An end to Finland

I've experienced so much this summer, and looking back on my blog, I feel I have captured so little.  I guess that's what happens when you squeeze an entire semester into 3 months, a 6-credit studio course into 3 weeks.  But the experience did not feel compressed.  What I have failed to do is write about the places I have seen.  We did a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia - some of the craziest pairings I've seen of old and contemporary architecture.  I squeezed in a weekend trip to Stockholm - a city I know I have to return to someday, as I feel I just glimpsed its potential.  I could have spent the weekend alone at Woodland Cemetery.  As the Finland Summer Architecture Institute came to an end, the 3 Catholic guys and I stopped in London for a few days to end our summer trip.  I started the summer having no interest in staying in London, thinking I'd take the Chunnel to Paris, or fly to Ireland.  With finances ridiculously low, I decided to stay, and what I discovered was a city I could be tempted to live in - even after just three days there.  


I realize I will never be able to "catch up" here with what Finland was about, and since I'm no Austen, I'm sure I would never be able to really do it justice either.  But I have definitely taken a part of Finland home with me.  The culture, the landscape, the architecture, the spirit of place.  Surprisingly, I am feeling rejuvenated and even inspired to start my next semester of grad school.  I am looking forward to the challenge and discovery this new year holds for me.


So, I'm going to try to make a resolution.  I want to write more often on this blog.  It is probably just for me, because I swear even my family doesn't read this any more.  But I hope to continue to write here.  Document what inspires me, what I am thinking - whether design-related or not.  I think our summer studio left that impression on me.  Maybe this is my version of a scriptorium - my way of committing pen to paper - well, you know what I mean...


And since I'm referencing my final project, below are my final boards.

To Amsterdam and Back Again

I can't believe how fast our summer free travel period went.  I had this past week off, and I met up with Anna Kleinsorge (my friend and fellow teammate from Georgetown) in Amsterdam.  It was an amazing time to be there, as the Netherlands played in the World Cup Finals, and the excitement was tangible throughout the city - I've never seen so much orange in my life!  Anna and I partook in the soccer events, as well as hit up several museums, rented dutch bicycles, and generally just ate our way through the canals.  It was a really great break from school.

I flew back to Helsinki Wednesday night and have returned to a heatwave.  After dripping with sweat non-stop for two nights in a row (because of course Finland doesn't have air-conditioning), I went to the front desk to ask about a possible room change, since my room faced the sun all day and our window was "broken" (i.e. it wouldn't open all the way).  My new room is quite an improvement - one of only a few in the entire complex with a balcony, and a nice view of the water.  I'm already living out there.  

Tomorrow I return to school for an intensive 3 1/2 week studio project, which I know very little about, just hints here and there.  It supposedly is going to be very writing intensive, and more of a collage-type project, so it will be interesting to have the details filled in tomorrow.  Somehow in the midst of this, as well, a few of my classmates and I are going to try to squeeze in a trip to Stockholm, which I'm really looking forward to doing.  Alright, better get going so I can enjoy my last day of freedom!

Anna and I at Museumplein for the World Cup Finals, sporting our orange pride and fitting right in.

View from my balcony to the water (as requested by my Dad)

Mmm, Basil Ice Cream

Yesterday we finished the first portion of my summer program - "Documentation and Representation."  The group  worked fiercely these last few days to get everything finished, and somehow we managed to pull it all together for the presentation.

After some much needed sleep last night, and several loads of neglected laundry this morning, Kay and I ventured around town.  I dragged him to see Aalto's House of Culture (as I have to write a paper on it tomorrow), but since it was so nice outside we decided to leisurely walk back to the city centre.  Today was probably the best weather we've had this summer in Helsinki, and it was apparent the Finns felt the same as they were out in droves.  We stumbled upon several groups - out celebrating various events but all soaking up the sun.  It's already tempting me to procrastinate some more with aforementioned paper and go to a park tomorrow and get some sun...

The highlight of my day, however, had to be the basil ice cream I had this afternoon.  A-MAZ-ING!  Not quite sweet or dessert tasting, but with nuts (almonds?) and more savory, probably one of the most unique and delicious ice creams I've ever had.  I guess it shouldn't be too surprising as Finland is Europe's biggest consumer of ice cream - on average the annual consumption is 13.7 liters per person (I stumbled upon this fact one day as my classmates and I were debating the origin of ice cream, and I of course needed to Wikipedia it...).

The first group we encountered - complete with trance music, and dancers (maybe on something...)

Pride Parade Celebration

Aleksenterinkatu (main shopping street)

I keep forgetting tomorrow is the 4th of July - I wonder how big the U.S. population is here in Helsinki, and if there will be anything going on?  We sure don't seem to run into Americans very often (although, I did hear excerpts of a few seemingly American conversations at last week's Arcade Fire concert in Senate Square).  Happy 4th to everyone at home!  Hope you're enjoying your summers!

Midsummer's Eve

The height of the Finnish summer is the holiday of Midsummer - appropriate that a country that spends half the year in darkness would want to celebrate the longest day of the year. Last night we partook in the annual festivities on Seurasaari Island, despite the pouring rain (that apparently is also basically tradition at this point).

We wandered amongst the crowd, eyeing vendors that had set up their shops - blacksmiths, woodworkers - and tons of kids who played tug-of-war, walked on stilts, and watched a puppet show in an open field. The main events surround a newlywed couple, chosen annually to be married that day on the island, who perform the Midsummer bridal waltz, and light the main bonfire on the shore later that night. Despite not understanding a word that was spoken or sung, the celebration was special. Hope for a new year filled with love and happiness, togetherness of family. It definitely made me miss my family thousands of miles away.

Yum!

Trying to capture part of the crowd along the shore - waiting for the main bonfire to be lit.

Winding down around 11.

Temppeliaukio Kirkko

I have quickly come to cherish my weekends here in Helsinki. A time to unwind from the week, sleep in, and explore new areas of the city. Trying to keep my last semester's resolution of Saturday = Funday (which is important as I am in Funland, or so my brother calls it), every Saturday I make an effort to see something new.

Yesterday's cold and rain kept me inside most of the day, but late in the afternoon, Kelley, Amanda and I went to Temppeliaukio Kirkko (The Rock Church), which is a short few blocks from our hostel. When we arrived we found out there was a wedding in progress, and the church would only be open for a few minutes in between events. A hoard of visitors pushed their way in as soon as was allowable, and I quickly followed suite - pushing my way in to glimpse the highly anticipated space. Although our time inside was brief, I was captivated by the various textures inside the church: rock, copper, wood, and glass, underlined by the various forms of light within the space, not wanting to leave as we were virtually kicked out no more than 10 minutes later for the day's next event.

Looking up toward the copper ceiling.

Candlelight flickering along the rock wall.

We Whatever (Smile?) in the Face of Adversity

The group of us left campus today around 6 to get our much anticipated bikes. The ride from Domus (our summer hostel) to school is about six miles, so we all decided to get bikes to take a scenic route along the water - most of us, I think, were envisioning a sort of Von Trapp family scenario, minus the matching drapery uniform (because we sure do sing). Used bikes had been reserved for us, so after much testing and debate, we left the shop in a herd, eager to map out our bike route home.

After triumphantly haggling down my bike's price, about ten minutes from the (now closed) shop, my back tire literally exploded. As bikes are not allowed on buses, Kristin offered to walk with me home. So, we naively trotted along, no biggie.

I should have guessed it was a long walk when we stopped at a dog park to ask a gentlemen directions, and he commented, "Why do you want to go to Helsinki?!" My response, "because we live there," followed by him bewildered and telling us it was 10 kilometers away. Well, turns out, we were more like 10 miles away, and spent the next 3+ hours walking home. Thank goodness the weather was really nice today, there were a lot of interesting buildings to look at, and Kristin decided to keep me company. All in the name of not abandoning my great deal.

Definitely looking forward to the weekend...

Blissfully ignorant about an hour into our walk.

The Poetry of Space

After traveling through "the woods" since May 26th, we finally returned to Helsinki last week and were gifted our first free weekend to settle in and do some much needed laundry. Saturday afternoon, several of the graduate students walked to the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Steven Holl. After spending last semester reading a lot of Steven Holl's ideas on Phenomenology, I was anxious to experience a work of his. The experience greatly surpassed my expectations. While I have never thought myself to be a great writer, even the best, I think, would lack sufficient words to describe the poetry of space in Kiasma. Light, shadow, texture, color, materiality, undulating forms and movement - a place I will no doubt return to many times while in Helsinki.

Skateboarder paradise near the cafe entrance.

Entry Hall from second floor.

A stunning exhibit by Denise Grunstein.

Textured concrete made by wood forms - a nod to Finnish culture.

Rear auditorium wall wrapped in cerulean velvet panels, asking to be touched.