This blog concentrates on urban planning, architecture and society in Helsinki, and also on phenomena in the Nordic countries, Europe and the world that have an impact on our daily lives.
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Liking of the moment:
1. Growing edible plants at the office
One of the most exiting and engaging things is to watch things grow. This space in the kitchen is one of the office´s favourite spaces for laptop work. We grow aubergines, tomatoes and cucumber with modest succes.
2. The biodegradable mobile phone
Appearing for all the world like a brick of sod outfitted with a keypad, Je-Hyun Kim’s Natural Year Phone concept carefully considers the life cycle of cellular phones, which are all too frequently disposed of due to obsolescence and the constant cycling of two-year contracts. Designed to last only for the length of its functional life cycle, the grassy green phone biodegrades and pieces apart for easy recycling after two years are up. >Inhabitat
3. The folding bike
> 4. “Griinman” the Lippakiosk
“Griinman” the Lippakiosk is situated at the crossing of Albertinkatu and Malminrinne streets in Helsinki. Opening hours vary.
aitoa arkkitehtuuria 
Good Idea the folding bike. Goes into a backpack or handbag!Thanks for your unique blogsite. F
Another good idea: a home in a slope:
http://www.ultimasreportagens.com/tolo/
Or use “casa tolo” in Google.
Do you like the idea? F
Definately interesting, the boundaries of stair/street (=infrastructure) and housing is blurred and becomes one. The vernacular ancestor of the idea is probably found also in villages in Alvaro Sizas Portugal, as another example here from Greece:
Estonian straw-bale+earth quick-build:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/simmzu/PolvaOKO07
From the US:
http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-photos/
Hey,
this is an interesting looking blog. Who’s behind it? And why in English?
Eeva
Hi, and thanks for the interest in the blog. There is a group of somewhat young architects and other related and non-related professionals in Helsinki contributing to this blog, by bringing up relevant issues. One person does the writing, when has the time.
By writing thoughts down, it is a way to be able to look back after some time, and not forget about what we -at the time- thought was important.
The language is mostly English, so friend and foe abroad will be able to read.
hey I’m coming to helsinki from Washington, D.C. in early to mid September. I’d love to know some things to do while I’m in the city.
Peace
Welcome linet!
Visit the Suomenlinna fortress: http://www.suomenlinna.fi
Keep an eye open for exhibition openings at the Architecture Guild´s gallery: http://ak.tky.fi
Archtours organizes architectural tours: http://www.archtours.fi
Laituri meeting point exhibits current urban planning in Helsinki : http://laituri.hel.fi
Helsinki Film Festival Love and Anarchy: http://www.hiff.fi
Café Engel has an outdoor cinema (warm blankets available and red wine served): http://www.cafeengel.fi
The Student restaurant at the University of Art and Design UIAH is organazing an opening party 5.9.2008 at 20.00: http://www.sebi.cc/kipsari (pdf)
Megapolis Urban Festival at Vanha YO-talo 29.9.2008: http://megapolis2023.org
Then there is always the Museum of Finnish Architecture: http://www.mfa.fi and the Design Museum: http://www.designmuseum.fi
You can take a tour in Helsinki with the bike taxis: http://www.fillaritaxi.fi
Places worth visiting to get a feel for the city architecture: Korkeavuorenkatu street, Kaivopuisto+Eira+Punavuori, Kruunuhaka+ C.L.Engel´s architecture around the Senate square, Katajanokka National Romanticism, Puu-Käpylä wooden town, Kallio nightlife, Suomenlinna island, Seurasaari outdoor museum+ Café Villa Angelica/Tamminiementien Café, and of course check out the buildings of Alvar Aalto; for example the Kulttuuritalo in Kallio, the KELA head quarters in Töölö, his home-office in Munkkiniemi, Finlandiatalo etc.
Here you can look up Helsinki locations and houses, the different neighbourhoods are listed on top of the page: http://www.korttelit.fi
well compliments for the blog, all look very interesting. One question: What is the house/construction at the sidewalk of the intersection featured at the leading image of your blog? And where can I find more about it.
Cheers Joop
Cheers, and thanks for the comment! The image is a photo of one of Helsinki´s
“Lippakioski”; cantilever kiosks designed mainly by architect Gunnar Taucher and
also Hilding Ekelund in the late 1920´s and 30´s. There are a few different models,
another one is called the “Lankarulla” the skein kiosk. The city rents these out
for a small fee, and many of these kiosks have sparked new life in neighbourhoods.
A few that come to mind is the kiosk at Korkeavuorenkatu street opposite of the
Design Museum, and the rainbow kiosk in Karhupuisto Park in Kallio. The particular
one on the image is situated in Kamppi, and managed by an interesting group of
people called “Griinman”. They organize music events at the where the performer
or dj is usually up on the kiosk roof. Opening hours vary.
https://aitoa.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/punk-my-street/
In Finnish:
http://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/artikkeli/Helsinki+etsii+kioskeille+uusia+vuokralaisia/HS20080701SI1KA015af
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippakioski
Something nice for your site:
http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/galleries.html
:
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You obviously know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to
your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
We´ll try to write more :).