Above the Bread Line

Claudio Silvestrin Architects, the team behind our very own Lux 11 hotel in Berlin, are also behind the stunning Princi bakeries in London and Milan.  Claudio recently completed his third Princi bakery on Via Speronia, in the heart of Milan.

The elements involved in the making of the bread – water, air, earth and fire – are strongly present in this work of rigorous geometry and pure, natural materials. Sand-coloured porphyry stone features throughout, with rough porphyry used to texture the wall that faces the stretched 19 meter-long bronze counter.  The roughness is softened by the gentle features of a waterfall and by seven candles, which are placed inside the wall, while recessed spotlights, positioned in the ceiling, illuminate only the bread.  A simple expanse of clear glass is all that separates the customers from the baking process, protecting them from the considerable heat of the exposed fire.

I can’t vouch for the quality of the food in Milan, but during a recent wander around London, I had the chance to sample a little of what is on offer at Princi’s on Wardour Street and damn was it good.  Princi’s serves scrumptious baked goods such as its signature olive bread, alongside hot pasta dishes like spaghetti and lasagna.

Check out some more images of the bakery below, and then head over to our website to see Claudio’s work at Lux 11 in Berlin.

Late night culture

Long Night of the Museums, Berlin

When was the last time you were in a museum at one in the morning?

What’s that…never?

The Long Night of the Museums (29th August, 18:00 – 02:00) in Berlin means: enjoying the tropical summer of Berlin, then getting your culture on late into the night, and still having time to discover one of Europe’s hottest night scenes.

Museums and galleries across the city open their doors late into the night, offering guests an all-you-can-see buffet-style evening of exhibitions, guided tours and special events. A special shuttle service operates on several different routes, allowing you to visit even the most out-of-the-way attractions.

In line with the project “20 Jahre Mauerfall” (“20 Years since the Fall of the Wall”), all venues participating in the 25^th Long Night will be offering their own responses to the central theme of the event: how Berlin’s museum landscape has changed since Germany’s reunification.

For more info on the event, visit Kultur Projekte Berlin.

For rooms starting at € 135 per night in the centre of Mitte, check out the Lux 11 hotel (the rate even includes an exclusive shopping card with 15% discount off your purchases  in the adidas Originals store Berlin).

The magic of Pulp

Parapu chair Claesson Koivisto Rune by Inhabitat, on Flickr

The Swedish design crew behind the new Hotel Skeppsholmen, Claesson Koivisto Rune have, according to my new favourite blog – Lost at E Minor, come up with a biodegradable environmentally friendly chair.

A little bit of research (alright…a few clicks) reveals that the colorful children’s chairs which can be stacked together were created in collaboration with Sweden’s PulpLab for April’s Zona Tortona in Milan.

Check out the Hotel Skeppsholmen here for more of Claesson, Koivisto and Rune’s work.

Stockholm’s Culture Festival

Photo: Karin Nilsson

Between the 11 – 16 August Stockholm will be pulsating with a vibrant combination of culture and festivities.  Following its launch in 2006, the Cultural Festival of Stockholm quickly became a regular event and has won critical acclaim from both Stockholm residents and visitors.

The 500 high quality, easily accessible events on the programme offer innovation, breadth and variety, attracting some 300,000 visitors annually.

The city’s streets and squares host a dynamic blend of music and entertainment: world music, jazz, opera, classical music, pop, rock, soul, stand-up comedy, children & family events, authors, street art, drama, the world’s biggest book table, city walks, film, the VIVA! carnival, art, dance, photography and visiting international performers.

Admission is free to 99% of the festival.

For more details on the event, visit the Stockholm Cultural Festival website.

Need a place to stay?  The Hotel J in Nacka Strand has some rooms available.  Contact the Hotel J directly here.