ScaNdINavIa: Design Destinations
The Nordic marriage of form and function
in Stockholm, Norway and Finland
moderna museet
opera house
Where
to Go
Now
ham
sTockholM’s arT oslo’s archiTEcTurE hElsinki’s Fashion & dEcor
Art really is all around in Stockholm.
Since the 1950s, subway platforms in
the Swedish capital have been embel-
lished with mosaics and paintings to
transform a mundane commute into
an enjoyable experience. Touted as the
“world’s longest art exhibit,” the dis-
plays span 110 kilometres and cover
90 of the subway’s 100 stations.
Hop off at Kungsträdgården station
to pop into the equally impressive
Moderna Museet. The gallery houses
Swedish surrealist works and avant-
garde installations, alongside master-
pieces by Dali, Picasso and Warhol.
Artistic achievement need not
involve paint and canvas. Take in some
audio art at the ABBA Museum, a
shrine to Sweden’s revered pop band. Norway is the homeland of ancient
Vikings, but its architecture is thor-
oughly modern. Since the 1930s,
visionary architects have bent and
twisted the urban landscape. If you
arrive in Oslo by train (a five-hour ride
from Stockholm), you’ll pass by the
Barcode, a block of tall, narrow build-
ings erected to resemble the scannable
lines of a checkout code.
Closer to the harbour, you can lit-
erally walk on award-winning design.
You’ll feel like a kid climbing a jungle
gym as you stroll on the sloping, white
roof of the Opera House, which dips
down into clear water of the Oslofjord.
Public art surrounds you in the city:
Vigeland Park is lined with surreal
sculptures of babies behaving badly. Sweden specalizes in cheap-chic fur-
niture, but Finnish designers rule the
fashion world. Finland is home to that
purveyor of perky prints, Marimekko.
The popular printmaker has churned
out bold textiles since 1951. Today, it’s a
home decor staple the world over. The
Marimekko Factory Outlet is the top
spot for discounted fabrics.
At the HAM, a.k.a. the Helsinki Art
Museum, the mission is simple: “To
bring joy and boldness to the city.” It
often features fashion and decorative-
arts exhibits. And pop-up markets
near the museum sell everything from
hand-printed postcards to baby toys.
End your day with a Finnish sauna.
On the city’s waterfront, Löyly provides
a modern twist on the experience. »
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