Teroforma

May 10, 2009

Design Walks // Bushwick, Brooklyn

Located just a short train ride from Union Square is a glimpse of what Manhattan’s SoHo was probably like back in its industrial heyday, long before it ever saw the likes of stores such as Alessi or Longchamp. East Williamsburg - or Bushwick to the locals - is as much an artists’ haven as it is one of the only corners of wider New York City that has gracefully resisted gentrification, a rarity even in Brooklyn these days.

Stepping out onto Bogart Street from the Morgan Avenue exit off the L train, you’re immediately immersed in a wash of re-purposed factory space and 20/30-somethings running around with paint splatters on their shoes. There’s a sense that anything is possible here and that the people you pass are busy doing it. And after spending an afternoon walking its streets, you understand why the hipsters are taking up residence in Bushwick but keeping the frills to a minimum. Despite the friendly behavior and welcoming attitude, it’s clear they’re not eager to see their undiscovered bohemian village become saturated with rows of “independent” boutiques, coffee shops and imported quirkiness. The residents are entertaining enough.

The best way to start a Saturday afternoon in Bushwick is with brunch at Life Café NINE83, located on Flushing Avenue at Central Avenue. The sister location to the East Village original, Life is a great place to hang out with friends and discuss future projects or just relax over a pint. You can see why Jonathan Larson found inspiration for his cult Broadway hit “Rent” at the East Village location, as owner Kathleen Kirkpatrick ensures that the Brooklyn location is still a place where artists and musicians can come together. The menu boasts classic favorites like French toast or scrambled eggs with bacon in addition to vegan-friendly options, substituting tofu for meat and using casein-free soy cheese in their dishes.

Upon leaving Life, take a stroll down Bogart Street and stop at The Archive Café for a post-brunch coffee. Have a seat on the vintage couch for some people-watching or peruse their selection of DVDs, as the café does double-duty as a movie rental shop. A neighborhood hub, Archive offers free Wi-Fi service allowing for major hang time on a budget, since a cup of Harney & Sons tea will only set you back $1.50. The Edison light bulbs and large worktables keep to the theme of what’s going on outside the graffiti-covered steel door, and provide a charming interior without feeling stereotypical.

Put your caffeine buzz to good use and pop next door to The Archive at Ad Hoc, before heading over to 3rd Ward down the block. On current display at Ad Hoc is a collection of works executed by a group of international female pop surrealists. 3rd Ward is a 20,000-square-foot creative facility that boasts everything from studio space for photo shoots to a woodshop. Depending on when you’re there, the gallery may have an exhibit on display, featuring any medium imaginable, or you might find yourself in the middle of filmmakers’ showcase. If possible you should make your way there on 7 December for their Handmade Holiday Craft Fair.

Finally, reward yourself at King’s County, a bar on Siegel Street known for its wide variety of whisk(e) y at fair prices. The all-black interior may seem alarming at first glance, but its knowledgeable bar staff and sociable crowd make you feel completely at ease.

While Bushwick isn’t booming with tourists, the area itself is full of life and its quirky outposts are a promising sign that there are people out there who find meaning in what they’re doing with or without grand acknowledgment from the masses.

Karen Day is a freelance writer, a budding photographer, an experienced traveler and a terrible tourist.

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 gården (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 Österlen. 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!

November 12, 2008

Design Walks // Oslo Opera House

Where’s the Colisseum? No, not the L.A. Coliseum. What we mean is, where are the great public works which by their sheer size and force of vision inspire us to greatness simply to keep pace with the grandeur of our surroundings? While the rest of the world is mired in credit crises, border conflicts, Joe the Plumber and dispiriting nonsense of all sorts, the stolid and sensible Norwegians have taken up the unlikely role of latter day Romans, forsaking lions and Christians for Wagner and Puccini.

The Oslo Opera House opened in April this year and is the seat of The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. The building lies in the centre of Oslo, on the seafront of the Oslo fjord, and has become the foundation for the urban re-development of this previously derelict area of the capital.

Designed by the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta (www.snoarc.no), the project is both the result of and catalyst for collaborations between scores of engineers, designers and artists. Seeking to create a public building that would mark Norway out as a cultural nation and highlight the social importance of The Norwegian Opera & Ballet, the result marks a milestone not only in architecture, but also in construction, use of materials and technical innovation. Vigorously debated by many Norwegians during the building process, it has inspired both love and hate, but rarely indifference.

With typical Scandinavian pragmatism, architecture, design and art have been approached from a holistic perspective, with installations integrated into the overall development process. Olafur Eliasson’s light wall (above) is part of the internal structure of the building. Half opaque, half transparent, almost origami- like, his mirrored chamber was exhibited at MoMa this summer. Eliasson and 16 other Norwegian and international artists worked in close collaboration with Snohetta.

From a white marble-clad exterior, the warmth of wood panels (right) declares the boundary between the internal performance structure and the sun-filled atrium. While the dark-wood-clad performance space has gotten much of the attention - and plays host to characters as diverse as Pagliacci and PJ Harvey - the production facilities themselves are designed as a ‘self contained factory.’ Tall south-facing windows allow every bit of the scarce Nordic sun to shine onto the creative machinery of the rehearsal studios as new art evolves below.

A long table near the south-facing window (left) is the scene of languorous lunches during the day and you-need-to-have-booked-in-a-previous-lifetime dinner seatings in the evening. With a scheduled show on almost every night, the Opera House is a workplace for almost 600 people from more than 50 professions.

The Opera House has, like most creations, evolved from open-minded collaboration. It won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October 2008. Jury member Sir Peter Cook said of the Opera House that it “…in its scale, ambition and quality has raised the bar for Norwegian architecture.”

Once jealous, perhaps, of New York’s Guggenheim or Paris’ Pompidou, Norwegians have found a reason to be content. With a new (more secure) Munch museum and a library planned for development in 2009, they know that Rome was not built in a day.

After 7 years in London, Thea Mehl is once again back on native soil in Oslo. When not hanging around opera houses, she is Teroforma’s Creative Director.