see also
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Eat:
The Royal Swedish Opera
Stray no further than the four superb in-house restaurants: casual Bakfickan; the beautiful Jugendstil Operabaren, with traditional service; super-trendy Café Opera; or the classical French cuisine of Operakällaren.
Gustav Adolfs Torg
46/86-76-58-00
operakallaren.se
Hear:
The Royal Swedish Opera
The 2008 season gives (almost) equal weight to Puccini (three productions) and Wagner (the Ring Cycle, and Tristan).
Gustav Adolfs Torg
46/87-91-44-00
operan.se
Drottningholm
This inland island is easily reached by boat, bus, or subway from Stockholm. An hour’s ride on the Stadhusbron steamboat is also fun.
46/812-004-000
kstrommakanalbolaget.com
Eat:
Drottningholm's Vardus
A lovely traditional place across the street from the palace.
Malmbacken, 178–02
46/87-59-03-08
Hear:
Drottningholm's Slottsteater
The royal theater’s season runs May-August.
468/55-69-31-00
dtm.se
Nordic Design
The Scando-Finns love
their opera, but design is
in the blood. Here’s
what’s new up north.
COPENHAGEN
Anders Arhøj
Anders Arhøj, one ofthe city’s most distinctive graphic designers, has designed everything from children’s books to the interior of Denmark’s first tiki bar. This fall his latest T-shirt release, Avalon, will be a must-have.
Aaboulevard 9, 4TV
45/21-62-94-03
wovenflesh.com
Arken
This dramatic museum
of contemporary art just
outside Copenhagen
reopened in January
after two years of reno.
The additional 17,000
square feet include a
Damien Hirst room, and
(through January 11)
an exhibition of Scandinavian
and international
Surrealism.
Skovvej 100, Ishøj
45/43-54-02-22
arken.dk
Karriere
In a similar vein to New
York’s meatpacking
district, Copenhagen’s
meatpacking square,
Flaesketorvet, is now
a nighttime cultural hot
spot. This is largely
thanks to the success of
Karriere, artist Jeppe
Hein’s barresto, also a
gallery with work by such
stars as Olafur Eliasson.
Flaesketorvet , 57–67
45/33-21-55-09
karrierebar.com
Mohs Exhibit
Formerly known by
the more flippant name
of Doodletown, this
gallery shows work by
emerging artists, and
accordingly it’s in
the up-and-coming
Vesterbrogade area.
Valdemarsgade , 36
45/20-61-33-55
mohs.dk
Royal Danish Playhouse
Following the success
of the opera house, a
new Playhouse designed
by Danish architects
Boje Lundgaard and
Lene Tranberg opened
in February on the
opposite side of the
harbor. Like the opera,
it has a huge glass
facade that makes the
most of its waterfront
location.
Sankt Annæ Plads , 36
45/33-69-69-33
skuespilhus.dk
HELSINKI
Arabia Exhibition
The Finnish Design
Museum is staging
an exhibition on Arabia,
one of the country’s
most influential china
companies, founded
in 1873. Today its bestknown
products
include mugs decorated
with Moomins—the
hippo-like creatures
from the children’s
books by Tove Jansson.
October 17–January 18, 2009.
Korkeavuorenkatu , 23
358/96-22-05-40
designmuseum.fi
Archtours
If you really want to focus
on Nordic architecture,
Finnish travel agency
Archtours specializes in
tailor-made trips built
around architectural
themes, such as the life
and work of Alvar Aalto.
archtours.fi
Design District Helsinki
An organization that
promotes the 170 design
stores, galleries, antique
shops, and other places
of interest found on
25 streets in the center
of the city. Do check the
website, which regularly
profiles new stores.
designdistrict.fi
OSLO
Central Station
A competition to rebuild
the city’s central railway
station has been won by
a local company, Space
Group, with a stunning
design that suits the
company’s name. The
futuristic plans call for
soaring spaces to cope
with a doubling of traffic,
topped off with a huge
glass pyramid. Construction
will begin in 2013.
spacegroup.no
Norway Says
Since opening in 2002,
the firm Norway Says has
helped close the gap
between the Norwegian
design scene and that of
its Swedish and Danish
neighbors. Their store
has recently expanded
to the Web, making its
products like the well-known
plastic armchair
rocker more accessible.
Thv Meyersgate , 15
47/22-38-25-77
norwaysays.no
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