The Oslo- and New York-based architect company Snøhetta was selected to design a high-rise block with checker-board patterned facades for Banque Libano Francaise (BLF) in Lebanon.
The project marks Snøhetta’s first ever commission in Lebanon, and the building will feature a geometric facade and several large outdoor terraces carved from the built volume to create a vibrant workplace community. The outdoor space and vegetation are also intended as a symbol of sustainability.
The design for the new general headquarters points towards a new future both for the bank and for the city and community of which it is a part. To create a building emblematic of the evolving strategies of the corporate world, Snøhetta approached the design with an architectural language that is “both generic and conceptual at the same time.”
Kjetil Traedal Thorsen
“In a time of profound change and transformation, the BLF is an ideal partner for Snøhetta with our shared ideals of sustainability, community, and dialogue,” said Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.
Snøhetta’s project was a perfect fit to the BLF design brief and its objective to create a space “not to work more, but to work better”, explained Raya Raphaël Nahas, member of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Banque Libano-Française who added: “Our ambition through this competition was to find the architect who is capable of embodying this will and rethinking our workplace while breaking the conventional codes of private construction in Lebanon, to integrate public spaces within the building without compromising its security, and taking into account the digital evolution and new collaborative methods at work. Snøhetta’s philosophy about collaborative spaces and new work methods, have seduced and convinced us. We have decided that the team shares our values, our attention to detail as well as our respect of the environment, the community and the historical legacy of Beirut…”
Raya Raphaël Nahas
Another key quality of the building will be its sustainability, organized by Snøhetta into three categories: “Economic Sustainability – the project must be fundamentally economically viable; Social Sustainability – the project must give back to the city and complement the existing urban context; and Environmental Sustainability – the project must respond to the environment both in regard to energy consumed and with regard the embodied energy of the structure.”
Snøhetta will continue working to finalize the design. A timetable for construction has not yet been released.
Snøhetta was established in 1989 and are involved in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture as well as graphic design. The Snøhetta group has 180 emplyees in Oslo, Innsbruck, Stockholm, Adelaide, New York and San Francisco.
Snøhetta’s most prestigious project so far has been the Library in Alexandra, Egypt, and the Norwegian Opera House in Oslo.
Norwegian Architects in Lebanon, written by Tor Kjolberg
On only six years after Fotografiska in Stockholm was established by Jan Bromann and his brother Per six years ago, the museum is considered to be the world’s best photographic exhibition hall.
“We wanted a place for photography that would display great photographic exhibitions and great photographers, and we saw a niche that nobody within the art world really had cared about,” said Jan Broman when we met him in Stockholm last July. “My brother and I are very focused on art, and we wanted to create a meeting place for people interested in photography,” he continues. “Our curiosity led us to develop a business of art through the photography interest that we had, and no one really knew about photography.”
Janne Bromann (left) with editor in Chief Tor Kjolberg. Photo Helgard Mahrdt
Jan, or Janne as he is called, had not been involved in practical photography for many years, but his brother Per had been a professional photographer for 15 years. Although the brothers had worked in other professional areas, photography was never far away, since photography had always been with them since they were children.
“Ten years ago, my brother and I had just established the Photography Fair (Fotomessan). It was held in Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Gothenburg. It still remains in Stockholm, being arranged once a year. It was the first time my brother and I worked together,” says Janne.
“We do not really display art. We show photography in all its forms. If it is documentary, scientific or art, doesn’t really matter, It’s all about photography,“ he explains.
Fotografiska has an exhibition council which meets once a quarter, consisting of janne and his brother, people from inside the house and some external people. “We are looking at what may be interesting to propose for exhibitions here or not,” Janne says.
“Later our proposals end up in the exhibition department, which finds the best possible spot in the house to display it.”
On my question if they receive many suggestions from outside the organization, Bromann says there are very few, and that it is quite rare that proposals end up as an exhibition. “The exhibitions at Fotografiska are usually something we have heard about or sought after ourselves,” he says.
The Greta Garbo exhibition
Regarding the Greta Garbo exhibition this summer, it was the Swedish advertising executive and art collector Lars Nordin, who told Janne that he had collected Greta Garbo images for 20 years. “I did actually not know this,” says Bromann. “We had occasionally met on different occasions. He lives in Southern Sweden and he came and said he had a great Greta Garbo collection he would like to exhibit. He had no organization, he had only bought items that related to Greta Garbo. For him it was kind of a journey, looking at what he actually had.”
One of the very few Grata Garbo signatures in existence
Greta Garbo is really the biggest Swedish icon of all time. “We had visits from China last weekend,” tells Bromann. “He was one of the greatest Chinese fashion photographers, and when he was asked if he knew Greta Garbo, he exclaimed: “Know Greta Garbo? I believe everyone does! ” In other words, even a 30 year old Chinese knows who Greta Garbo is. There are very few Swedes who have such a status in the world. What he did not know, however, was that she was Swedish. Perhaps not so strange, since all her films are American. “But she was born and grew up not far from here,” adds Janne.
Who are visiting Fotografiska?
It is primarily Swedes who visit the exhibitions, but this summer there have been several foreign tourists. “Actually all nationalities, and it’s nice,” says Janne. “We’ve become one of Stockholm’s highest ranked tourist destinations.”
As with almost everything in life, coincidences led to the fact that the home of Fotografiske is a more than 100 old stone brick building at Slussen in Stockholm. The original idea was to build the ABBA museum there.
“We were at a meeting in town,” tells Janne. “Then I heard that the ABBA museum was delayed, and perhaps would not be realized at all. We knew that this building was in question, so we went directly from the meeting to look at it. At that time we already had plans to go heavily into new premises under construction.”
“In 2008 the world looked differently,” he recalls. “We could walk right into the building where there was construction work everywhere. No one asked who we were, or what we were doing, so we could go through the entire building and peek. There and then we decided that this was where we wanted to be.”
Since the house was over 100 years old, it was obviously a lot of things needed to be done. The owners had in principle done nothing for 100 years, but now they had begun renovations. ”If you look at the building from the outside, you see several shades of brick. There are new and old bricks. The roof had to be replaced. Ventilation did not exist, etc.,” says Bromann. “They were doing a complete renovation of the house, which should provide a standard we could use. For the landlord it was a big renovation project.
No public support
Janne tells us that the fact that all investments are private, without any public support, gives Fotografiska a freedom which enables the museum to do whatever it wants without interference. “We can take rapid decisions. We do not need to pay attention to any party colors or someone who sits in government administration. We can do precisely what as we want,” emphasizes Bromann.
Torso by Dan Wolgers
The sculpture on the outside of the building, Torso, is made by and of Dan Wolgers, who lived and grew up right in the neighborhood. It’s actually his own head, slightly askew as he peeks into Stockholm, as he did when he was a child. On top there is an ear as well, while the other eye is below. “It’s his own head which is scanned,” says Bromann. “At least that’s what’s being said. I cannot confirm it, but I have a pretty reliable source.”
“On the dedicatory, during the press conference, the American photographer Annie Leibowitz was here, and we talked about Fotografiska and museums in London and New York, and that we had the ambition to build the world’s best photography museum,” Janne states.
Ben Kingsley by Brian Adams
“We have succeeded. Today we are considered to be the world’s best photography museum. Modern Museum in San Francisco has recently opened a department dedicated to photography, so we’ll see,” says Janne. “But we have not yet met anyone who says that someone elsewhere in the world are better than us. In Europe there is no longer anyone who produces particularly good photo exhibitions. Therefore, it is also rare that we cooperate with others. We produce almost everything ourselves, and that is because we want relationship with the photographers and have the opportunity to discuss how to do things. We illuminate our exhibitions a little different from other places, and then it’s easier when we can do it ourselves.”
From the exhibition Exposed by Brian Adams
When I ask if photographers can propose their images for an exhibition, Janne smiles and says that skilled photographers, who are interested, can contact the museum by email. “The address can be found on our website,” he adds.
The Autumn Lounge is dedicated to Swedish photographers. Once a year there is an exhibition of young Nordic photographers, under 35 years, who also can apply for a grant.
Åke Ericson’s exhibition about the Romani peoples
Focus on the photographer
When I ask if they now and then consider a Scandinavian exhibition, Bromann tells me that they in principle are not so much for collect exhibitions. “We prefer to present solo photographers, who shows a deeper insight into the photographer’s way of working. When we build collect exhibits on a theme, it’s more about theming any questions or things like that. In photography it is the questions that are interesting. However, we do like the themes. Just look at Åke Ericson’s exhibition Non Grata about the Romani peoples, and how these people are treated in Europe, and as a result are sitting and begging in front of our businesses today. Maybe this exhibition can lead people to look at the Romani peoples in a different way. That would of course be very important for us. But to make a collect exhibition on the Romani peoples in general, would never happen. There are, however, many photographers who are able to create depth projects. Åke was travelling around Europe for six years to get closer to the Romani people than anyone else.”
“But we’re actually doing a collect exhibition, which comes in a few years,” Bromann adds. “The theme will be horses, and that would not be as exciting with just one photographer. The funny thing about horses is that there are very, very many talented photographers using horses as objects.”
From the exhibition Exposed by Brian Adams
A meeting point for everyone
“We want Fotografiska to be perceived as a meeting place,” claims Bromann. “People meeting themselves, meeting their friends, having a total experience, something that you take with you home. Just read our texts about an exhibition. They are not academic. They are written in a way so everyone can take part in them. We do not have to synthesize for the visitors for them to be able to benefit from the text. We do not want to problematize what we want to display within cultural journalism.
From the exhibition “Inherit the Dust” bu Nick Brandt
We are here for everyone, and we direct us towards those who may not be as interested in photography, but still receive a dividend of looking at the pictures. And then we must not make it too cumbersome. We must also include them in the experience. Their experience may not be the same as visiting Louisiana Museum of Modern Art outside Copenhagen, where very long texts discuss things about matters and things for the very passionate, which actually is quite few. Our aim is to create an environment where very many people can take part.”
“Our restaurant, for example, serves both meat and vegetarian dishes, showing that everyone can take part in the dining experience as well. And even when they go to the bar, both those who drink alcohol, and those who do not, order the same drinks with and without alcohol. We have our own signature drinks, which we have composed ourselves. At Fotografiska people can meet the same conditions, with the same opportunities and the same assumptions.”
A clear philosophy
Jan Bromann’s philosophy is that all companies in the future must have a concept that is grounded in what their customers want or stand for. “This is very rooted in our own assessments, and what we stand for,” he says. “And when we then open a bar, we must ensure that drinks with alcohol are likewise as those without. It is a result of our philosophy that all are equal. There are so many wonderful consequences in our business when you have solid ground to stand on. Our basic attitude is that all are equally valuable. That’s where we start when we look at whatever.
And so we are completely free when it comes to political issues. What we are doing has nothing to do with politics. It is about how people are. They may be red, green or blue. It does not matter. It is often difficult to distinguish between politics and empathy. It is believed that if one is red, then you are empathetic, but it is not so. A blue man can also be very empathetic. It is a good feeling that we never have to be political.”
Art and politics
However, there is a historical constellation between art and politics, both in red and blue. There is bourgeois art, and there is social art. Within the social democratic art, and especially in photography, the documentary images are the voice. Regarding the Greta Garbo exhibition, it was a coincidence that it came right now. There comes a guy and says he has a lot of pictures. It is of course an advantage from a commercial perspective that it is in the summer, with many tourists in town. And Greta Garbo is very big abroad. It is of course a way to lure tourists to us. But it could have been anytime. There’s no Garbo anniversary or anything that would indicate that it had to be right now.
Greta Garboe’s pyjamas and personal belongings
“When it comes to photography’s ability to convey reality, I think of a case, I think it was in 2006, when some of the biggest municipalities in Stockholm explained to their politicians and officials that their teachers at school had to understand imagery. With that I mean that they have to learn to draw, and not necessarily understand the photography. Children ‘see’ images. Today children do not write as before. They just post a picture that shows something they want to say. It can describe both emotion and facts. We adults do not have that knowledge. And so it is with the teachers. Children know data processing better than their teachers; wrong weight in the communication balance. The language of photo is so strong that the school should put more effort into it. It might of course be used both wisely and unwisely. Just look at the cyberbullying issues, where the image often is the key. There are not words. If you had an assessment scale on how one could apply the photograph or image, it would be a strength. I do not think there’s any school, at least not in Sweden, talking about this. They cannot imagery.
Fotografiska’s aim is to tell important stories through, precisely, photography and images,” concludes Jan Bromann.
All images by Tor Kjolberg, except where otherwise stated
World’s Best Photographic Museum, Jan Bromann was Interviewed by Tor Kjolberg 12 June 2016
Akershus, Oslo and Østfold: The county of Akershus lies like a pincer around the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The county is divided into four main districts: Upper and Lower Romerike, Follo and Asker/Bærum. The name derives logically from the ancient Akershus fortress located inside the Oslo harbor. It was named after the medieval farm Aker, now incorporated in Oslo.
Akershus is well endowed by nature. Large farms were originally inhabited by kings, princes and other nobles. Not surprisingly, Eidsivating Court was placed in this area.
The Eidsvoll building
All of Norway has its own stake in the momentous event in Eidsvoll in 1814, where the National Assembly met and the country’s constitution came into being. It is therefore a dignified area, offering history as well as local national dishes.
Oslo is an old town, but as a city relatively new. In the previous century, Christiania, as Oslo was called then, had about 10,000 inhabitants. Today Oslo is approaching a million.
Diversity of youth in Oslo / Wikipedia
The large immigration from the rest of the country and from more exotic cultures has left its marks. There have been – and still are – sharp distinctions between rich and poor.
While there has been a certain social cohesion, we also today find groups in the community that fall outside the mainstream
Restaurant in Oslo / Tripadvisor
In recent years there has emerged an interest to preserve traditions that have existed throughout history. Old traditional dishes seem to have come to honor and dignity, corresponding to the old days of urban party food. Restaurant life in Oslo is thriving today.
What makes urban food exciting is its variety – which is a natural consequence of all the people moving. People from all over the country and the world carry with them the traditions and roots that cannot easily be shed even if they are located somewhere else than where they came from.
From Drøbak (Frogn municipality – Akershus county
Østfold lies with its back turned to Sweden and the continent. Therefore Østfold has played the role as the strong back when strife riled between the Nordic sister nations. Østfold also turned its face out to the world – open to impressions and impulses.
Feature image (on top) Oslo from above – Lasse Tur
Every year Swedish Transportstyrelsen (Swedish Transport Authority) rejects tens of requests from drivers for personalized license plates because they are deemed “too offensive”.
And the authorities are doing their work seriously, so it is not easy to slip a naughty word through their net. Swedish number plates traditionally follow a pattern of three letters plus three numbers, but it is possible for drivers to ask for permission to create their own personalized so-called vanity plate.
One driver wanted to extend the authorization to have the sequence of digits “786” on the car license plates – but the Transport Agency said no. The number conveys a religious message and may be offensive, according to authorities.
Sometimes we feel tempted to shout “OMGWTF” – another request that failed to pass muster with the Swedish bureaucrats.
One driver in southern Sweden, was even defeated when he tried to trick the Transport Agency into accepting his license plate of choice: 3JOH22A.
Why?
To the untrained eye, the agency’s decision may seem like an exaggerated display of authority, a sign of Swedish bureaucracy gone mad. However, the letter combination was not as innocent as the man made it out to be.
Here’s a picture of what it would have looked like reflected in a mirror:
The combination “666” is forbidden, and “ACAB”, which stands for “all cops are bastards”, is not allowed either. The number”1312″, which is a numeric interpretation of “ACAB”, belongs to the same category.
Since 2009, more than 100 applications have been rejected by the agency, with 29 being given the red light so far this year.
According to the Transport Agency’s rules, a personalized number plate “may not be designed if it causes offence or harm to anyone else”. Such offence usually involves allusions to alcohol, drugs, sex, swearwords, religion or criminality.
Personalized License Plates Banned in Sweden, written by Tor Kjolberg
Top-notch transit and plenty of attractions concentrated around the downtown harbor, Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen make it possible to get a good feel for Oslo.
Aker Brygge is known for its strip of restaurants along the boardwalk, with plenty of opportunities for al fresco wining and dining. It was built on the area of Aker Shipyard, which was closed down in 1982, freeing up a potentially attractive area of Oslo’s harbor front.
For those with an interest in contemporary architecture, the area has plenty to offer. Buildings by 20 architects feature across the island, among them Niels Torp, Kari Nissen-Brodtkorb and Telje-Torp-Aasen Architects, provide a comprehensive overview of current trends.
Take a leisurely stroll along Aker Brygge’s seaside walkway on the west side of Oslo Harbor. The ultra-modern waterfront is lined with restaurants bustling with young families, bars filled with hipster banker, and motorboats zipping in and out of canals.
There’s also a wide selection of fashion shops, if you want to renew your wardrobe. The area now has the highest concentration of shops in this part of the city and its portfolio of stores makes it well worth a visit. Local clothing labels as well as international brands can be found here.
The construction work was carried out in four steps. The first new part opened the summer of 1986. Due to the financial crisis at that time the owners Aker Eiendom and DNC lost several million kroner.
The Edge Restaurant
12 million people visit Aker Brygge every year using almost 2 billion NOK annually.
There are about 400 apartments at Aker Brygge, and companies situated on the islet employ approximately 5,000 people.
Last year Aker Brygge re-opened with a new and modernized interior, in addition to a wider seaside promenade and a pier, which gives you direct access to the Oslo Fjord.
Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Tjuvholmen
The neighboring district Tjuvholmen is one of Oslo’s newest boroughs. The area is characterized by an intriguing architectural diversity and unique outdoor areas. It plays host to several galleries and art installations, including the Astrup Fearnley Museum, designed by Renzo Piano, flanked by a sculpture park and a beach.
Modern architecture at Tjuvholmen
In the 18th century, Norway’s most dangerous criminals were sent to the tiny island of Tjuvholmen (Thieves’ Islet). Today, it has been transformed into a hub of contemporary art and architecture and has become Oslo’s most vibrant district. Just five minutes’ walk from the city center, Tjuvholmen offers 2 kilometers of seafront along with an array of high-end boutiques, award-winning restaurants, extraordinary works of art and magnificent architecture.
Feature image (on top): Tjuvholmen, Photo: Leif Harald Ruud – Visit Oslo
Long winters, frozen rivers and lakes, and beckoning snow-topped mountains make Sweden, Norway and Denmark a fabulous destination for winter sports enthusiasts.
It’s possible to participate in all kinds of activities, including snowshoeing, ice climbing and snowmobiling, and many ski areas can provide equipment and organize expeditions. Even in the heart of Scandinavian cities, winter sports abound; in Stockholm, for example, you can fly round the 14 islands on a pair of ice skates. Just 20 minutes by tramcar in Oslo, you’re in the middle of an Alpine winter wonderland.
From Hemsedal
Naturally, skiing is the biggest winter sport, whether it’s downhill (Alpine), cross-country or Telemark. Downhill skiing in Sweden and Norway attracts a growing number of visitors thanks to artificially produced snowfall, a variety of slopes and a reduced avalanche risk compared to Alpine resorts.
From Geilo, Norway
Sälen is the largest ski resort in Sweden, and Swedish Åre and the Norwegian capital Oslo, where the World Cup Ski Championships are held, attracts skiers from all over Europe with hundreds of top-class, superbly groomed pistes, served by high-speed lifts and cabins. Half-pipes and snow parks are available for snowboarders.
Åre is the most well known ski resort in Sweden
Norway’s six months long skiing season is a boon to fantastic, and there are resorts scattered up and down the country, from Sirdal in the south to Tromsø way up in the Arctic Circle.
Halfway between Oslo and Bergen, Hemsedal is the largest Norwegian ski resort with 51 downhill slopes, cross-country trails and several excellent terrain parks for snowboarders. Although it’s only small, the Kvitfjell resort wins kudos for containing the “black diamond” downhill run used in the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Oslo Winter Park
At Geilo pure adrenalin-seekers can try snow-kiting, a hair-raising sport whose stars reach speeds of up to 100kmph (60mph).
All images from Norway: Visit Norway
Image from Åre: Åre Ski Resort, Sweden
Feature image (on top): Downhill skiing, Voss Norway (Visit Norway)
Winter Sports in Scandinavia, written by Tor Kjolberg
Norwegian people is furious at Facebook after a post from Aftenposten was removed because of a world-renowned image ‘The Napalm Girl’ from the Vietnam war accompanying an article. Adding fuel to the fire, Facebook then proceeded to delete a post by Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg in which she used the same imagery.
Earlier this month, Facebook deleted multiple copies of the iconic image by Nick Ut and suspended user accounts after a Norwegian newspaper editor posted the picture as part of a series on war photography.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg
Facebook administrators had busy days, removing posts from angry Norwegian Facebook users, following the editor-in-chief of the paper, Aftenposten, decried the move by Facebook in an open letter to Facebook’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “Dear Mark. I am writing this to inform you that I shall not comply with your requirement to remove this picture,” he wrote.
This is a June 8, 1972 file photo of South Vietnamese forces following after terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, as they run down Route 1 near Trang Bang after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places.(Photo: Nick Ut, AP)
The image in question is the famous ‘napalm girl’ image of a nine-year-old girl who had removed her burning clothes after a napalm bomb had gone off in her village.
The girl is seen running down the road nude in the image, crying alongside children running, seemingly followed by soldiers. The nudity is the hot potato for Facebook and its motive for the censorship. This particular image was captured by Cong Huynh for AP News from The Associated Press and caught the world’s attention instantly, showing the vulnerability of children as causalities of war, it was elected image of the year in 1972 by World Press Photo and received the Pulitzer Price in the same year.
It all started with author Tom Egeland posting war imagery that has become symbolic of war and suffering in people’s minds. The post was removed because of nudity and Norwegian’s reacted strongly, re-posting the photo en-mass, all of them swiftly removed by Facebook’s administration.
Solberg maintains that she respects Facebook’s works in removing images showing violence and oppression. “It is important that we weigh in in combatting child abuse online.” With those words she published the image in question and at noon Facebook had removed the post. Solberg reposted the image, with the girl’s nudity hidden.
The chief operating officer of Facebook, Shewryl Sandberg, has apologized to Norway’s prime minister Photo by Jolanda Flubacher/Wikipedia
The chief operating officer of Facebook has apologized to Norway’s prime minister for deleting the iconic photograph of a naked girl running from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War.
In a letter to Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Sheryl Sandberg said “we don’t always get it right”. The social media firm has already said it would review its mechanisms to allow sharing of the image in the future.
Facebook, which bans nudity in most cases, later reinstated the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo and said in a statement that, in the case of the napalm girl photo, the image’s “status as an iconic image of historical importance” and the “value” of permitting users to share it “outweighs the value of protecting the community by removal.”
Norway at War with Facebook, written by Tor Kjolberg
Halloween in Tivoli boasts no less than 20,000 pumpkins in decorative arrangements. Saturday 22 October will reveal the biggest of them all when the Danish Championship in Giant Pumpkins is held.
Vice president, Brand & Communications Dorthe Weinkouff Barsøe says: “We have been working for some years to create more all-year-round activities at Tivoli. One of the ways to do this is to extend the seasons which are already so popular. This, we hope, will be good news for tourists visiting Copenhagen who have previously been met by closed gates in week 44 and after New Year’s Eve.”
Tivoli’s autumn season opened for the first time in 2006 and became a firm success setting the standard for Halloween celebrations in Denmark. In 2013 the season lasted 17 days and had 417,000 visitors.
This year, when Tivoli opens its gates to Halloween 2016, the Gardens will be dressed up in warm Autumn colours. Halloween in Tivoli is for everyone, whether you’re there on a family day out, to enjoy the thrill of the many rides, going out for a nice dinner or to simply soak in the atmosphere of the beautiful Gardens.
“We believe that Halloween in Tivoli still has the potential to grow,” states Dorthe W. Barsoe, vice president marketing. “Since opening for the first time in 2006 attendance has increased every year. By including the extra week, Halloween in Tivoli covers the school holidays in most Northern European countries. We are convinced that Tivoli Gardens can attract more tourists from neighboring countries such as Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom.”
Dorthe W. Barsøe, vice president marketing, Tivoli
Pumpkins, witches and monsters
Tivoli’s friendly witches will be around all day performing in parades and shows and meeting visitors on site for a little chat or a photo.
In the evening Tivoli turns scarier as the Scary Hotel haunted house opens and a parade of zombies and monsters perform in a new show. On Monsters’ Night Out, Saturday 22 October, you can dress up as scarily as you like and come for at stroll with other monsters.
Tivoli will be dressed in a Halloween costume of 20,000 pumpkins, bales of straw, spiders, scarecrows, magical creatures and lots of sinister atmosphere (not too scary, we promise!). Day or night, you will experience thousands of lights and harrowing screams from the roller coaster rides.
Halloween is not traditionally a Danish holiday, but is known mainly from American movies and television. The first Halloween celebrations began in the 1990s, mainly with jack o’ lanterns on doorsteps, and gradually also dressing-up parties in kindergartens, etc. Halloween trick-or-treating, which used to be customary only at Lent, has also become quite common in Denmark.
Monster Night in Tivoli, Copenhagen, compiled by Admin
The two Norwegian knitting designers Arne & Carlos derived their inspiration from numerous traditional patterns from all over their native country. However, they do not only design traditional knitting patterns, but also patterns for accessories such as mittens, hats, wrist warmers, stockings, pillows, teddy bears and much more.
Carlos Zachrison comes from an artistic family with four generations of painters. Half Spanish and half Swedish, he was born in Brazil and had already travelled around the world before he was 13 years old. Arne Nerjordet also comes from a creative and musical family where everyone knows how to knit. He was born near Lillehammer and comes from a small farm that has been in his family for more than 400 years.
The knitwear designers Carlos Zachrison and Arne Nerjordet are again preparing for the Christmas season, promoting their first book “55 Christmas Balls to Knit”. The book has sold more than 52,000 copies in Norway – a country of five million, where 15,000 would ordinarily qualify a title of its kind as a hit – and topped the bestseller charts.
“Where we live, in the mountains near Lillehammer in Norway, we don’t just have a white Christmas, but a pure white Christmas, because there are no cars or people to mess up the snow,” explains Zachrison. “It’s a beautiful time of the year here to light candles, decorate the house, go skiing and eat great food.”
Through experience gained from working alongside Scandinavia’s most respected knitters, many of whom still use centuries-old techniques, Arne & Carlos seek to preserve tradition while creating pieces that are fresh and modern. Their book “Knitting Scandinavian Style” contains 33 traditional patterns.
The popular designers have published six books, starting in 2010, and they are available in 14 languages. In addition to the two mentioned above, there are “Easter Knits”, “Knitted Dolls” “30 Slippers to Knit and Felt” and “Knit-and-Chrochet Garden”.
When they’re not preparing a new book, Carlos & Arne are always on the run, for inspiration or promoting books and giving workshops. They are popular wherever their books are published and wherever the authors travel for book signings or workshops. Do far they have been to England, Northern Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan and the USA.
“Everyone we meet is so enthusiastic. It’s mainly women,” admits Zachrison, “but there are always a few men at our workshops and the age group takes in everyone – eight-year-olds, novices in their twenties, an experienced knitting crowd from 60 up. It’s a family activity.”
Both men learned their crafting skills from their parents and grandparents. Carlos learnt to paint from his father and grandfather, and how to knit from his mother. Arne learnt most of what he knows from his mother and grandmothers. Carlos learnt the textile part of his skills from Arne.
The pair never thought that anyone could become a ‘knitting celebrity’, but today there are several authors of knitting books that have reached that status.
The Norwegian Knitting Celebrities, written by Tor Kjolberg
Halland ranks as Sweden’s most beautiful county, while the medieval city wall in Visby counts as the country’s loveliest building, a new survey suggests.
When asked if they thought their home county was beautiful, 62 percent of Halland residents surveyed said they fully agreed.
Halland
Stockholmers also held their home county in high regard, with 59 percent of respondents praising its pulchritude.
Of the 2,500 Swedes who took part in a Sifo survey commissioned by the Projektengagemang consultancy, 51 percent fully agreed that their home county was gorgeous; 49 agreed to an extent, and three percent didn’t agree at all.
Here’s how the top ten looks:
Halland 62%
So what’s so great about Halland then? Well, miles and miles of coastline set against the lovely Kattegat strait go a long way to explaining the locals’ satisfaction.
A month earlier, little Varberg was named the best municipality in Sweden.
As for Sweden’s most beautiful buildings, here’s how respondents voted:
Visby City Wall. Photo: Tor Kjolberg
Visby City Wall 13%, Visby, a stunning medieval city on the Baltic island of Gotland, is a Unesco World Heritage site and this well-preserved defensive fortification is one of the main attractions.
Drottninghom Palace, Stockholm
Drottningholm Palace 11%, also on the Unesco list, this palace is fit for a king. Which is just as well, since Sweden’s King and Queen live here.
Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall 7%, this magnificent red-brick structure stands proudly on the shores of Riddarfjärden and plays host each year to the Nobel Prize banquet.
Here’s the rest of the top ten list:
Stockholm 59%
Örebro 54%
Jönköping 52%
Skåne 50%
Uppsala 48%
Västra Götaland 43%
Östergötland 37%
Västerbotten 37%
Södermanland 29%
Feature image (on top): Halland
Photos: Visit Stockholm / Visit Sweden (when not otherwise credited)
Sweden’s Most Beautiful Places Revealed, source: The Local, Sweden
