Frank Lloyd Wright Morris Giftshop

While in San Francisco this last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to explore the city on my own with no time constraints. This meant I could explore whatever I wanted, and stay as long as I wanted- I love it. My dad (a huge Frank Lloyd Wright buff/afficionado/expert) tipped me off to the Morris Giftshop by FLW and I jumped at the chance to spend some time checking it out. It’s now called the Xanadu Gallery and is located at 140 Maiden Lane, in between Post & Geary in Union Square. Maiden Lane is a completely charming little street- with a very European scale, reminiscent of the Via Borgognona in Rome.

Quick fact about the gallery- it’s one of seventeen Frank Lloyd Wright structures that are considered by the AIA to be contributions to American Culture. That’s deep. As with most Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, the Xanadu Gallery definitely sparks a quick game of “which one of these things does not belong.” Or perhaps as Wright would see it, a game of which one of these things SHOULD belong, and which are an ugly waste of space?

The façade of the gallery/giftshop is most interesting, as it’s a more contemporary take on a standard Roman Arch with virtually no window space/no glimpse to the inside- very unusual if you think about the fact that it’s a retail space. When questioned by the original owner about the omission of a traditional storefront, Wright said; “We are not going to dump your beautiful merchandise on the street, but create an arch-tunnel of glass, into which the passers-by may look and be enticed. As they penetrate further into the entrance, seeing the shop inside with its spiral ramp and tables set with fine china and crystal, they will suddenly push open the door, and you’ve got them!” (Robert McCarter’s Frank Lloyd Wright, © 1997)

 

Another fascinating element of this space (among MANY) is the floorplan. Similar to the much more famous Guggenheim Museum in NYC, the giftshop has a circular mezzanine reached by a spiral ramp- no stairs here! The spiral ramp was an element of the Guggenheim Museum that made it most controversial for its time. What’s interesting about the giftshop’s floorplan, is that the Guggenheim was designed much before the giftshop, but wasn’t actually built until 1959- allowing Wright to use the giftshop (built in 1948) as a “trial run” so to speak for this design technique. I think it worked out quite well. All the furniture inside is original and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright- most are affixed to the walls and built-in. They are absoultely amazing, especially the low-lying benches, and the wall of drawers in the lower gallery.

 

I encourage anyone in the San Francisco area, with an interest in architecture to check out the Morris Giftshop. There are way too many interesting and amazing design elements to discuss in one blog post, but it’s definitely worth your time- and it’s free! It’s an architectural museum without an admission cost. You can also explore Frank Lloyd Wright here.

Organic Cotton hits H&M

This isn’t breaking news. In fact I read an article about the H&M Organic Cotton line on Inhabitat in the beginning of March. I’m blogging about it now, because while I was in San Francisco last week I stopped in to H&M to inquire about the new organic line and was pleasantly surprised to find it had just been placed on the sales floor that day (a virtual goldmine in the quick turn-over world of H&M styles/sizes)! Living in Seattle, which is sans H&M until 2008, I jump at every opportunity to shop at one of my most beloved stores whenever I’m in cities that are home to one. I was very pleased with the line of organic and sustainable duds, and purchased a purple dress (pictured above), cute tunic-y gray cardigan, and a nice green colored tank. They are super soft and comfortable. I was also delighted to know that the line had been displayed two full days early, giving me first dibs at all the sizes! I love when stuff like this falls into place. It was an all-around fantastic trip, so I shouldn’t be too surprised. I also purchased a flashy sequined shirt that was apparently featured on the Today show- I’m just THAT good. haha.

I should also mention, that two days later the Madonna line “M” dropped at H&M, and I was utterly unimpressed. The only piece I liked from the Material girl, was a gold/white/gray sequin & beaded dress, that pretty much hung like a potato sack. However, I’ve heard it caused riots in other cities. Go figure! I was hoping to at LEAST make some purchases to flip on ebay, but nothing caught my eye.

I’m a Mac

So everyone’s seen the hilarious “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” spots done for Apple by Chiat. Well Apple’s been creating similar themed ads overseas, and they are quite funny. Here’s a random sampling of some of my favorites from the UK and also Japan.

From the UK;

From Japan;

I wouldn’t be doing a very good job if I didn’t also mention that students receive academic pricing on Apple products everyday! Check it out here.

Air Force 1

Found this little commercial over at Sneakerfiles.com, produced in France and made to demonstrate the timelessness of the Air Force 1. It’s kind of fun, and I like the Frenglish (I just made that up, but I think you know what I mean) at the end. Check it out;

They Rule

Awhile back I took a Concepts of New Media class, and really loved it. Our prof, Philip Howard, was stellar and the content of the class kept me, well, coming to class. Our first assignment was to find a piece of “old, new media” and smash it apart to try to figure out how it works- then using our findings try to come up with a definition for new media. Our final assignment was to make our own mash-up and in the past Howard’s had his classes make maps of wi-fi hotspots around Seattle- which were later used by the City of Seattle. Pretty cool. Anyhow, during class one day Prof Howard pulled up the website “theyrule”. I thought it was so cool, I quickly jotted it down in my moleskine as something I wanted to explore further (something I did often in this class). Well life happened, and I got so busy I completely forgot about it until today. Remembering it was like getting a Christmas present. Theyrule.net is a website that allows you to make visual maps of how companies (specifically board members of these companies) are connected to other companies. It’s absolutely amazing to see how many people sit on multiple boards, proving they really do “rule”. Here’s an example of a map I made. I stuck with the Seattle theme, and started with all the major companies based out of Seattle. One cool part about this website is that icons representing board members get fatter depending on how many other boards they sit on. Classic. It’s pretty fun to play around with, which keeps your mind off of the fact that what you’re seeing/creating is extremely depressing and scary. Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer, with major power consolidation. Here’s a map I found with 7 of the most powerful people around;

1984

This remix of the classic 1984 Apple Commercial has been blowing up on the internet lately- and getting lots of mainstream press. I’m not sure I’m so “wowed” by it, but I suppose it’s interesting enough. Barack’s camp has said they did not produce the commercial but I think I would’ve been more intrigued if they had. If Barack is so revolutionary, and breaks the mold in so many ways (a la 1984) , you’d think he’d be all over “the internets” figuring out ways to start a real conversation with constituents and getting his messages across. Don’t get me wrong, I think Barack has some very compelling attributes and is refreshing in many ways, but it’s still SO early. I’d like to see where the candidates go with this campaign. There are too many issues left to talk about so I reserve the right to wait before making up my mind on this one. I also think that President Bush’s face would fit much better in this rendition than Hillary’s. I understand Barack fans see her as the direct threat to his campaign, but if we’re going for the whole “Vote Different” theme- don’t you think it would mean so much more to juxtapose Barack against George W? Isn’t that what people need to be “rescued” from? I guess the person behind this commercial just wanted to get people talking and has therefore succeeded. It is kind of a cool reminder that each of us can play an active role in the larger conversation- if we wanted to and were creative enough. Just some thoughts. But enough of that, check out the vid;

The Living Camera

My dad sent me this video the other day, and it’s absolutely incredible. Steven Wiltshire (aka The Living Camera) is an autistic savant, who didn’t speak his first words until the age of 5, but at the age of 11 drew a perfect aerial view of London after just one helicopter ride. This video is of particular interest to me because I spent a term living and studying in Rome. Check out this video, I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like it. This guy should work for Google Maps or something- He’s incredible!

The Big Mazungo

Every so often there comes an athlete so talented, so full of heart, so ground-breaking and legendary that they transform and revolutionize their sport. Steve Prefontaine, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods- the list goes on. Their passion and charisma turn the average spectator into die-hard fanatics and their lives read like stories worthy of an inspirational movie script. I got this link to a short video from a while back called The Big Mazungo (about Australian runner Craig Mottram) from some of my UW runner friends, and was completely blown-away. In the world of distance running- which is completely dominated by East Africans, here comes Craig Mottram. This little intro into the life of the Big Mazungo will give you chills, make you inspired, and leave you counting down the days until the Beijing Olympics. He may not be wearing waffle runners, but this emerging Australian hero is highly reminiscent of another legend who donned the green & yellow- and might just have what it takes to revolutionize the sport in much the same way.

I also want to note that I think this video is an amazing example of advertising-in my mind. It’s almost effortless the way they link the dominance of East Africans, to barefoot running, to Craig Mottram being the only real force against the Africans, to Craig’s use of the Frees. Yet it still doesn’t detract from the poignance of the short. Effortless.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Cityscape Greetings

For Christmas my brother gave me a super cool card of the Hong Kong skyline (to accompany his super generous gifts of course, haha). He also gave my mom the Paris skyline & my dad Tokyo. I’d never seen intricate die-cut cards like this before, so when I stumbled on the San Francisco (hopefully my future home) skyline by Ted Naos, I had to add it to the collection. I think they’re beautiful, and go very nicely on a desk or tabletop. I’m a sucker for cool stationary/cards. Check them out below. While searching for more of these cards online, I stumbled upon these- pretty funny.

 

 

Ninja Warrior

I was flippin through the channels tonight and happened upon a show called Ninja Warrior on G4. Think American Gladiators, meets MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge), with the aesthetic of cage fighting and you’ve got Ninja Warrior. I had to stop and watch- it was captivating. Take a look. Just like with most of these shows- the commentary makes the show!

Just for the record, I do indeed have a personalized signed photo of Laser from American Gladiators- thanks dad!

You Are Beautiful

A friend of mine sent me a link to this project a long time ago, and I’ve just now decided to take part. Learn more about You Are Beautiful here. Below is my self-addressed envelope (complete with dorky post-it note message) sent to the good folks at You Are Beautiful requesting my very own stickers! Stay tuned, as I plan on posting pictures of the places around Seattle I decide to post them. If you have any input into the perfect locale(s), leave me a comment.

 

Do Your Own Adventure with Sue Teller

Another oldy but goody. I came across these hilarious “ads” for Mountain Dew awhile back, and thought they were golden. I quote ads because to many its still unclear just whose behind these viral vids. After a little investigative research I found out that it is indeed put on by Mountain Dew in collaboration with L.A.-based agency 86 the Onions under creative director Chad Rea. Besides all that, the videos have hilarious appeal because it makes you wish Sue was your grandma. I mean who else could teach their grandkids how to make a mash-up or customize sneakers while sipping mountain dew and using slang like “word” & “na mean?” ? I must give props to “Sue” for her impeccible comedic timing and delivery.

Banksy

Found this video (from an old episode of the BBC’s Culture Show) on the ever elusive and mysterious artist Banksy. If you’re not familiar with his work, he’s the man behind the big Paris Hilton CD debauchery, as well as many other infamous public works. This video delves a little deeper into the life and work of this perpetually mysterious artist, and even includes an audio interview with the man himself (if you call e-mailed questions with responses mashed-up and scrambled a personal interview) where he talks about his influences and motivations. If you know Banksy’s work this should be a nice augmentation to your knowledge, and if you’re new to the world of Banksy this should be a nice introduction. Enjoy!

“Will Work-Out for Electricity”

This is sort of an addendum to the post I made about dancing for electricity. Just another example of human energy being converted to power. Who knew my lame joke about running to power the TV was actually right on point?

Not Your Typical Dorm

Having worked in Residential Life for three years now, I can say without a doubt that the design of a residence hall (although not the first thing you may think of) is completely crucial to promoting a healthy lifestyle/living experience. I found a post about Tietgen Residence Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark on A Daily Dose of Architecture, and was loving it! I’ve definitely never seen a dorm of it’s equal, and probably would’ve loved living/working in the dorms even more had my building looked like this! Even though the models for Residential Life are very different in the U.S. than in the rest of the world, I think it might not be a bad idea to take a cue from our international collegues and start thinking about the effects of breaking the architectural mold. We all know that space and architecture influence behavior and experience, so I’m happy to see that Lundgaard & Tranberg really “get it” and have found a way to design a space that integrates both private and public spaces, while continuing to strengthen them both.