Swedish details
The House of Art in České Budějovice has prepared an exhibition for this May featuring the duo of Swedish architects Tham & Videgård, who have been collaborating for over two decades in the Stockholm area and represent the best example of the direction Scandinavian architecture is taking today.
From a Central European perspective, contemporary Scandinavian creation may blend into a uniform block of high standard of living and quality architecture countries, which is largely true, but in order to understand this success, one must look at these countries individually and in broader contexts. While the Danish scene remains tied to the European continent and influenced by star Dutch architects with iconic desires, Finland humbly lies at the opposite pole, where architecture did not exist a century ago and began to form with the arrival of Alvar Aalto, who managed to give modernism a human face and gently connect buildings with the surrounding landscape. Both the Norwegian and Icelandic scenes owe much to their natural wealth. Contemporary Swedish architects find themselves precisely on the borderline of the Scandinavian climate. On one hand, they can document a continuous historical trail, and at the same time, they must cope with the harsh northern conditions. Swedish architects draw on their rich traditions and benefit from the beauty of the endless landscape. A small population occupying vast lands must deal with solitude in the midst of nature. While Finnish modernists set sail at the beginning of the last century into the waters of international style, Swedish architects led by Gunnar Asplund or Sigurd Lewerentz could firmly lean on traditions. Their work did not merge with the interwar avant-garde and served as inspiration for the budding Tham and Videgård.
Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård were both born in Stockholm and graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology in the 1990s. Even during their studies, they collaborated on smaller projects, and right after school, they established their own architectural firm. However, they soon realized that starting an independent practice at the beginning of an economic recession was not the best idea. The 1990s in Sweden were rather sleepy, and finding decent employment was difficult. The construction market was divided among large offices, and it was hard for young architects to make their mark. Tham and Videgård, however, did not want to design only for the drawer. They immediately began to build and learn on-site. Through direct experience, they constructed several small family homes. Although these early projects were made with a limited budget, Tham and Videgård always managed to offer a rich spatial and sensory experience. Cheap materials did not hinder their achievement of perfection. Martin Videgård, who also studied interior design at Konstfack University, often uses design icons from Alvar Aalto or Arne Jacobsen when designing layouts, but when given the opportunity, they enjoy designing interiors down to the finest detail, including custom light fixtures, furniture, or door handles.
Over time, Tham & Videgård have also succeeded in large architectural competitions for public buildings that communicate with historical urban fabric. Simultaneously, they managed to complete the university where they studied, thus influencing the upcoming generation of Swedish architects with their design.
Leading Finnish architectural theorist Juhani Pallasmaa describes the work of Tham & Videgård as “sensually rational.” This apparent contradiction has a simple justification. Today, architecture is at risk of becoming a mere tool or, conversely, an object of aesthetic fetishization. On one side, there is economic calculation; on the other, you are manipulated by emptied forms. Tham & Videgård skillfully balance on this edge between instrumentalization and aestheticization. They take a bit from each side as needed. They strive to meet functional requirements while ensuring there is ample room for celebration and enjoyment of the object.
In seeking a key to understanding the work of Tham & Videgård, we can refer to Heidegger's essay "Building Dwells Poetic," where the philosopher accuses humanity of relying too much on scientific progress and neglecting real perception of the world with deeper experiences that architecture can provide through haptic perception of surfaces, materials, and atmospheres. The architect can be someone who brings this poetic world closer to people. It often happens that inhabitants in their perfect minimalist interiors wander rather than dwell. In contrast, Scandinavians can populate even inhospitable northern wastelands with their warm interiors.
In searching for another parallel, we must travel back two thousand years, when Marcus Vitruvius Pollio formulated a simple principle that the structure of a building must be durable, useful, and beautiful. These basic qualities have been deprived of beauty over the past century, as functionalists were unable to measure or objectively assess it. They turned beauty into a useless weakness. Today, we again understand the design process in its full breadth, where everyday joys cannot be overlooked.
Tham & Videgård create today and here but understand the temporal transcendence of buildings, where they must respond to the needs of future generations on historical foundations. This dilemma is the driving force behind every timeless architecture that ultimately succeeds in freeing itself from stylistic categorization.
An important aspect of Tham & Videgård is the context of the given place, specifically the environment of Stockholm and its surroundings. The plot is one of the main determining elements. The resulting objects are not tied to the place, and at the same time, they cannot stand anywhere else. Their houses only lightly touch the site and can be easily removed without leaving the slightest trace. This is a good example of Scandinavian humility towards the environment. Tham & Videgård build with the same logic as their ancestors did many centuries ago. Unlike global stars who reinforce their ego with buildings, Swedish architects do not feel the need to stand out from their surroundings. They feel much better when their design perfectly blends with the environment. Often, one might overlook their buildings from a distance. Their houses adapt in color to nature and do not attract attention. Swedish architects have learned to find beauty in inexpensive materials. They discover how little it takes for someone to calmly reside in a secluded place while lacking nothing. Alongside traditional approaches and the creation of the subconscious, a closer study of the projects of Tham & Videgård reveals experimental explorations of new types of layouts, living methods, and spatial experiences.
The life and work of Tham & Videgård is closely linked to the Gulf of Bothnia, but their humility towards place, material, and client wishes are easily transferable to our environment.
Tham & Videgård Arkitekter – in Detail
Gallery of Contemporary Art and Architecture
House of Art of the City of České Budějovice
May 4 – June 3, 2018
Published in the May issue of the magazine Milk & Honey
From a Central European perspective, contemporary Scandinavian creation may blend into a uniform block of high standard of living and quality architecture countries, which is largely true, but in order to understand this success, one must look at these countries individually and in broader contexts. While the Danish scene remains tied to the European continent and influenced by star Dutch architects with iconic desires, Finland humbly lies at the opposite pole, where architecture did not exist a century ago and began to form with the arrival of Alvar Aalto, who managed to give modernism a human face and gently connect buildings with the surrounding landscape. Both the Norwegian and Icelandic scenes owe much to their natural wealth. Contemporary Swedish architects find themselves precisely on the borderline of the Scandinavian climate. On one hand, they can document a continuous historical trail, and at the same time, they must cope with the harsh northern conditions. Swedish architects draw on their rich traditions and benefit from the beauty of the endless landscape. A small population occupying vast lands must deal with solitude in the midst of nature. While Finnish modernists set sail at the beginning of the last century into the waters of international style, Swedish architects led by Gunnar Asplund or Sigurd Lewerentz could firmly lean on traditions. Their work did not merge with the interwar avant-garde and served as inspiration for the budding Tham and Videgård.
Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård were both born in Stockholm and graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology in the 1990s. Even during their studies, they collaborated on smaller projects, and right after school, they established their own architectural firm. However, they soon realized that starting an independent practice at the beginning of an economic recession was not the best idea. The 1990s in Sweden were rather sleepy, and finding decent employment was difficult. The construction market was divided among large offices, and it was hard for young architects to make their mark. Tham and Videgård, however, did not want to design only for the drawer. They immediately began to build and learn on-site. Through direct experience, they constructed several small family homes. Although these early projects were made with a limited budget, Tham and Videgård always managed to offer a rich spatial and sensory experience. Cheap materials did not hinder their achievement of perfection. Martin Videgård, who also studied interior design at Konstfack University, often uses design icons from Alvar Aalto or Arne Jacobsen when designing layouts, but when given the opportunity, they enjoy designing interiors down to the finest detail, including custom light fixtures, furniture, or door handles.
Over time, Tham & Videgård have also succeeded in large architectural competitions for public buildings that communicate with historical urban fabric. Simultaneously, they managed to complete the university where they studied, thus influencing the upcoming generation of Swedish architects with their design.
Leading Finnish architectural theorist Juhani Pallasmaa describes the work of Tham & Videgård as “sensually rational.” This apparent contradiction has a simple justification. Today, architecture is at risk of becoming a mere tool or, conversely, an object of aesthetic fetishization. On one side, there is economic calculation; on the other, you are manipulated by emptied forms. Tham & Videgård skillfully balance on this edge between instrumentalization and aestheticization. They take a bit from each side as needed. They strive to meet functional requirements while ensuring there is ample room for celebration and enjoyment of the object.
In seeking a key to understanding the work of Tham & Videgård, we can refer to Heidegger's essay "Building Dwells Poetic," where the philosopher accuses humanity of relying too much on scientific progress and neglecting real perception of the world with deeper experiences that architecture can provide through haptic perception of surfaces, materials, and atmospheres. The architect can be someone who brings this poetic world closer to people. It often happens that inhabitants in their perfect minimalist interiors wander rather than dwell. In contrast, Scandinavians can populate even inhospitable northern wastelands with their warm interiors.
In searching for another parallel, we must travel back two thousand years, when Marcus Vitruvius Pollio formulated a simple principle that the structure of a building must be durable, useful, and beautiful. These basic qualities have been deprived of beauty over the past century, as functionalists were unable to measure or objectively assess it. They turned beauty into a useless weakness. Today, we again understand the design process in its full breadth, where everyday joys cannot be overlooked.
Tham & Videgård create today and here but understand the temporal transcendence of buildings, where they must respond to the needs of future generations on historical foundations. This dilemma is the driving force behind every timeless architecture that ultimately succeeds in freeing itself from stylistic categorization.
An important aspect of Tham & Videgård is the context of the given place, specifically the environment of Stockholm and its surroundings. The plot is one of the main determining elements. The resulting objects are not tied to the place, and at the same time, they cannot stand anywhere else. Their houses only lightly touch the site and can be easily removed without leaving the slightest trace. This is a good example of Scandinavian humility towards the environment. Tham & Videgård build with the same logic as their ancestors did many centuries ago. Unlike global stars who reinforce their ego with buildings, Swedish architects do not feel the need to stand out from their surroundings. They feel much better when their design perfectly blends with the environment. Often, one might overlook their buildings from a distance. Their houses adapt in color to nature and do not attract attention. Swedish architects have learned to find beauty in inexpensive materials. They discover how little it takes for someone to calmly reside in a secluded place while lacking nothing. Alongside traditional approaches and the creation of the subconscious, a closer study of the projects of Tham & Videgård reveals experimental explorations of new types of layouts, living methods, and spatial experiences.
The life and work of Tham & Videgård is closely linked to the Gulf of Bothnia, but their humility towards place, material, and client wishes are easily transferable to our environment.
Tham & Videgård Arkitekter – in Detail
Gallery of Contemporary Art and Architecture
House of Art of the City of České Budějovice
May 4 – June 3, 2018
Published in the May issue of the magazine Milk & Honey
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