April 5, 2009
Design Walks // Malmo, Sweden
I just got back from a quick trip to see family in Sweden and spent an afternoon wandering around Malmo with my mum. One of the things we share is a love for the beautiful simplicity of Swedish design. Here in the US, I think we are kind of stuck in a mid-century modern rut. And while there is no doubt that something special was happening in Scandinavia in the 1950-60s, there is a lot of great contemporary Swedish design that sometimes gets overlooked. While Teroforma is currently looking into a few projects that we hope will help bring some of the new generation of Swedish designers to the forefront for more people to enjoy, I thought I’d share a few of my pics from the day in the meantime - along with a few recommendations of the best places to visit if you happen to find yourself in Malmo with a free afternoon.
Form/Design Center in Malmö was founded in 1964 as a non-profit organization promoting the best of Swedish design, craft and the people involved. Located in Hedmanska gĂĄrden (Hedman courtyard) next to Lilla Torg in Malmö, Form occupies 3 floors of a former granary building built in 1850. There are basically 3 parts to Form - an exhibition space, a gallery showing an always-thoughtful and frequently updated collection of work from emerging Swedish artists and designers, and, finally, a cafe. Each one is great, but it is the combination that I really like - see what’s going on, buy a little something for home and finish it off with a coffee and the most fantastic pastries from Olof Viktors Bakery in nearby Ă–sterlen. Form is open generally from 12-4 Tu-Su and closed on Monday.
Formagruppen Butik & Galleri is an artists cooperative with a shop and a gallery located at No 8 Engelbrektsgatan just around the corner from Form. I suppose I should stop here and say that Form means ’shape’ in Swedish - hence the pervasive use of the word here. The cool thing about Formagruppen is that it is a collective with a 20-member stable of locally-based professional crafts artists who work in different materials. Most of these artists can be visited directly in their studios or ateliers. So just visit the shop and figure out who you like and then call ahead to schedule a visit. One of our favorite regional talents is a designer/maker named Tomas Alexandersson who makes incredible modern primitive shapes in salt-baked ceramics. Formagruppen is open Mo-Fr 11-6, Sa 10-4 and closed on Sunday.
Norrgavel means ‘North Gable’ in Swedish and is a fantastic story as much as it is a fantastic store/company. The company was founded by furniture maker Nirvan Richter in a one-room workshop which was literally under the north gable of a building. Richter combines the simple/functional virtues of Swedish design with farther-flung influences such as the Pennsylvania Shakers. Norrgavel consistently produces thoughtful, well-crafted, unique pieces of furniture that are strong enough to make a statement and subtle enough to play a chord rather than a single note. Even if you don’t speak Swedish, be sure to check out Nirvan’s book about Norrgavel - the illustrations are beautiful. The original store is located just down the road from Formagruppen at No 20 Engelbrektsgatan and is open daily from 11-6.
If you get hungry for lunch during your wanders, just stop in to the Lilla Torg Steakhouse for a nice-sized meal at a reasonable price. Most restaurants in Sweden offer a lunch special called dagens meny - or literally, ‘daily menu’. Lunch is a very social meal and is usually had out at a restaurant even during the work week where you can often find colleagues out together. Dagens can sometimes be a buffet of selected dishes or a limited menu offering and normally comes with a salad, main course and sometimes a drink - wine, beer, etc. Don’t forget to follow it up with a coffee which you will come to realize is what Swedes really live on. When mum and I stopped in on our walk, we had the best moussaka I’ve had in ages! The steakhouse is aptly located on Lilla Torg at No 7 and is open daily.
Finally, if you have the energy, it is worth heading down to the harbor to stroll through the shops and get a look at Malmo’s architectural crown jewel - Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso. I won’t get into a review of the structure itself - enough has been written about it by those far more qualified than me. The thing I will say is that the area around the Torso has absolutely exploded in recent years. Previously a kind of derelict industrial area near the harbor, the emergence of the Torso has brought a huge infusion of restaurants, shops and energy. In the summer, you can often find people diving off the harbor retaining walls and getting a tan on the well-landscaped public gardens nearby. Swedes make good use of the outside when the weather permits - so pick a nice day and enjoy your walk through Malmo!
Tags: Calatrava, Form Center, Formagruppen, Lilla Torg, Malmo, Nirvan Richter, Norrgavel, Teroforma, Turning Torso