Selldorf Architects was named to the AD100—Architectural Digest’s annual list of the top talents in architecture and interior design. Digest praised the firm for practicing “quiet architecture” and for “instilling buildings with a luminous and pragmatic modernism that is always context-sensitive.” Find out more about Selldorf Architects and the AD100 here.
All of our Vica products are now available on Dering Hall—a newly launched online marketplace for high-end furnishings and accessories designed by a curated set of architects, interior designers and artisans.
Visit our storefront on the Dering Hall site for more information!
The Wall Street Journal Magazine profiled Annabelle Selldorf in their April 30th design issue. The complete article is available here on the Wall Street Journal website.
Selldorf Architects’ Sunset Park Materials Recycling Facility was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal. The project is praised as an industrial building with a level of architectural design quality rarely seen today.
The Recycling Facility is currently under construction and expected to be complete at the end of 2011.
More information about the project is available here.
A tented guest room at Charlottenhof Palace, Potsdam, by Karl Friedrich Schinkel c. 1826
MORNING WALK: ANTIQUE SHOPPING IN GAMLA STAN (THE OLD TOWN)
The stucco walls of its red, orange and vanilla buildings sag toward each other exhaustedly over countless souvenir shops and ice-cream parlours, while the Royal Palace crowns the tiny island. Just to the south of Gamla Stan is another island neighbourhood, Södermalm, where high waterfront hills are graced by lovely old residences and the main drags are lined with bohemian shops, art galleries and rollicking clubs. On the other side of Gamla Stan is the main city centre, a buzzing metropolis whose boutiques and restaurants can hold their own against just about any big city on the continent. (lonely planet)
Photo: Michael Cavén
LUNCH SPOT: SALUHALL
Jamie Oliver Agrees: You must stop at Saluhall!
To sample all the staples of the Swedish kitchen, simply go to Saluhall, a 19th-century indoor market, in the fashionable Ostermalm neighbourhood. Wander various ornate wooden-fronted booths housing fascinating food emporia packed with local delicacies: heady bottles of spice-flavoured schnapps; fruit liqueurs; elderflower vinegar; jars of intense jams, compotes and jellies; farmhouse cheeses such St Olof and västerbotten; and punnets of delicate wild cloudberries, elderberries, blueberries and lingonberries. (jamie oliver)
Photo: JPlpagan
AFTERNOON VISIT: STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY
Stockholm Public Library is the largest public library in Sweden and is a common access point for all the inhabitants of Stockholm who can share in published information, the libraries’ extensive book and media collections, and the expertise of the staff, free of charge.(Stockholm Public Library)
Photo: emdumen
Photo: Hirotomo
Munich
It is difficult to sum up such a beautiful city and cultural oasis that offers sensory appeal of just about every kind imaginable. This post is an overview to a city well worth a visit of at least 5 days. In terms of when to visit, the weather is beautiful from May through the summer, and there’s also Oktoberfest in the fall!
Munich’s cityscape is recognized by one of the largest city parks in the world, The Englischer Garten (English Garden, named after the landscaping style). Visitors and locals can be found sunbathing in the green pastures among trees, pathways and the picturesque Kleinhesseloher Lake.
Famous for Oktoberfest, the beer in this Bavarian capital is seriously delicious. If you are not in Munich for the celebration, visit the Hofbräuhaus or a local beer garden to enjoy a fine selection of beer in oversized mugs.
Art lovers: museums are not to be missed. While there are dozens to choose from, The Haus der Kunst provides an excellent selection of rotating modern and contemporary exhibitions. Other contemporary galleries can be found closer to and around the University. Head to the Alte Pinakothek for works by European masters from the 14th to 18th centuries: Dürer, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt and Tintoretto among others.
Food lovers: you must visit the Viktualienmarkt, or Victuals Market. This large, open-air market located in the city center has an abundance of fresh produce, flowers, seafood, herbs, wine, cheeses and freshly prepared meals.
So what else is there to love about Munich, and Germany overall? Bike lanes! Germany has designated bike lanes that are separate from the road and pedestrian sidewalks. Open air markets, biker friendly and safe, plus large green city parks equals healthy living in Munich (minus the beer and schnitzel, but it all balances out in the end).
Sleepover Tip: stay at Hotel Louis
Englischer Garten
Viktualienmarkt
Bavarian State Chancellery
Palace Nymphenburg
Palace Nymphenburg
Pagodenburg
Pagodenburg
Following up from the previous post, can you guess where these pictures were taken?
HINT: Only one of the countries home to these 3 cities remains in the World Cup, and one did not qualify at all.
More information about each of these locations to come.
Where am I?
Where am I now?
Final destination!
Vica’s own Stefan Steil just received his Masters of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the New York School of Interior Design. His final thesis project is a thoughtful approach to the topic of mourning and burial of the dead.
Stefan says:
This project is a promessionarium composed of a set of interior spaces dedicated to the functions of mourning and caring for the dead. There are many interiors designed to accommodate mourners and this is an integral piece of this design problem, but the larger and more challenging problem is the recognition of death in an interior space, resulting in:
- Interior that evokes an equal, non-denominational feeling
- Interior space that conveys a spirit of tenderness and intimacy
- Space instills a deep sense of awe without inflicting god-fearing terror and pompous ceremonies
This process is reflected in the design which moves from dramatic to lyrical.
Sustainability became an integral part of the project in terms of rethinking the environmental impact of cremation. Green Walls, for example, have been incorporated as a new method of space-saving burial.
For more information, visit: www.stefansteil.com
Hall of Remembrance
Chapel Interior
Meadow walkway
Meadow
Chapel at night
SPOILER: Stefan traveled to 3 beautiful cities in Europe after his graduation commencement. A preview of his chosen destinations will arrive this week, and whomever guesses the right locations gets a lucky penny.
Selldorf Architects’ 200 Eleventh Avenue is nearing completion. Here is a video tour of a duplex.
Video courtesy of Urban Muse/Gaia House.