Carson Chan

We welcome @chan.carson as a speaker to WISE x THE HOUSE OF NORDIC VISIONS at the #nordicembassiesberlin Carson Chan is the Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs of the new Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki @admuseo , a major institution formed through the merger of the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum Helsinki. In this role, Chan is tasked with shaping a next-generation cultural institution that redefines how architecture and design are presented—placing strong emphasis on climate, ecology, and the social role of the built environment. The new museum, scheduled to open later this decade, is conceived as a hybrid platform spanning exhibition-making, research, and public engagement. In 2021 he became the founding director of the Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and Natural Environment at @themuseumofmodernart of Modern Art (MoMA), where he focused on how architecture engages with ecology, climate, and the environment.

Thank‎ you‎ @idakukka for‎ showing‎ me‎ your‎ grandparents’‎ Yrjö‎ and‎ Irmeli‎ Kukkapuro’s‎ studio‎ and‎ home @studiokukkapuro .‎ I’ve‎ been‎ a‎ fan‎ of‎ Yrjö’s‎ chairs‎ for‎ some‎ time‎ now‎ and‎ to‎ be‎ in‎ the‎ space‎ where‎ it‎ all‎ happened‎ is‎ something‎ else. ⁣  ⁣The‎ Kukkapuro‎ studio‎ (1968),‎ a‎ space-age‎ concrete‎ shell‎ designed‎ in‎ collaboration‎ with‎ engineer‎ Eero‎ Paloheimo‎ was‎ conceived‎ as‎ a‎ giant‎ sail‎ –‎ thin,‎ airy,‎ and‎ light.‎ Architect‎ and‎ historian‎ Fang‎ Hai‎ tells‎ of‎ how‎ Yrjö‎ and‎ Irmeli‎ would‎ sit‎ in‎ front‎ of‎ the‎ full‎ windows.‎ Hai,‎ who‎ spent‎ much‎ time‎ with‎ the‎ Kukkapuros‎ in‎ their‎ studio,‎ writes‎ about‎ how‎ they‎ would‎ “sit‎ there‎ every‎ day‎ in‎ order‎ to‎ enjoy‎ the‎ natural‎ feeling‎ which‎ has‎ been‎ the‎ most‎ important‎ sources‎ of‎ inspiration‎ in‎ their‎ work.”‎ “Nature‎ is‎ one‎ essential‎ part‎ of‎ the‎ Kukkapuros,‎ as‎ they‎ said‎ ‘we‎ have‎ not‎ touched‎ the‎ vegetation‎ around‎ the‎ house,‎ we‎ let‎ things‎ grow‎ and‎ develop‎ according‎ to‎ the‎ whims‎ of‎ nature.” ⁣  ⁣“In‎ the‎ summertime,‎ the‎ surroundings‎ resemble‎ an‎ enormous‎ green‎ aquarium‎ with‎ the‎ trees‎ around‎ it‎ and‎ their‎ huge,‎ green,‎ rustling‎ clouds‎ of‎ leaves.”‎ ⁣ ⁣#kukkapuro #modernarchitecture #finnisharchitecture #spaceage #homestudio ⁣

I‎ went‎ to‎ visit‎ architect‎ Kai‎ Wartiainen‎ at‎ his‎ studio‎ in‎ Stockholm‎ (which‎ he‎ share‎ with‎ his‎ wife,‎ architect‎ Ingrid‎ Reppen)‎ last‎ weekend‎ to‎ learn‎ about‎ his‎ ecological‎ and‎ urban‎ thinking,‎ influential‎ through‎ his‎ years‎ of‎ teaching‎ in‎ both‎ Finland‎ and‎ Sweden.‎ ⁣  ⁣Today‎ I‎ went‎ to‎ visit‎ his‎ High‎ Tech‎ Center‎ (2001)‎ in‎ Ruoholahti‎ in‎ the‎ west‎ side‎ of‎ Helsinki.‎ Designed‎ to‎ look‎ like‎ gantry‎ cranes‎ you’ll‎ find‎ in‎ shipping‎ ports,‎ walking‎ through‎ them‎ evoked‎ a‎ kind‎ of‎ infrastructural‎ sublime.‎ Mechanical‎ and‎ cathedral-like.‎   ⁣  ⁣(Kiitos‎ @juhogronholm for‎ the‎ introduction!) ⁣ ⁣#architecture #finnisharchitecture #hightecharchitecture #infrastructure #kaiwartiainen ⁣

I‎ need‎ to‎ learn‎ more‎ about‎ this‎ fascinating‎ pendant‎ lamp‎ that‎ Alvar‎ Aalto‎ designed‎ for‎ the‎ Maison‎ Carré‎ in‎ 1958.‎ Carré‎ was‎ an‎ art‎ dealer,‎ and‎ apparently‎ the‎ oddly‎ shaped‎ opening‎ on‎ the‎ side‎ of‎ the‎ lamp‎ was‎ to‎ illuminate‎ artworks‎ on‎ the‎ wall. ⁣  ⁣Glad‎ I‎ caught‎ the‎ Pertti‎ Männistö‎ collection‎ at‎ @millesgarden .‎ So‎ many‎ Aino‎ and‎ Alvar‎ Aalto‎ furniture‎ prototypes‎ and‎ pieces‎ with‎ tiny‎ editions.‎ Armchair‎ 12‎ (Image‎ 5,‎ 1932)‎ was‎ made‎ in‎ a‎ small‎ batch‎ in‎ a‎ natural‎ wood‎ finish‎ (as‎ opposed‎ to‎ the‎ more‎ common‎ black).‎ This‎ one‎ was‎ found‎ in‎ a‎ recycling‎ center‎ in‎ Turku‎ and‎ through‎ a‎ series‎ of‎ coincidences‎ made‎ its‎ way‎ into‎ the‎ collection.‎ A‎ rare‎ “spaghetti-bent”‎ prototype‎ from‎ 1954‎ (image‎ 6-7)‎ was‎ made‎ using‎ an‎ experimental‎ technique‎ where‎ the‎ armrests‎ are‎ made‎ of‎ bent‎ bundles‎ of‎ birch.‎ ⁣ ⁣#aalto #moderndesign #alvaraalto #finnishdesign ⁣

Appreciation‎ post for‎ Åke‎ Ahlström‎ and‎ Kell‎ Åström’s‎ apartment‎ complex‎ in‎ Tanto,‎ Stockholm‎ (1962-6).‎ The‎ architects,‎ who‎ also‎ designed‎ the‎ city’s‎ 1960‎ master‎ plan‎, saw‎ these‎ 5‎ curved‎ blocks‎ as‎ the‎ sculptural‎ expression‎ of‎ their‎ vision‎ for‎ the‎ city. ⁣ ⁣The‎ huge‎ 15-story‎ curved‎ surfaces‎ of‎ the‎ blocks‎ create‎ a‎ canyon‎ effect.‎ Being‎ amongst‎ them‎ one‎ senses‎ a‎ monumental‎ space‎ formed‎ by‎ Modernist‎ ideas‎ of‎ community.‎ Impossible‎ to‎ photograph,‎ really.‎ ⁣ ⁣#modernarchitecture #architecture #stockholm #tanto ⁣

I‎ read‎ Juhani‎ Pallasmaa’s‎ The‎ Eyes‎ of‎ the‎ Skin‎ in‎ my‎ first‎ year‎ of‎ architecture‎ school.‎ This‎ was‎ in‎ the‎ late‎ 90s,‎ the‎ book‎ wasn’t‎ assigned‎ for‎ class‎ but‎ through‎ word‎ of‎ mouth‎ it‎ was‎ passed‎ from‎ one‎ person‎ to‎ another‎ in‎ the‎ studio.‎ For‎ first‎ year‎ architecture‎ students,‎ or‎ even‎ for‎ professional‎ architects,‎ his‎ writing‎ often‎ remind‎ us‎ that‎ people‎ and‎ the‎ way‎ they‎ sense‎ the world‎ –‎ how‎ we‎ see‎ shadows‎ play‎ on‎ a‎ wall,‎ how‎ we‎ respond‎ to‎ the‎ sound‎ of‎ footfall,‎ how‎ we‎ perceive‎ temperature‎ –‎ should‎ drive‎ the‎ design‎ process‎ as‎ much‎ as‎ how‎ a‎ building‎ looks.‎ ⁣  ⁣Besides‎ being‎ an‎ architect,‎ educator,‎ writer (and let’s be frank, a legend!), he‎ was‎ also‎ a‎ former‎ director‎ of‎ the‎ Architecture‎ Museum.‎ @pilvikalhama and‎ I‎ visited‎ Juhani‎ in‎ his‎ studio‎ yesterday‎ (she‎ took‎ the‎ second‎ photo),‎ and‎ seeing‎ his‎ writing‎ room,‎ his‎ desk‎ surrounded‎ by‎ shelves‎ of‎ books‎ and‎ flat‎ files,‎ was‎ a‎ special‎ moment.‎ We‎ at the Musekm and‎ Juhani‎ have‎ many‎ irons in the fire‎ -‎ watch‎ this‎ space! ⁣ ⁣#finnisharchitecture #eyesoftheskin #juhanipallasmaa #phenomenology ⁣

Ala‎ Architect’s‎ @ala_architects Oodi‎ library‎ @oodihelsinki in‎ Helsinki‎ is‎ an‎ unmitigated‎ success.‎ It’s‎ basically‎ the‎ city’s‎ public‎ living‎ room.‎ People‎ use‎ the‎ spaces‎ in‎ there‎ the‎ way‎ architects‎ place‎ them‎ in‎ renderings.‎ When‎ I‎ was‎ there‎ earlier‎ today,‎ teenagers‎ were‎ gathered‎ under‎ the‎ cantilevered‎ space‎ performing‎ K-pop‎ dances‎ for‎ each‎ other;‎ several‎ chess‎ games‎ were‎ underway‎ in‎ the‎ lobby;‎ people‎ make‎ use‎ of‎ the‎ 3D‎ printers‎ and‎ recording‎ studios‎ in‎ the‎ maker‎ spaces;‎ and‎ the‎ top‎ floor‎ is‎ where‎ people‎ read,‎ use‎ their‎ laptops,‎ or‎ browse‎ the‎ open‎ stacks. ⁣  ⁣Ala’s‎ (the‎ name‎ means‎ area/territory/domain‎ in‎ Finnish)‎ most‎ known‎ built‎ projects‎ to‎ date‎ all‎ feature‎ spectacular‎ roof/overhang‎ structures.‎ The‎ Kilden‎ Performing‎ Arts‎ Center‎ in‎ Kristiansand‎ (2012, images 9-11),‎ Hesinki‎ Airport‎ arrival/departure‎ hall‎ (2021),‎ Satama‎ Event‎ Center‎ in‎ Kohta‎ (2023),‎ and‎ of‎ course‎ Oodi‎ (2018).‎ They‎ all‎ visually‎ announce‎ themselves‎ to‎ their‎ surroundings,‎ while‎ generously‎ offering‎ shelter‎ and‎ inclusion‎ to‎ people‎ as‎ they‎ approach,‎ like‎ a‎ civic‎ scale‎ greeting.‎ ⁣  ⁣Thank‎ you‎ @samuliwoolston @juhogronholm @anttinousjoki for‎ showing‎ me‎ around‎ your‎ office! ⁣ ⁣#alaarchitects #finnisharchitecture #contemporaryarchitecture #oodi #helsinkiairport ⁣

I‎ knew‎ and‎ admired‎ @vaarnii Vaarnii’s‎ 001‎ stool‎ (designed‎ by‎ Fredrik‎ Paulsen @fredrikpaulsen )‎ before‎ I‎ knew‎ of‎ the‎ brand.‎ (My‎ downstairs‎ neighbors‎ in‎ Berlin‎ have‎ a‎ bunch‎ of‎ them)‎ They’re‎ like‎ a‎ chunkier,‎ edgier‎ Artek‎ Stool‎ 60.‎ Familiar‎ but‎ uncanny.‎ The‎ cousin‎ who‎ wears‎ Rick‎ Owens. ⁣ ⁣Everything‎ is‎ made‎ of‎ Finnish‎ pine‎ (in‎ Finland)‎ and‎ designed‎ by‎ one‎ of‎ the‎ coolest‎ roster‎ of‎ designers‎ around‎ (ie.‎ Faye Toogood @soft_baroque @maxlamb @ronanbouroullec @_kwangho_lee @ceciliemanz et al).‎ Thanks‎ @ana_gram_11 for‎ showing‎ me‎ around‎ Vaarnii’s‎ facilities‎ today!‎ ⁣ ⁣#finnishdesign #contemporarydesign #nordicdesign #design #vaarnii ⁣ ⁣

The‎ horizontal‎ layers‎ of‎ El‎ Torcal‎ de‎ Antequera’s‎ karst‎ limestone‎ formations‎ are‎ conducive‎ to‎ fantasies‎ of‎ strangely‎ shaped‎ homes‎ and‎ spaces.‎ We‎ stopped‎ several‎ times on our walk‎ to‎ comment‎ on‎ where‎ a‎ good‎ spot‎ for‎ a‎ home‎ would‎ be.‎ Pace‎ Claude‎ Parent,‎ horizontal‎ surfaces‎ lend‎ themselves‎ to‎ human‎ occupation:‎ a‎ house‎ can‎ be‎ placed‎ on‎ a‎ flat‎ surface,‎ a‎ cantilever‎ can‎ shield‎ weather,‎ and‎ smaller‎ surfaces‎ can‎ be‎ used‎ as‎ tables,‎ counters,‎ or‎ beds.‎ All‎ this‎ was‎ formed‎ about‎ 200‎ million‎ years‎ ago‎ as‎ a‎ seabed‎ in‎ the‎ Jurassic.‎ (In‎ the‎ last‎ image,‎ the‎ stone‎ habitat‎ was‎ apparently‎ the‎ home‎ of‎ a‎ stone‎ mason‎ and‎ his‎ 7‎ daughters‎ in‎ the‎ 18th‎ c.) ⁣ ⁣Image‎ 2:‎ Antonio‎ Sánchez‎ Esteve,‎ who‎ designed‎ the‎ eponymous‎ Cine‎ Torcal‎ (1934)‎ in‎ Antequera‎ transformed‎ the‎ limestone‎ stratification‎ into‎ horizontal‎ banding. ⁣ ⁣#nature #hiking #stone #karst #karstlandscape ⁣

The‎ neolithic‎ Dolmen‎ of‎ Menga‎ in‎ Antiquera‎ was‎ constructed‎ around‎ 6000‎ years‎ ago.‎ (The‎ Dolmen‎ of‎ Viera‎ close‎ by‎ was‎ built‎ about‎ a‎ thousand‎ years‎ later)‎ Agriculture‎ was‎ starting‎ to‎ take‎ place,‎ people‎ began‎ to‎ make‎ permanent‎ settlements,‎ homes‎ were‎ being‎ built‎ and‎ designed.‎ If‎ we‎ had‎ to‎ put‎ the‎ birth‎ of‎ architecture‎ on‎ humanity’s‎ timeline,‎ the‎ neolithic‎ would‎ be‎ a‎ good‎ contender‎ for‎ this‎ distinction.‎   ⁣  ⁣Most‎ dolmens,‎ or‎ megalithic‎ tomb,‎ tend‎ to‎ open‎ to‎ the‎ East‎ –‎ they‎ face‎ the‎ rising‎ sun‎ each‎ day.‎ Many‎ face‎ the‎ direction‎ of‎ sun‎ rise‎ on‎ the‎ equinox.‎ The‎ Dolmen‎ of‎ Menga,‎ one‎ of‎ the‎ largest‎ such‎ neolithic‎ structures‎ in‎ Europe,‎ face‎ the‎ northeast‎ towards‎ the‎ Peña‎ de‎ los‎ Enamorados,‎ a‎ mountain‎ range that‎ looks‎ like‎ the‎ profile‎ of‎ a‎ laying‎ women’s‎ face (images 13-14).‎ What‎ the‎ builders‎ of‎ this‎ dolmen‎ thought‎ so‎ so‎ many‎ years‎ ago‎ we’ll‎ never‎ know,‎ but‎ its‎ decisions‎ like‎ this‎ that‎ let‎ us‎ know‎ we‎ share‎ the‎ same‎ imagination,‎ that‎ like‎ now,‎ narratives‎ and‎ ideas‎ became‎ action. ⁣  ⁣Inside‎ the‎ dolmen‎ we‎ see‎ holes‎ drilled‎ into‎ the‎ stone.‎ Someone‎ (an‎ architect?)‎ made‎ the‎ decision‎ of‎ make‎ the‎ hole,‎ and‎ that‎ decision‎ still echoes in‎ the‎ world‎ today. ⁣ ⁣#neolithic #neolithicarchitecture #dolmen #antequera ⁣

Yesterday‎ I‎ went‎ to‎ see‎ the‎ 18th‎ c‎ altars‎ of‎ the‎ Iglesia‎ del‎ Carmen‎ in‎ Antequera,‎ and‎ calling‎ them‎ overwhelming‎ (especially‎ the‎ central‎ one)‎ would‎ be‎ an‎ understatement.‎ Every‎ surface‎ of‎ the‎ choir‎ is‎ ornamented‎ in‎ a‎ way‎ that‎ the‎ eye‎ has‎ no‎ place‎ to‎ rest.‎ The‎ whole‎ thing‎ is‎ in‎ motion.‎ The‎ figuration‎ and‎ detailing‎ was‎ done‎ so‎ well‎ that‎ they‎ decided‎ not‎ to‎ gild‎ it‎ like‎ most‎ other‎ post-Columbian‎ Andalusian‎ churches.‎ ⁣ ⁣I‎ went‎ back‎ with‎ local‎ friends‎ in‎ the‎ evening‎ to‎ see‎ the‎ semana‎ santa‎ procession‎ and‎ for‎ the‎ first‎ time‎ understood‎ the‎ civic‎ scale‎ of‎ the‎ Spanish‎ Catholic‎ Church,‎ which‎ one‎ reads‎ about‎ in‎ history‎ class.‎ ⁣ ⁣#semanasanta #antequera #holyweek #baroquechurch #baroquearchitecture ⁣

I‎ have‎ very‎ fond‎ memories‎ of‎ the‎ red‎ Nokia‎ 3310‎ I‎ got‎ around‎ 2011.‎ I‎ can‎ still‎ probably‎ type‎ out‎ a‎ sentence‎ with‎ only my right thumb on that‎ dial‎ pad‎ without‎ looking‎ at‎ the‎ letters.‎ ⁣  ⁣Seeing‎ the‎ Nokia‎ archive‎ at‎ @aaltouniversity was,‎ needless‎ to‎ say,‎ a‎ revelation.‎ With‎ more‎ than‎ 20‎ years‎ of‎ material‎ starting‎ from‎ the‎ mid-1990s‎ –‎ sketches,‎ prototypes,‎ photos,‎ ads,‎ videos‎ –‎ as‎ well‎ as‎ oral‎ histories‎ with‎ more‎ than‎ 200‎ former‎ designers,‎ it’s‎ hard‎ to‎ take‎ in‎ this‎ trove‎ from‎ Finland’s‎ largest‎ and‎ most‎ influential‎ design‎ company.‎ It’s‎ also hard‎ to‎ exaggerate‎ Nokia’s‎ impact‎ in‎ ushering‎ in‎ the‎ information‎ age‎ by‎ democratizing‎ mobile‎ connectivity.‎ This,‎ of‎ course,‎ will‎ not‎ be‎ my‎ last‎ trip‎ there. ⁣ ⁣#nokia @nokia @nokiafinland @aaltoarts #finnishdesign ⁣