Sauna

Sauna

Sauna

Sauna

Sauna

Sauna

On our recent trip to Finland we went to visit Tuomas Toivonen and Nene Tsuboi of Now for Architecture and Urbanism in their sauna in Helsinki, on the harbour’s edge. Tuomas is an architect and Nene a graphic designer. They have run a critical practice in parallel with teaching and were frustrated at the opportunities to build the possibilities they were talking about. So they decided on direct action – to make a project themselves that embodied their urban critique and form the basis of their practice. The number of public saunas in Helsinki had dwindled from around three hundred to three. They have built the fourth. It also holds a small office from which they run their practice and a studio where they run workshops for visiting students (at the moment from Carleton University on Canada). They also run the sauna, taking pleasure (so far) in the routine of lighting the fire, washing all the towels and all the other tasks (such as cutting a hole in the ice to plunge into the harbour after time in the sauna – see Tuomas in the bottom picture)  that make the place run. THey do not hire any help, so they are captive to the project. They have built on the corner of a green space not he edge of the harbour that was designated as the site for a public building such as a cafe when he area was developed in the seventies, but nothing was ever made there. They take care with all aspects while running the sauna – the music, for instance, is mostly restricted to the early recordings of Caruso taken from the soundtrack to Werner Herzog’s 1982 film Fitzcarraldo.  They also took care with sourcing the materials and tickling them through the building control process. You can get the details here: www.kulttuurisauna.fi

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

Villa Johanna, Helsinki

I came across this house, Villa Johanna , designed by Selim A. Lindqvist, from 1905. I can’t find much information on it but would like to know more.

Korjaamo – Florian Koehl

Korjaamo – Florian Koehl

Korjaamo – Florian Koehl

Korjaamo – Florian Koehl

Korjaamo – Florian Koehl

A few views of the Kojaamo cultural centre by my good friend Florian Koehl in Helsinki (see http://www.korjaamo.fi/fi). It was a high speed / low budget project where Florian hung most of the programme from an adaptation of the existing structure (an old tram shed, I believe). If you don’t know Florian’s work, visit his website at http://www.fatkoehl.com and especially his Strelitzer Strasse housing with its inventive folding balconies and wonderful bathrooms (http://www.fatkoehl.com/index.php?article_id=6&clang=0)

Birch Trees in Stereo

Birch Trees in Stereo

A couple of stereoscopic views of the trees outside Aalto’s Church of the Three Crosses near Imatra (I will post some pictures of the church later in the week).

I have not posted many 3D pictures recently, so to resolve the image, go cross eyed until you register identical elements over each other (by which time you should see three images – concentrate on the middle one) and try to relax. The three dimensions should pop out and get bester over a short while of viewing.