Moving on

Copenhagen is still busy, still full of things to see, visit, check-out. The latest is their set of debates on housing types and living forms: how should planners and architect conceive living in the city? What are the demands and desire of the citizens? What do they associate with city life and how can we provide them with it? How should living in a city be considered as well according to issues of social sustainability, environmental considerations, density, transportation and so on?

For more information, go to cphx.dk

* * * * *

I have now moved to Aalborg, currently doing a traineeship in Curitiba - Brazil - and therefore closing down this chapter for the moment. The blog is though still a good reference for those who desire to travel to Copenhagen and see the city - so ENJOY!


The chapter on Brazil is opened on the page curaventuras.blogspot.com ;-)

Kongens Nytorv marked

Fridays and Saturdays, Kongens Nytorv -the round shaped square at the end of Nyhavn, Store Kongensgade, Bredgade, Gothersgade and the pedestrian shopping street- hosts a flee marked. From Royal Copenhagen porcelain to funny hats and home-made knitting, you'll find everything.

But what first caught my attention was the intergalactic-space-sound coming from an installation. Something between art happening and urban furniture is to be experienced. Kgs.Nytorv is often the place where art appears in an appealing -almost propanganda- way.

- The Cool Globes were exposed there during the Copenhagen Summit for Environment in December 2009
- Sustainable design solutions were shown -in collaboration with an exhibition at the Danish Center for Design, DDC, if I am correct
- Exhibitions describing the water issues in the world were seen there.

This time it is an urban lounge space with huge white cushions to cheel out on. Right next to that "The Wal" is a virtual interactive museum-wall describing the history and characteristics of Copenhagen. It seems those special installations are there to promote the city and the urban lifestyle while the metro works are pulling trees out from the original tree circle of the square and making the crossing over of the Kgs.Nytorv something of a military exercice for pedestrians.

Earlier on the week, going down to catch your metro, you would also have popped into a sound and image installation "Urban Forest". Heavy atmosphere, music and images suggesting to pause, to slow down in your rushy day planning and look around: we are hundreds, thousands of people passing here, running around in the city's web. Well, of course, you would say. But nonetheless, it is a stunning feeling you get when you take time to actually think about it.

Amusement or distraction from the works? Publicity that should inject patience into the citizens and turists hoping to enjoy the recently restaured square? The experience is however fun.

For more information on Kongens Nytorv, see www.cphx.dk/?#/28842/
For more information on "The Wall", see www.vaeggen.dk
For more information on the metro works, see post from the 5th June or visit www.m.dk/Metronyt.aspx

Rum og bevægelse 3 - "eye sneakings" in SMK

Refering to the post from 1st May 2010
Talking about the play between outdoor and indoor, the perspectives and the views decomposed in several settings... Here are more examples of what your "wondering-around and about" might offer you as sight and contrasted sceneries.

Excuse the quality of the pictures - taken with my cell phone

Photographs at SMK

Lindsay Seers is exposing at Statens Museum for Kunst until the 26th September.

Her work concerns the history around her mysteriously disapeared stepsister Christine. This takes through memories and old photographs, in a search for truth. The art installation is as misterious and worrying as the history and the search in way that everything -object and subject- melt together in a strange feeling. I took home the book "It Has To Be This Way", about the exhibition and the process behind it, and will read it in the coming days. It seems the whole exhibition has to be searched through the different medias: art installation, film, pictures, sound, book...
In search of a search?

Before getting to the right spot, due to -or should I say "thanks to"- confusing panels, I was directed to the permanent photographs collection of the museum. Three rooms retrace the history of the researchs, experiments and objectives that the photographers have set themselves up to. From the beginning of the 20th century, with Man Ray and his fellows, to contemporary artists, the walk is interesting and so fascinating! Go and get lost up there (last floor of the building).

August i Amalienhave

Amalienhave
Location: Frederiksstaden i København centrum,
på den famøse akse Marmor kirken-Amalienborg-Amalienhaven-Operaen
Tegnet af Jean Delognes, belgisk landskabsarkitekt
Indviet i 1979

Min far var på besøg i København. Mandag aften gik vi op af Langelinie og et smut igennem Amaliehaven - et af min fars favorit punkter på turen. Mand må sige at haven er jo planlagt af en Belgisk landskabsarkitekt. Oprindelig troede jeg det var Pechère men det er faktisk Jean Delognes som står bag det grønne og kanted byrum.

I hvertfald er der noget af den belgisk tradition for have- og landskabskunst som er tydlig: et arbejd på den grønne farve skala og en diskret nuancering i funktionerne der skal integreres i en urban have, altså intime nicher, større vandringsalléer, perspektiver og iagttagelsesperioder.

Jeg har ofte nævnt over for venner problemet med haven: for lidt lys om aften som giver utryghed i et offenligt rum (hvor tryghed er det vigtigste for at drage brugerne til sig på alle tidspunkter af dagen), en orientation som ikke stemmer med den eftersøgt og eftertragted udsigt mod havnen og en kostbar velligeholdelse af de geometriske buskater.

Pussigt nok, havde min far fået fat i en artikel i Københavneravisen som rammer lige på pletten og byder på forslag til en let forandring i fremtiden, i håb om at dette ville traffe brugernes -Københavnerne som turisterne- behov og ønsker til den have. Og måske tæmme polemiken rundt om den belgiske have ved at rette dens træk til noget byens beboer kan identifiere sig med...

Her er artiklen.


Du kan også læse om det på
www.koebenhavneravisen.dkpdf/2010/KBHAVISEN_AUG2010_7.pdf

SANAA at DAC

The Danish Center for Architecture (DAC) is currently running an exhibition on the work of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.

Few words, few models but everything is said and done here. Purity, clarity and clever thinking is revealed by the photographs and the white cardboard models. The architecture vision and project comes from within... The thinking and process is based on human movement flows, inside-outside relationships, mathematical and structural logics. No wonder they both won the Pritzker Price.

The only little scepticism I still might have about their work is that the purity of the forms and relationships they create is sometimes difficult to see unless you are told about them. This gap might give some frustrations to users or passing people, those who see and explore the building and their surroundings every day.

I had the chance to visit the SANAA school in Essen: a splendid and fascinating masterpiece. But I only understood its role and situation in the site when I had visited it. It is to be seen from inside and the qualities and beauties of the industrial site are promoted from inside.

Nonetheless, the detailling is rather superbe.

Go and have a look!

Summer in Europe, summer in Denmark

Well, I have been on the move during the last month: discovering the nature's own spatial rules or Vauban's strategies in the building of forts on Ile de Ré, in France, discovering the religious and enlighted visions for an ideal city in Richelieu, in France, wondering around in Belgium and getting enthusiastic about the natural, medieval and contemporary dialogue in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Pictures coming up here...

Ile de Ré | France


Richelieu | France

1-view of the cardinal's square from inside the old halle - 2-view of the church on cardinal's square-3- huge aristocratic residences with big backyards are to be seen along the principal street, the principal axis joining the religious pole and the royal pole- 4-the sacred city is built on an ideal of symetry and hierachized perfection (mid 17th century, end of Louis XIII's reign), only three doors allow entrance to the centre, the south door here and examples of what you could see through the private doors to the backyards - 5-the glorious planted driveway facing the statue of Cardinal Richelieu


Edinburgh | Scotland

1-view from Arthur's seat over Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament (Miralles) and part of the New Town (17th century)- 2-landscape and benches melting together in the gardens behind the new Scottish Parliament, the green axis from Arthur's seat fromwhich the Parliament devellops as leaves on branches- 3- the old Grassmarket, 2nd part after the wall extension- 4-bike parking furniture close to the Parliament gardens- 5- ceiling in a pub in the Old Town (Medieval)




Meanwhile in Copenhagen, I have spotted some interesting summer activities:

- from 16th July-14th August: Urbant aktivitets bureau is organising activities and events around in the capital, allowing you to discover it with new eyes. Sounds really great!
Where and when? Rumkammerats galleri, Nansensgade 35, from Tuesdays to Saterdays
Read more on cphx.dk/#/432906/ or rumkammerat.dk/uab

- Still free tours in Copenhagen with CphX and DAC: take the boat, your bike or just wear your walking shoes...they are all very interesting and informs you on what is happening now in Copenhagen in terms of city development and architecture.
Read more on cphx.dk