Maison Borella

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

During my recent trip to Milan for the pre-fall 2016 re-sees, I’ve stayed at the Maison Borella. This hotel literally makes you feel like at home. The cozy atmosphere of the Naviglio Grande district is already close to my heart – and when I saw the peaceful, all-green patio, I felt instantly that this is my favourite hotel in Milan from all I’ve been to. In a former balustrade townhouse, Maison Borella is kept in a stylish, Italian manner – eclectic lobby filled with beautiful flea-market finds and charming, minimally furnished rooms with original wooden ceilings have this modern “vintage” aesthetic I love so much. In fact, I would love to live in a place like this, having a wonderful view on the patio every morning…

Alzaia Naviglio Grande 8 / Milano

Photographs courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

Fondazione Prada

October 17, 2015January 7, 2020 | Design & Culture by Ed

“Haunted Tower”

Fondazione Prada is Milan’s most exciting place, where curated art meets architecture and its past. The creator of Fondazione Prada is, as the name might suggest, Miuccia Prada, whose love to art is as strong as to fashion. This is not an average, contemporary art museum – Fondazione fuses visual appreciation with intellectual pleasure – everything that happens here, from silent dance performances to temporary exhibitions, feels bonded together. The “Haunted House” covered with gold and the whole Fondazione Prada site is part of a former distillery complex dating back to the 1910s.

Without transforming the original volumes, the architecture project has preserved and enhanced the building by reinforcing the structure and gilding its external surface. As stated by Rem Koolhaas, the architect behind the museum, “Fondazione is not a preservation project and not a new architecture. Two conditions that are usually kept separate here confront each other in a state of permanent interaction–offering an ensemble of fragments that will not congeal into a single image, or allow any part to dominate the others. New, old, horizontal, vertical, wide, narrow, white, black, open, enclosed–all these contrasts establish the range of oppositions that define the new Fondazione. By introducing so many spatial variables, the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming, where art and architecture will benefit from each other’s challenges”. Permanently, Fondazione Prada exhibits Louis Bourgeois‘s metaphysical installations, Robert Gober‘s eerie and surreal artworks. As part of the temporary exhibition, it’s essential to see Damien Hirst‘s “Trittico“, which literally presents a gynecologist chair immersed in a huge, fish-filled aquarium.

After few hours of discovering and learning about Fondazione Prada’s treasures, it’s a great idea to have cup of coffee at Bar Luce, which was designed by Wes Anderson, the famous director of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – the pastel green wallpapers and delicious, marmalade cupcakes certainly give the caffè a status of the best museum cafeteria in the world. If you are planning a visit to Milan, then don’t even try to miss Fondazione Prada on your go-to list!

Via Largo Isarco 2 / Milan

Motorcycle Trip. AF Vandevorst SS16

October 5, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

A lineup of 25-strong muscle bikes appeared backstage – Harleys and Triumphs surrounded the Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes a few days ago in Paris. One thing was sure before the show started – this collection will be a fast ride. A.F. Vandevorst and their spring-summer 2016 attitude is literally about the biker girl, her wardrobe and her gang. An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx explained pre-show: “It’s a road trip by a woman who lives in the East and has traveled to the West.” Hence the beautifully embroidered dresses and embellished details, that give an orient-spirited impression. The idea of mixing the hand-made craftsmanship with leather biker jackets and heavy textiles is not only deeply rooted in A.F. Vandevorst’s inspirations, that are brought from their exotic trips – also, it’s their deep love for rock & roll. By looking at this great collection, you have a feeling that the Vandevorst woman is not the one to mess with – however, she is ready for adventures that await her in the future.

Ora Berlin

August 19, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Kreuzberg is becoming Berlin‘s most creative district. A former pharmacy is situated on the peaceful Oranienplatz, which one day became the most beautiful restaurant of the German capital – ORA. With the original cabinets de curiosities, wooden shelves and marble counters from the past, the restaurant serves refreshing summer cuisine (unfortunately we didn’t have any time left to try it out) and delicious coffee with home-made apfelstrüdel. However, the atmospheric and truly romantic interior makes this restaurant not only a place to “EAT”, but also to “BE”. And definitely I am going to try out their signature gazpacho next time.

Oranienplatz 14 / Berlin

Baltic Summer

July 28, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Polish Baltic Sea is usually underestimated by Poles, however it is full of truly unique places and experiences. Take the Palace of Ciekocinko – here everything is on a high level. Starting from the building’s furnishing to palace restaurant, the rustling of close-woven curtains, the rays of the sun coming down the secession wallpapers, in the same colours as 100 years ago in Bradbury & Bradbury factory in California’s San Francisco. Staying here is like being in a beautiful fairy-tale.

The we’ve got the sandy, wild beach. Clear water. Blue sky. Dreamy but real, too!

Metamorfoza in Gdansk is one of the most extraordinary restaurant in Northern Poland. The chief of this restaurant fuses tradition with innovation – he chooses local suppliers and makes all the dishes look cosmic. And what’s interesting, he uses a lot of ingredients that are rather avoided in other kitchens. Leaves of sorrel are almost everywhere while ants are used in the dessert. But the taste stays always the same – slightly confusing, but good.

Piwna 47 is a brand new restaurant in the heart of Gdansk. Their octopus carpaccio is delightful. While the beef steak with sweet potatos is must-try for a couple.

Eating wild salmon is rare in Poland, but in Debki it is absolutely possible. And the taste of wild, smoked salmon makes you nearly hate all that salmon you buy in the supermarkets. The taste is very delicate and fragile and at the same time and you don’t feel the insistent aftertaste of smoking process.

Should I add something to my list? Definitely the beauty of Gdansk‘s seaport.