Ambassador’s Journal: November 20, 2009

Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:59:43 +0000

My wife, Cody, and I try to travel around Finland as often as we can and although we have already been to many places outside of Helsinki and have lots of trip planned for the future, work keeps us here in the capital city a great deal of the time. Accordingly, every week we try to explore some lesser known treasure of Helsinki. So a few days ago Cody arranged a tour of the Sohlberg house museum which is a part of the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation. (Sakari was a justice of the Supreme Court, and his wife Päivikki, a referendary counsellor.) The foundation sponsors medical science and health care in Finland through generous grants. But it also preserves the large and wonderful apartment that was the Sohlberg home.

So off we went with the Spanish Ambassador, H.E. Ricardo Zalacain and his wife, Monica Espinos, Heidi Day (of the U.S. Embassy) and Octavian Balea (a photographer friend). The tour was lovely and fascinating – a real look into the private world of some important citizens whose lives covered a significant portion of the 20th century.

Ambassador’s Journal: November 18, 2009

Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:47:09 +0000

Several weeks ago my wife and I spent a rainy afternoon at the terrific Suomen Rakennustaiteen Museo, the Museum of Finnish Architecture. Finns are renown for a long history of innovation and beautiful architecture and that proud and on-going achievement is captured in the exhibitions and library of the museum. I highly recommend this wonderful museum for everyone who wants to know more about the art of the built environment. (And yes, for those looking for just the right gift, they also have a first rate book and gift shop!)

Historic preservation has been a long time personal passion. And for the last decade both my wife and I have been very active in energy efficient and sustainable building practices. (Although I will leave a detailed discussion for a future journal entry, these principals are fully compatible with beautiful design.) At any rate, we invited the museum director, Severi Blomstedt, and his friend and longtime Helsinki resident, the British born architect and author, Jonathan Moorhouse for lunch at the Embassy. What was scheduled for an hour drifted into over two hours as we discussed a century of Finnish architecture. Wonderful conversation and the start of what will be great friendships!

With Severi Blomstedt and Jonathan Moorhouse

Helsinki Dipblog » Architecture

Ambassador’s Journal: November 20, 2009

Ambassador’s Journal: November 18, 2009