Ciao Bello

Ciao Bello. Milan, Italy. July 2015. 

One of the benefits of living in Milan is being in the middle of high fashion. The same day Expo Milano 2015 opened, so did Armani/Silos, a fashion museum dedicated to creations by Giorgio Armani. When I visited last year, Armani/Silos was hosting a retrospective exhibition displaying 40 years of Armani's works over 4,500 square meters of industrial space designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Tadao Ando. The building was actually a silo for grain in the 1950s and is now home to roughly 600 dresses and 200 accessories. Walking through the corridors, you have to fight every impulse to touch and feel everything, although, on second thought, it would be a good way of catching the attention and starting a mild flirtation with one of the black-suited models/docents.

Let There Be Light

Let There Be Light. Copenhagen, Denmark. February 2016.  

This was my first step into a Lutheran Church and man was it a memorable one. When my friend and I visited Grundtvig's Kirke in Copenhagen, I expected significant foot traffic because it is one of the most recognizable churches in the city, however we walked into complete silence and this stunning, light-filled nave. Grundtvig's Kirke is known for it's Expressionist exterior and Gothic-inspired interior. While the exterior reminds me of a crazy space ship straight out of Krypton the interior is beautiful in its silence and simplicity. 

Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business. Batalha, Portugal. August 2016.

One of my favorite stops in Portugal was the small town of Batalha, home of the Batalha Monastery aka Monastery of the Battle. The Batalha Monastery was constructed as a tribute to the Portugese and English victory over the Crown of Castile (Spain) in a battle that prevented the Castilians from claiming the Portugese throne in 1385. This photo captures my favorite part of the monastery - the Unfinished Chapels. These incomplete open air chapels are a beautiful reminder that the monastery has remained unfinished for over 500 years. Construction began on the building in 1386 and took over 100 years to "complete." Plans to finish the chapels were abandoned when resources were reallocated to build the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

I did not fully grasp Manueline-style architecture until I saw Royal Cloisters, Unfinished Chapels, and other spaces within the monastery. The beautiful lacework carved into the exterior and pillars of the chapel with ornamental angels, ropes, branches, and leaves are all signatures of the Manueline style. Today, the octogonal rotunda and seven chapels serve as reminders of the late-Gothic Portugese style.....as well as a homey refuge for birds. 

Sugar Rush

Sugar Rush. London, England. March 2016. 

I saw Sugarhouse Studios featured on a few Instagram feeds I follow and was taken by the hand painted tiles on the exterior. I took mental note and when I visited London in March, I was excited to have the chance to see this in person. Sugarhouse is an artist's space tucked in East London near Stratford and the Olympic Stadium, a long trek by tube and double decker from city center, but worth every step. The working space was closed the day I visited so I did not get a chance to see Sugarhouse in action, however I did get an up close view of this beautiful pastel patchwork. It's impressive both in scale and craftsmanship; springtime on a façade. 

Downward Spiral

Downward Spiral. Copenhagen, Denmark. February 2016. 

Copenhagen is an architecturally rich city; knowing this I took the time to research and compile a shortlist of buildings to visit. On the top of my list was this iconic building on the waterfront. Aptly named Gemini, this modern building was converted from neighboring seed silos in the early 2000s. From an aerial view, the two silos look like a figure eight and the interior is this incredibly strange looking space ship. Designed by Dutch based architectural firm MVRDV, the most surprising part of the plan is that the living spaces are actually clipped on to the outside of the silos. 

In minimalist fashion, their is no obvious entrance into the building. I waited until a resident walked out of a silo and convinced  her to let me in to take videos and photos. I could not get enough of the black and white interior. I must have become hypnotized by the spirals because I took photos from every possible curve and lost track of time; it was hard for me to leave. I was just waiting for someone to report me and chase me out, however I think folks are used to having hypnotized strangers wander aimlessly in their atrium. 

Supercool Superkilen

Supercool Superkilen. Copenhagen, Denmark. February 2016. 

Copenhagen is uncomfortably cold in February and when you travel with me, I will likely drag you out into that freezing weather in search of an urban art space, naturally. This was one of those winter days when you could not feel your hands or your toes after being outside for ten minutes no matter how many layers or hand warmers you used. And of course, this was the perfect day to drag my friend away from indoor comforts for Superkilen. 

I had my heart set on visiting Superkilen and so we braved the weather to walk there. Located outside of city center, it is a very unique outdoor park that is also home to various "pavilions" a.k.a. installations from around the globe, a mini version of the a World Expo. A BIG reason I wanted to visit this park was to see a Bjarke Ingels collaboration; a visit to Copenhagen would not be complete without visiting something BIG. 

Wave After Wave

Wave After Wave. Milan, Italy. January 2016. 

This is the controversial, yet beautifully designed MUDEC (Museo Della Culture). I visited the museum for an exhibition in February and the space is constructed unlike any art space I have seen before. These wavey walls are just one distinct characteristic that makes the MUDEC a worthwhile building to pay the admission price for. The museum complex was a former factory and is located in Via Tortona, the arts district of Milan. 

Not Your Typical Venetian View

Not Your Typical Venetian View. Venice, Italy. February 2016. 

When you picture Venice, what do you see? I'm guessing canals, gondolas, narrow streets, grand palazzi, and romance, however do you ever wonder about "residential" areas in this magical place?

Over the weekend I stayed in a beautiful flat in Giudecca, one of the islands of Venice. Giudecca is a short vaporetto ride away from all the frenetic action of Piazza San Marco, just distant enough away to feel residential. Unfortunately (or fortunately), this trip coincided with acqua alta and so the rain was rather unforgiving. Luckily, I was able to do a cursory exploration of this island for an hour when the rain let up. I enjoyed walking around this atypical side of Venice. There are still plenty of canals to remind you that you are indeed in Venice, however there are more campielli (small squares) surrounded by two or three level homes where you will find a more tranquil scene; residents leaning out of their windows smoking and observing kids kicking a football around, people taking their dogs out for a walk etc. In this area, there are little to no crowds; the only people I saw were nonnas with their grocery carts, a man working on his boat, kids playing in the campiello, dog walkers, and a father-daughter returning from church. It was quiet, calm, and lovely. Of course this was probably also due to the impending rain, but I think things are generally more calm here. 

I saw this home in a campiello and I thought it was really beautiful. The plant life is lush and a wonderful contrast against the building. I took plenty of photos of narrow streets and canals on this trip as I usually do (I can't help myself!), but this might be the most unique shot of the bunch because very few people would guess it is from Venice, the city of water.  

That Was a Doozy

That Was a Doozy. Milan, Italy. January 2016. 

When friends visit Milan and ask for restaurant recommendations, Carlo e Camilla in Segheria is at the top of my list. Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood in the city, Carlo e Camilla is a standout in atmosphere, design, architecture, and menu. The building is an old saw mill repurposed into a bar and open space restaurant with communal seating. High ceilings give the place a lofty and spacious feel, and from the wooden beams hang marvelous crystal chandeliers that contrast nicely against the bare cement walls. It is elegant and edgy while adhering to some classic Italian elements i.e. dishes are served on all different types of patterned Richard Ginori china (see my previous post on Richard Ginori). 

On this particular evening, friends from Washington, D.C., were visiting and so naturally I made a reservation at Carlo e Camilla.  While we were dining we observed a large group having a rowdy celebration on a "school night." As the party was leaving, service quickly cleared all the wine bottles so I was unable to snap this image with all the bottles strewn along the table. I did manage to capture just a small portion of the party's table with other evidence from their eventful evening. So many glasses, so few hours in the night. 

OG Instagram

OG Instagram. Florence, Italy. January 2016. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking the streets in Florence and came across this beautiful vintage "fotoautomatica" booth on the corner of Via Dell'Agnolo and Via Giuseppe Verdi. Photo booths are a common find around the city particularly in train and metro stations, however this is one of the most charming ones I've seen. I particularly liked the teal interior wall set against the monochrome background. 

If you are wondering if it is still in working order, yes it is. When I took this photo, an Australian couple was waiting for their "instagram" to be printed. 

Looking 'Straight' On

Looking 'Straight' On. London, UK. December 2015. 

I took this photo a few weeks ago during the final hours of Ai Wei Wei's retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This is the second time I have seen this particular installation aptly named "Straight." 

"Straight" is a very large and powerful two part installation created as a response to the 2008 Sichuan province earthquake which killed over 5,000 elementary school children. The artist and his studio created this piece as a criticism to China's weak construction regulations. The most visual part of "Straight" uses salvaged steel rods from elementary schools that collapsed and were subsequently destroyed by the earthquake. From the debris, Ai's studio collected 96 tons of steel rods and one by one hand pounded and straightened them from their twisted form.

The second part of the piece is on the wall surrounding the steel rods in the center. From a distance, the walls appear plain and white, however if you look closer you will see that it is actually a roster of all the names and ages of school children that were victims of the earthquake. Since the Chinese government would not release the names of the young school children killed in the schools, Ai took it upon himself to create the list of victims, publish them via his own social media, and include them in this installation. 

Incandescently Happy

Incandescently Happy. Selfridges & Co., London. December 2015.

London really knows how to show off during the holidays. I visited Oxford Street in December and was more interested in taking photos of the light installations in the squares and streets than shopping. It was a nice surprise to find equally elegant lighting details inside stores lined along Oxford Street.

A crowd favorite along Oxford Street is Selfridges & Co. Walking into Selfridges is walking into an experience—it is grand, stately, and classic—a time capsule into 1900s design. As I wandered through the floors, I stumbled across this hidden gem in the basement—a room that, to steal a line from Jane Austen, made me "incandescently happy." The idea of hundreds of bare bulbs illuminating a room is simple and obvious, and yet so elegant. I love the warmth this style of lighting exudes. I realize Selfridges is not the first to execute this concept, but given the atmosphere of the season, it was really magical to see.