Hotel Katajanokka, Helsinki, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
I stayed at a Tribute Hotel, here is my review of Hotel Katajanokka, Helsinki.
All posts filed under: Travel
My Helsinki Design & Architecture Travel Guide: Top Ten Must-See Places
My top ten places to visit in Helsinki
Traveling to the Extreme
I’ve found my Schitt’s Creek aka Manitouwadge! Last month, I traveled to the extreme North, or 12 hours from where I live, to the other side of Lake Superior. I wanted to know if it was true. Could I buy a house in this town for less than $50K? When I arrived, I learned way more than what you could find on Google. Manitouwadi is an Ojibway word meaning “Cave of Great Spirit”. Legend has it that Manitou, the mighty spiritual father, made camp in the area one night. The following morning he was so filled with a sense of well-being that he created the lakes, hills, iron, lead, and zinc deposits and forests. When finished, he was extremely pleased with his work and so, to commemorate his stay, he names the place Manitouwadge, literally meaning “Lodge of the Great Spirit.” A second legend dating back tot he 1800s suggest that it was a young brave who discovered the hidden lakes. Upon entering the eastern end of the lake, he shouted and was startled to …
Discovering Ontario – Travel tips for going up North
As a Hamiltonian Native who has explored South Western Ontario pretty extensively, I’ve never traveled North of Lake Superior. What sprung this travel to the North, real estate. It is no longer affordable here and when I Googled “Homes for under 50K” an article by Narcity popped up and listed this little town called Manitouwadge with some cute affordable homes. Manitouwadge is about 4 hours north of The Soo (Sault Saint Marie). It a mining town like many towns up north are. It is currently undergoing a housing boom and some urban revitalization. I saw this as a great opportunity, adventure, and way to experience something new. I’ve never done a long drive in Ontario, so I took some time off, invited some family members to join me and we headed north to look at properties. Now, it was risky traveling during November as snow is inevitable, but I was lucky that we had an uncharacteristic mini-heatwave. I also thought that I could just Google my questions about traveling this route and get clear answers. …
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
If you ever visit St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the most dominant building piercing the city’s skyline is the gold dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Built between 1818 and 1858, by the French-born architect Auguste Montferrand, it is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint.
Guinness Storehouse Tour
One of the must-see things to do when you are in Dublin is visiting the Guinness Museum. It was one of the best museum experiences I have ever done. Unlike most traditional museums which present a collection of artifacts, the Storehouse takes you through the brewing process of how this famous beer is made. The layout, the graphic design, the sensory elements, the overall presentation etc. really make this museum exemplary in terms of cohesive and immersive storytelling.
V&A Dundee by Kengo Kuma
When I was thinking of traveling to Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow were at the top of my list. But when I heard of the opening of a new V&A museum in Dundee, designed by Kengo Kuma really solidified my decision to go there. It’s quite a distance from Edinburgh, a couple of hours at least. On your way to Dundee you can see rolling hills and the occasional herd of sheep passing you by. The most majestic part of the journey is traveling across the river and seeing this jagged little site at the edge of the water.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is one of the most recognizable buildings in Glasgow. Designed by John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen in 1901, it was originally titled the Palace of Fine Arts. As a designer walking through the space, I’m the type of person who is looking at the context and not necessarily the content. I’m looking at how things are presented not necessarily the thing on display. As I entered the wing with all the busts, for me it’s not the sculptures that compel me closer, its the way they engage the viewer with the full spectrum of space. Busts hanging from the ceiling draws me more in than a bust of Queen Victoria.
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
You gotta love a museum with a sense of humour. In the front of the entrance stands an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington sculpted by Carlo Marochetti. The statue has a traffic cone on its head. The cone has come to represent the city’s light-hearted attitude to authority in most tourist books.
Riverside Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects
Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland. I took a day and traveled to Glasgow where you can find some of the biggest hitters in architecture all within a kilometer of each other. The Clyde Auditorium (Armadillo) and SSE Hyrdo both designed by Foster and Partners, are right next to one of the best looking museums in all of Europe – The Museum of Transport / The Riverside Museum design by the one and only Zaha Hadid.