Vienna
I spent the second half of my travel break this semester in Vienna, Austria. I was visiting my mom’s friend Nicola and she was such a great hostess! I love getting to see cities from a local’s perspective. I got a public transportation pass and spent the days exploring the city while Nicola was at work. From trying to see as many Adolf Loos buildings as I could, to getting icecream on Neubaugasse, I really enjoyed Vienna.
Schönbrunn Palace
The park around Schönbrunn palace was so beautiful. I didn’t go inside the palace but I did walk around the garden and up the hill.
Wotrubakirche
Nicola took me to see this incredible church just outside Vienna. It’s unlike any other building I’ve seen in real life. A little bit Stonehenge, a little bit second year architecture student model, it was designed by Fritz Gerhard Mayr in the 1970s.
Palmenhaus
Nicola and I went to this adorable little cafe in a palm house and had the most delicious tea and cake!
Hundertwasser House
Another random architectural pilgrimage I went on was to the Hundertwasser House. There were tourists everywhere taking selfies but it was a really interesting building and I’m glad I got to see it in real life.
Vienna Opera House
I saw the outside of the Vienna Opera House with Nicola and it was so beautiful. I went to a classical music concert at the Musikverein, but I totally forgot to take a picture! I got a ticket in the standing section for only 5 euros! It was an incredible experience and I would advise anyone visiting Vienna to go. At first, it’s really crowded and uncomfortable but after intermission, a lot of the tourists leave and you can get a better view. Wear comfortable shoes though, it’s a long time to be standing!
Vienna University
Zaha Hadid Architects designed this library for Vienna University. The entire campus is very new with lots of modern architecture and it was fun to see a Zaha building, it was just as crazy as I would’ve expected with lots of angles and curves.
Leopold Museum
Museum Quarter in Vienna has a lot of wonderful museums. I visited the Leopold Museum and Architekturzentrum Wien (the Vienna Architecture Center) which had an exhibition about Denise Scott Brown.
Gasometer
This unique adaptive reuse project converted four former gas tanks from the 1890s into a mixed use residential and commercial center. The brick facades were beautiful and so unique.
Erste Campus
There are hidden architectural gems all over Vienna! Another one to visit if you’re nearby is the Erste Campus.
Belvedere Gardens
Beautiful sunset at the Belvedere Gardens. I loved my time in Vienna and thought it was such a beautiful and livable city.
If walls could dream… they’d dream of a city full of palaces and beautiful architecture! And pretzels!
Toast?
I had been wondering why toast is so expensive and such a big deal here. I know that Denmark is famous for its open faced sandwiches called smørrebrød (and it’s probably offensive to call smørrebrød toast), but I wasn’t sure what the hype around toast was. Until today.
The church I go to has an open cafe after the service where they sell a little meal, usually hot dogs or waffles or something like that, and drinks. Today they were selling toast. I thought it was kind of boring that they were just selling toast but I decided to check it out anyways.
I found out that “toast” actually means a grilled cheese! And usually grilled cheese with ham too. Isn’t language funny. So if you order “toast” in Denmark, you’ll get a grilled cheese, but in order to get toast, you’d have to order a smørrebrød!
I was talking with a Danish friend about this and he thought it was funny we call it a grilled cheese because from the name, he would expect it to just be cheese, without bread. I guess it’s short for a “grilled cheese sandwich” which would be a cheese sandwich that was grilled.
My final question is, what do Danes call a single slice of bread toasted with butter and/or jam? Upon asking another Danish friend, I discovered that it’s a very complicated question to answer. Toasted bread is called “ristet toastbrød” (literally: grilled toast bread). If you put butter on it, it becomes ristet toastbrød med smør (grilled toast bread with butter).
Are you just as confused as I am? Here’s a handy chart:
If you’ve read this far you must either be really into toast etymology, or really hungry, or both! So go make yourself a grilled cheese or a smørrebrød or a toast. Whatever you want to call it, I think we can all agree that it’s delicious!
Another quirky story about cheese sandwiches before I leave you. On my study tour in the Netherlands this semester, we had to catch a really early bus and we didn’t have time to get breakfast so our hotel made us breakfast packs which was super nice of them but it was the most random food! We all got sandwiches with three slices of bread… Not sure if it was supposed to be three toasts or a sandwich and a toast or just a really big sandwich… and a capri sun and an apple!
If walls could dream… they’d dream of toast!
Copenhagen Zoo
It’s spring at the Copenhagen Zoo and there are plenty of adorable baby animals to see!
The baby polar bear definitely stole the show!
Look closely, can you see the joey in this momma kangaroo’s pouch?
These lion cubs are a triple threat!
There were also plenty of adorable human babies in their cute little snowsuits!
No red panda babies, but the adults are just as cute!
If walls could dream… they’d dream of visiting the zoo!
Fastelavn
Fastelavn is a Scandinavian holiday the Sunday before Lent. It’s kind of like Halloween in that kids dress up in costumes but they hit a pinata for candy instead of going trick or treating. My favorite thing about Fastelavn, however, is the special pastry that is only available this time of year: the fastelavnsboller! Traditionally, it is a sweet roll filled with creme and topped with chocolate, but bakeries today have many flavor variations. I set out on a mission to find the best fastelavnsboller in Copenhagen!
In third place is Emmery’s. This organic fastelavnsboller had a delicious apple filling. It wasn’t too expensive, especially with my student discount!
In second place is Lagkagehuset. This raspberry fastelavnsboller had a flakey croissant exterior and a creamy, fruity filling. It was the messiest to eat and also the most expensive!
And the winner is…. Sankt Peder’s! This traditional fastelavnsboller had a sweet creme filling inside a soft bun topped with decadent chocolate. It was also the cheapest of the three, so it gets bonus points there!
If walls could dream… they’d dream of Faselavn celebrations!
Haikus for Copenhagen
Hygge shall it be
On the streets of Tivoli
Go there and you'll see!
Navy's out to sea
Tourists buzz like a bee
It's a star, you see?
It's where you'll find me
In the garden 'neath a tree
When the sun's shiny!
Singing with Gruntvig
Arches as tall as a tree
Bonus tip: it's free!
It's old and rusty
And smells a little musty
But it's a must-see.
Standing by the sea
Rotating for you and me
Electricity.
If walls could dream... well...
On haikus their thoughts might dwell
As asleep they fell
Langelinie Restaurant Design
My architecture studio project for my fall semester at DIS Copenhagen was to design a restaurant on the Langelinie pier.
The main idea for my design is a long ramp-like roof that allows people to hang out in the sun (in the summer) so that no public space is lost in making this restaurant. Tucked under the ramp/roof is a small icecream stand, bike parking, public restrooms, and the main restaurant.
One thing I played with in this design was the rhythm of the built elements. Taking ques from the Barcelona Pavilion and Myyrmäki Church, I arranged the walls and ceilings under the ramp/roof in an almost haphazard way, creating a variety of different unique spaces. If this building were a piece of music, the ramp/roof would be the steady beat and the restaurant walls/ceilings would be the varying melody.
I had one of the most fun and memorable studios ever this semester thanks to the wonderful people in my studio and our amazing professor, Søren. I learned a lot this semester. My watercoloring improved a bunch. I learned how big a meter is. But most of all, I learned how to let go of my expectations for the end result and trust the process the get me there. I don’t know how to explain it really, but I’m not as intimidated by a blank piece of paper and not so worried about making mistakes.
Me, Vi, Theresa, our professor Søren, Patrick, Eric,
Navaya, Ally, Annie, and Clancey (not pictured)
If walls could dream… they’d dream of sunny summer days at Langelinie pier.
Heidelberg Castle
I think Heidelberg is my favorite castle that I visited in Germany. It had beautiful architecture, lots of interesting stories and fun facts, and had a nice ratio of castle to ruin.
This facade in the castle was designed with sculptures of the royal family to show the family’s power.
Frederick V married an English princess named Elizabeth and to impress her, he built a round theater, like the Globe theater, at Heidelberg Castle. What’s left of the theater can be seen on the left side of this photo.
I love how layered this castle is. It’s obvious that it was built over time in a variety of styles. However, it is all united in a similar red stone color. I’m sure these walls have lots of stories to tell!
Castle toilets were originally built overhanging the exterior wall so that the waste would fall directly into the moat!
Hohenecken Castle Ruins
There are castle ruins everywhere in Germany. These ruins were a short drive from the Byroms’ house and after a quick hike up a hill, we arrived at this cool old castle. It’s amazing to think about what it would’ve been like in its heyday.
This part of the castle had the knights’ hall on the first floor and the chapel on the second floor. In the back corner was the kitchen.
This castle was built in the 1200’s, altered and extended in the 1500’s, and destroyed by the French in 1688/89 during the war of palatine succession. It’s made of local red sandstone.
I was amazed at the variety of windows in the castle. Some of the windows even had a stone seat on the inside.
The view from the kitchen to the courtyard. There was a huge fireplace on the opposite wall.
If walls could dream… they’d dream of 800 year old castles that are still standing!
Interlaken, Switzerland
After visiting Neuschwanstein, the Byroms and I went on a road trip to Interlaken, Switzerland for New Years. It was such a beautiful drive!
Interlaken was a cute little town along the river between two lakes. There were a lot of fancy shops and restaurants in town and even an iceskating rink!
We spent New Years ice skating and playing board games. The next morning, we drove back to the Byrom’s house and stopped at two super cute Swiss towns along the way: Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Grindelwald was a really beautiful ski town in the mountains of Switzerland. I’m sure in the summer there’s great hiking.
Lauterbrunnen
There are 72 waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen valley! Everywhere you looked, there was a waterfall. It was like Yosemite but without Half Dome.
The most famous of the waterfalls is Staubbach Falls, which drops almost 300m into the valley. In the summer, you can walk up to the base of it!
If walls could dream… they’d dream of 72 waterfalls.
Bacharach
I visited Bacharach with the Byroms and it was such a cute little town! I would definitely recommend stopping there if you’re ever in the area. The “downtown” area had a bunch of old historic houses and then there was a castle and some really cool church ruins up the hill (pro tip: drive up to the top and park at the hostel so you don’t have to climb a million stairs!)
Stahleck Castle
The castle is converted to a hostel now which is super cool. You’re allowed to walk into the courtyard even if you aren’t staying there. It is a super cool mix of stone ruin and traditional wood construction and the view was incredible.
Ruine Wernerkapelle
This was one of the coolest ruins I’ve seen. Halfway between the town and the hilltop castle, the ruins of a gothic church sit hauntingly beautiful.
We ended the day trip with some delicious apple strudel!
If walls could dream… they’d dream of abandoned gothic church ruins.