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Conference turris::scandia

Title:All about Scandinavia
Moderator:TLE::SAVAGE
Created:Wed Dec 11 1985
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:603
Total number of notes:4325

18.0. "What are your design favorites?" by TLE::SAVAGE () Fri Dec 20 1985 13:54

 The Nordic countries are deservedly well known for visionary design.
  
 Some of the best architecture I ever seen was in Norway (an ultra-
 modern country church in �ndalsnes) and Sweden (high-rises in 
 suburban Stockholm and Gothenburg).

 How many people reading this know that the 'Lincoln' log cabin was
 a medieval Scandinavian building design?  That right, I saw a 
 carefully reassembled 450-year old log building at an outdoor museum 
 in Norway that had the same notched-at-the-ends design that we
 associate with 'American' log cabins.  'Seems the earliest Swedish and
 Norwegian settlers built 'em and the English copied.

 Same thing with skyscrapers.  The oldest building erected using the
 steel-reenforced concrete method essential to skyscrapes in still
 standing in Stockholm.

 Then we have: textiles, ceramics, furniture, glassware, and general
 interior design.  As might be expected in countries with long 
 winters, Nordic designs run to light colors.  The colors of nature
 tend to featured.  

 Anybody have a favorite piece to share?   Your suggestions might
  be a welcome shopping hint for someone.

 I own a fantastic queen-sized bed (made in Denmark), with slats, 
 but my favorite "hemsl�jd" is, of course, the proud red-orange 
 Dala horse (I actually have two: one very old, one fairly new).

  Neil
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18.1Just some of themAJAX::JJOHNSONMon Dec 30 1985 23:0413
  We talked about this and came up with our favorite items in two
  categories: stuff we do not have and stuff that we do have.
  In the first one Jim went for the Aalto end table - we have not
  yet found anything he designed that we would not like.  I went
  for any Bang & Olufsen (sp?) hi-fi equipment.  We were unanimous
  in the second category: the "unikko" red wine glasses by iittala,
  designed by the late Tapio Wirkkala.  However, we must not forget
  one of the most versatile pieces of Scandinavian design,
  *the Lego block*!
  
  Sirkku, mother of a boy who is heavily into Duplo, Lego's big
  brother (and whose little brother just got his first Duplo rattle)
  
18.2Design favouritesSTKSWS::LITBYThis is, of course, impossible.Sun Jul 27 1986 18:0013
	Architecture:	The Stockholm Town Hall.
			If God lives in a building, this is what it must
			look like.

	Automotive:	The Saab 9000 Turbo 16.

	Monuments:	The Sibelius Monument in Helsinki.

	Incidentally, I  think  the very ugliest building of all is also
	in  Stockholm.  The  Royal  Institute of  Technology's School of
	Architecture  (yes,  architecture)  resides  in a building whose
	very  ugliness no language can describe. It has to be seen to be
	believed. 
18.3A Different AngleMLOKAI::BESTThu Sep 04 1986 17:4217
    
    	After reading this, I finally feel compelled to enter some of
    my own feelings.  I lived in Norway for two years, but I also had
    a Swedish exchange student living with me for a year, and I spent
    several months with him at various times in Sweden, and I spent
    a few weeks in Finland.  My favorite architecture was that of the
    Stave Church in Norway, which is built with the same kind of construc-
    tion as a Japanese pagoda!  I also liked many of the modern churches
    that I saw. 
    	I have started my own collections of Swedish Crystal, and my
    pride and joy is my Scandinavian Design bed.  I know that that's
    real commercial, but I love it anyway.
    	I'll comment on many other things later.  I have found so far,
    many things to be be highly subjective.
    
    						-Jerry
    
18.4Marimekko wearHSK01::MAENNISTOEDig it allFri Sep 05 1986 15:270
18.5marimekko wearCYGNUS::OLSENMon Dec 15 1986 11:224
    marimekko can be bought and ordered from crate and barrels store
    in cambridge.also for better prices than in finland which is great.
    i saw a fashion show [put on by finlandia foundation] with MARIMEKKO
    clothes that are available at crate and barrel
18.6read the labelMAY20::MINOWMartin Minow, MSD A/D, THUNDR::MINOWMon Dec 15 1986 13:507
Watch out -- some of the locally-available Marimekko stuff is made
in the USA under license and doesn't seem to have the same quality
cloth (or dyes) as the more expensive Finnish stuff.

This is especially true of bed linens.

Martin.
18.7MAGIC::DICKSONWYSIWYG is a crockMon Jan 12 1987 12:153
I've seen the licenced USA-made Marimekko bed linens at both Crate and
Barrel and Bed & Bath stores.  It says so right on the package, on the
grey cardboard strip around the top.