Design Considered #02
A grand Austrian villa for sale and a tale of a novel tuberculosis treatment centre, plus heavy metal design.
#01 - Opening Thought
In my ed’s letter below, I ponder finding new purposes for lovely old buildings inspired by what’s been happening at the Paimio Sanatorium (pictured). This wonderful site opens itself to the surrounding Finnish woodland with a bright, airy design from modernists Alvar and Aino Aalto. As a hospital first made to treat tuberculosis patients, the architecture gave users a sense of dignity, embracing nature's healing power through large windows and patios and prioritising organic forms across the property. The strength of good design remains a pull here as the current custodian, the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, seeks novel ways to keep the old bones warm. The organisation has just announced a fantastic list of speakers for its Spirit of Paimio Conference in October. Get behind this visionary project.
#02 - Words From The Editor
For those sitting on a spare four million-or-so Euro, opportunity beckons in built form high in the Austrian Alps. Constructed in 1895 and recently restored, the Neo-Romanesque beauty Silbererschlössl (pictured left) is, in many ways, an architectural reflection of the self-made millionair®e who commissioned it. Victor Silberer was a journalist turned media tycoon, aviator and athlete (among other things) who occupied the eccentric, turret-laden villa as he developed the surrounding area of Semmering. In a few decades, he helped transform this remote, crisp-aired region into a swinging Mitteleuropean hotspot. Everyone from Sigmund Freud (pictured bottom in Semmering), writer Stefan Zweig, composer Alma Mater and the legendary architect Adolf Loos favoured it.
A 100 years on from the champagne-soaked nights when good times at the liberal Austrian enclave peaked, Semmering sleeps deeply. Its enchanting buildings, like the Silbererschlössl and the sprawling Südbahnhotel nearby (pictured right), are under-used but very well-preserved. I first visited the place many years ago for Monocle magazine, reporting on the tourism potential of this forgotten jewel. There, I met Edgar Bauer, then minding the Südbahnhotel and now the guardian of Silberer's grand villa. Had his Sleeping Beauty, Semmering, stirred from her slumber? I asked him this week. Not quite yet, I gathered, but Bauer remains optimistic - she will wake soon.
What prompted the check-in was a recent quote I read on the wonderfully named platform Finimalism regarding the Aalto Paino Sanatorium (mentioned in Opening Thought, above). "We can't renovate something into a museum," says Mirkku Kullberg, who is grappling with the upkeep of this gem building through a foundation and considering new uses for the site. Like the architectural treasures of Semmering, restoring a place like this to its past glory means providing a new purpose to suit modern times. It’s a tough ask. These projects require money, planning permission, community buy-in, and renovations to meet stringent building codes. Hence, I want to do my bit and advertise the historical steal, the Silbererschlössl, to someone with a big wallet and an even bigger vision.
#03 - Design Selection
I hadn’t planned on making this an all-metal special, but Alessi’s unusual campaign for the wonderful Michael Anastassiades (1) Menhir espresso maker piqued my interest for similarly sleek pieces. Staying in the kitchen, my partner Hyo will soon launch her Europe-based Korean craft web shop (stay-tuned), where ‘banggja’ (2) hand-forged brassware eating utensils will be made available alongside other offerings from Jong Duk Lee. Trend experts say shiny metal furniture is all the rage these days, but I’m more interested in raising the funds for this reissue of an almost century-old (3) Svenskt Tenn Pot Paradiset planter with a decorative relief designed by Nils Fougstedt in 1928. Sadly, saving money for shiny Swedish planters means no plane for me this week to Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design. I did spot these lovely (4) solid brass bronze door handles online, launched at the event by BRANDT Collective and designed by Norm Architects. Speaking of planes, I’m also waiting for a quote for a brilliantly repurposed (5) airline trolley from Bangkok’s Elements Eden, a super novel storage solution.
#04 - For Your Consideration
Are you reading this in ‘dark mode’? Snøhetta’s efforts to drastically reduce its digital footprint should inspire us all to consider the carbon cost of all our clicking. Its website was recently celebrated at Norway’s Visuelt Awards.
A more hands-on sustainability showcase has been constructed on the Vitra Campus near Basel. A Khudi Bari (Small House) by architect Marina Tabassum is an easy-to-build, transportable dwelling aiding flood-prone communities in Bangladesh. This incredible film shows it in action.
Those supporting quality storytelling and subscribing to the New York Times hopefully caught this beautifully crafted feature about what the US can learn from Sweden regarding modularly constructed housing.
Continuing with craft, French perfumer Diptyque’s new Maison in London is a tour-de-force of best-in-class bricks-and-mortar retail experience, with interiors and furnishings shaped by an eclectic cast of designers and artisans.
Finally, back in Austria, those flying on the national carrier’s new Dreamliner can enjoy this whimsical and cleverly developed flight safety film, which showcases the country’s cultural cuteness without any cringe factor.
#05 - Through The Lens
The contrast of light and shadow is a key feature in the photography of Germany’s Uta Gleiser. Contrast also plays out in the meeting of nature and concrete at the Casa To resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, designed by Ludwig Godefroy, whose work Gleiser has long admired. “Five years ago, I met him and his family in Puerto Escondido by coincidence,” she explains to Design Considered. “We were having breakfast at the same place for a few days in a row, and we started talking. On my last day, I finally realised who he was. When I came back to Mexico this year, I shot Casa To, Casa Vo and Godefroy’s private house, which will be an upcoming home story for a magazine.”