are Not Messing Around.

...or certainly not at this particular club in Alexandria, VA where I had the esteemed opportunity of giving a presentation. My topic was, "Floral Design: A New York Perspective" followed by a lesson in my style of arranging. I have never held such a captive audience! The women were incredibly gracious and the hostess lives in the finest house in Old Town, Virginia. Just stepping in the front door made my mouth salivate as my Historic Preservation degree came flooding back. 

What differenciated my floristry from these women is they compete for ribbons in various design categories spending thoughtful time and energy creating one unique arrangement under various guidelines. Unlike the flower business where you are dealing in high volume, customers, but alas much more flexibility in design. (Work vs Hobby)  I do think we mutually learned from one another, and this talk made me realize how much I enjoy a captive audience, all eyes on me please!

I can't even begin to explain the horticulturalist portion of the club, that goes over my urban apartment lifestyle. Pretty sure I figured out something I want to be involved in (maybe when I retire?) In 30 years I'll be sweeping up all those blue ribbons. 

A Moment of Solidarity

September 11, 2001

I signed the lease of our first apartment July 2000, the contract a bitter first taste of what it meant to be adult, our patch of space, our gateway into New York City.

That 4^th  was spent with boxes of my belongings as company, slept on the floor and watched fireworks reflections from the skyscraper windows, the boom sounded strong and magnificent. I felt completely alive.

 

What I heard, saw, and smelled the following year on that September morning took all that I believed and saturated the focus to such an extreme and shifted it in every which way.

I cannot think to further explain what 9 years ago today is, but I’m still here and feeling completely alive New York. 

if these walls could talk

I had one of those New York moments, and while it doesn't fit with my floral endeavors it has a nice place in my buildings tab. 

My neighborhood bodega, one of the most important spots for us city dwellers. The place where you walk around your corner for just about anything; cold beer, a sandwich, the junk food you would never keep in your kitchen -it's all bought here.  I can be seen lurking the aisles in my pajammas at all hours of the day and night because this place is an extension of my own apartment.  

While half watching one of the zillion documentries on Andy Warhol and his factory stars- I saw it. I saw my very own corner of the city, recognizing where my bodega is now. A place that 40 years ago was the hottest spot, Max's Kansas City it's where Nico & The Velvet Underground got it's start, The New York Dolls, countless other bands and where Andy and his stars were spotted daily. 

I'm not one to get oogely eyed over Andy and all of that, but I was struck- that place and time is now my corner deli. New York City, like a lot of places is chuck full with this stuff, and while say I know that, when it becomes this real, it does something funny to you. I guess one would call that a New York moment.  

Read this blog if you want to explore further. 

http://thisaintthesummeroflove.blogspot.com/2009/10/maxs-kansas-city-dates.html

Max's Kansas City closed in '81 (the year I was born) Bad Brains was on the lineup but they never played, it closed before. 

Brooklyn Navy Yard

I drove past this haunting and intriguing piece of property on my way to dumbo and my historic preservation nose sniffed something remarkable. 

Preserving Admirals Row from MAS on Vimeo.

Architect Charles Gwathemy

The other day at Sprout I was asked to make a terrarium for a renowned architect who recently passed away,Charles Gwathemy.

While putting my plants and miniatures perfectly in place I began racking my brain back to my Architectural History days with Dr. David Gobel. Thoughts to one of the more painful courses in Architectural Theory and Criticism-then it came back to me...

Gwathemy mostly built homes for high profile clients in the Hamptons, but my favorite remains the place he built for is parents in Amagansett

His firm built the ICP

Last, and most controversial of projects was the condo he built on Astor Place.

A sense of relief over took me when I realized that not only would I never sit in another class of Dr. Gobel's, but that this architect would be unable to criticize my humble terrarium because he's dead.