Berlin Design City (Con't) - Peter Eisenman's Holocaust Memorial

The Holocaust Memorial is a must when in Berlin. There's something ingenious yet so simple about this site. Unlike other memorial sites, The Holocaust Memorial, officially named the Monument to the Murdered Jews in Europe, can be visited at anytime - day or night and conjures different emotions at the different times as well.

U.S. architect Peter Eisenman's controversial design was chosen as a fitting tribute to the Jews that died before and during World War II - as part of Hitler's plan to exterminate them. The ingeniously conceptualised space consists of 205,000 sqft (19,000 sqm) of space filled with 2,711 grey stone slabs that bear no markings, names or dates, on a sloping stretch of land.

The unadorned slabs which are individually unique in shape and size undulate in a wave-like pattern, creating a maze-like space. Some slabs are only ankle high while others tower well over visitors, all adding to the visual, emotive and conflicting reactions that the architect hoped to instill. The pathways between the individual slabs undulate as well - further emphasising Eisenman's intention of creating a feeling of groundlessness and instability; a sense of disorientation and surrealism.


And since the rest of Berlin is littered in grafitti covered surfaces (some of which are really stunning), special treatment was applied to the entire Holocaust Memorial so that the "shrines" cannot be marked on. 

Critics protest that the Memorial is way too abstract and does not present historical information at all. Other people argue that the Memorial resembles a vast field of nameless tombstones and captures the horror of the Nazi death camps, exactly.

What's your view?


This is mine: Contemplative. Personal. An experience.

I'm including a Youtube vid that shows the different day and night experiences - a must, if you have the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX8kivBbaB0&feature=related

Berlin Design City

Unfortunately, being out of the magazine industry and choosing to reside in good ol Melbourne, down undah has meant giving up the high life. So no Milan fair for me this year or next... (maybe a kind soul will sponsor me, hah!)

But since I'm feeling a wee bit design-led today, here's my pick my fav design spots in Berlin - a strangely surreal city that's so rich in history and has a special place in my heart, always!

Hugo Boss Berlin Mitte has a 3D model of Berlin on its wall - What else would you expect from a homegrown icon!

Sad icy pole pouf in the Elesse store. It's more cute than sad, really!

So it was too cute not to take another shot of alright!

Exterior shot of Casa Camper Berlin - where we stayed! Loved it!!!

Pillow filled headboard - like resting on clouds...

Ugly but important - Emergency access info!

Bathroom with a view

Temperature control & blind control for the cheeky bathroom that looks out into the street

No, you can't take these home with you...

Shower controls - Love it!

Casa Camper toiletries. For more information: Visit http://www.casacamper.com/berlin/default-en.html

One of the most emotional and surreal monuments of the war: Kaethe Kollwitz's statue of a woman holding her dying son. Sad but so detailed and it reminded me of the basic motherly instinct that is so beautiful, it is beyond words. http://rogallery.com/Kollwitz/Kollwitz-bio.htm

Contrasting eras: An old church sits against the backdrop of the Berlin TV tower. See http://www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php for more information.

Lux Eleven Hotel - we stayed two nights in the premier apartment, which I decided I could live in! Love!!For more information: click http://www.lux-eleven.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kitchen

View of the semi-open concept bedroom from the living area. The two spaces are demarcated by a large functional feature wall that hosts a TV on either side. Watch TV in bed or from the sofa! The ingenious designer also ensured there was enough room here for storage too.

Walk in shower with the vanity creating separation from the bedroom

Love how the sun poured into the entire space from the ample windows, keeping the room warm even though it was really cold outside.

You probably can't see it but this window looked right out at the Berlin TV Tower, which was very pretty at night and watched over the city, like a regal guard who never sleeps.

The Berlin TV Tower - just outside our window. Visit http://www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php

The environmentally conscious Bruehl sofa was surprisingly comfy too... even though it looks pretty hard. The armrest and backrest are adjustable so you can find what suits you best. Visit http://www.bruehl.com/en

Quirky gardens

Growing up in urban Singapore, i never truly understood the beauty of having a garden and tending to plants. And even now, I can't say I'm anywhere closer to being that way inclined.

But my daily dog walks (Yes, I'm a devoted dog owner who loves her 13-year old westie x) has certainly opened my eyes to some backyard beauty that i never would have noticed before. I'm not talking about those perfectly manicured trees and ridiculously neat lawns - although i do love those round globe trees.

What I am referring to is an array of unique garden installations that I've had the pleasure of noticing over the last few months... Sorry that they're all Instagram pics. I lost the originals while updating my phone, unfortunately.

 Here are a few of my favourites:

The Garden Cube - Love it!

The lonesome pink chair

The lovers in the garden

Erm... this one made me smile. The old sewing machine?!!

The digging dog... it's a sculpture, not a real dog!!

The bush faces... They're massive!!

The polka dotted trees

Love birds

What do you get for your four-year old niece (who you adore) who has everything she could possibly need?
Simple: You make her something with love... 

And since I've been on a silk screen rampage recently, it seemed only natural to make her something pretty for her new room.


After toying with numerous silk screen designs (which i hope to sell at the Mathilda Markets in July 2012), I finally settled on this birdie one after being inspired by a recent sourcing trip.


Here's the finished product in pretty pink, of course!

Happy 4th Birthday Hannah Banana!

For more information on my market stall or if you'd like to buy this product, pls leave me a comment or email me...

Missing my Braddell View apartment

So today i was just looking at the calendar and thinking how fast time has flown by. It's been two years that I've been in Melbourne now and as much as I love where I am now... I often miss living in Braddell View.

For non-Singaporeans, Braddell View is one of those lovely old high rise estates that is just surrounded by lots of nature - large old trees, the occasional visiting monkey tribe (seriously) and a myriad of butterflies, birds and squirrels.

You see, Braddell View was also my first real "design" project - and since it was my home I was renovating, lots of love went into it. When we first went to look at the house, I walked in and out in under 2 minutes because i just couldn't get past how dark, dingy and musky the home was. My dad however saw the potential in getting this place as an investment and not much later, I was recomposing the layout to suit my family better.

With the help of a church friend, Sharon Chong from Exodus31 Design, the dingy old apartment with its tinted mirror paneling, glass block staircase and a kitchen which had definitely seen better days was converted into a hip new abode that we could really live in.

To cut the long story short, we literally pulled out everything old (except the floors which were in pretty good condition considering the rest of the place) and reconfigured the home to suit our needs, while giving it a light, airy feel.

So since I'm in a nostalgic moment, here's a picture of the dining room that was taken by photographer, Edward Hendricks for a local magazine, SquareRooms Jan 09 issue.

Cushion covers for the tulip chairs were made by me the night before the photo shoot

Tree of Love

Okay, so this has nothing to do with interiors but I just adore the love coming from this huge tree. 

Call me a dreamer but i find such beauty in the little things (especially in nature) and come across bits and bobs like this that just reminds me that the world is not such a bad place after all...

Ignore the date stamps pls! It was a new cam...

Love it!

Furnishing your home in Australia

READ this if you're about to start furniture shopping in Australia !!!

If you've recently purchased a property or are moving into a new unfurnished rental, you'll probably need to start furniture shopping if you haven't already started!

Unless you're going to shop at a bulk store (eg Ikea) that keeps a massive amt of stock ... most furniture pieces (eg. dining tables/ sofas etc) take 6 to 8 weeks to get made up!!!

Anything that's made in Australia will require this lead time and ordering imports from overseas (eg Europe) might take up to 3 to 4 months... so don't leave it to the last minute to go shopping!

As a general rule, it's best to shop for basics (eg dining table, dining chairs and sofas) as soon as possible. Work your way back 6 to 8 weeks and give yourself time to actually shop (eg 2 weeks). This means you should be shopping for furniture at least 10 weeks before and not just before you're going to move in!

Don't make the same mistake so many new homeowners or first time furniture buyers make.

My neighbour just told me she spent the whole day shopping for a sofa when she is actually moving into her new rental tomorrow!!! Wat?!!!

Now she's got to deal with being furniture-less for at least 2 months!

The earlier you get your orders done, the more prepared you'll be and in case there is a delay in getting the keys to your new place, most stores will be able to store furniture for you in their warehouse so long as you give them ample notice. (Double check this before you buy, to be sure)

*** It's always a good idea to buy AUSSIE-made so you can rest assured on the quality and do your bit to provide jobs for the community. That plus, longer warranties and better quality in general.