Walked with a friend on an icy trail we’ve cycled many times. Stopped for lunch at Malcolm Yards, a grown-up, cooked-from-scratch food court. The developers stabilized a ruined structure, and built a complementary industrial-style space within the facade.
Category: Create
Expanding the Repertoire
Afternoon chamber music concert at Orchestra Hall. The first half was European (that’s OK) and the second half grabbed my attention with pieces by two American women: edgy contemporary by Du Yun, (born in China), and more traditional by African American, Florence Price.
Designed to Impress
With temperatures hovering around 0°F it was a day to minimize outdoor activity. Rode the light rail to St. Paul with a friend. Warmed up in the Landmark Center where we peered into rooms, including the Chief Justice Room.
Socializing by Design
On my Minneapolis Skyway walk: an example of designing out antisocial behavior. Target recently redesigned this lobby to eliminate disruptive loitering. It seems to be working. The mural in my Monday post is another example: it’s discouraging graffiti.
Imagination at Work
On my walk, stopped to take in this $49 million development. Two crumbling buildings I’d thought were beyond hope were being incorporated into new construction. Last summer I noticed the white building had been temporarily moved to the road to make way for construction of underground parking.
No Longer Taken for Granted
It did my heart good to see school buses lined up outside the Guthrie Theater this morning. For a year and a half, during the early days of the pandemic, the building was lifeless. Tonight we’ll walk over to see Leo Kottke performing on the Thrust.
Not Just Another Coffee Shop
On my walk through the Minneapolis North Loop (Warehouse District) popped into recently opened Backstory Coffee Roasters. The former warehouse is stunning, complete with a green wall and historic artifacts from the former occupant, the Duffey Paper Company.
Beneath the Surface
Walked past a construction site, which got me thinking about Azuma House in a working class suburb of Osaka. I’d made a point of standing in front of that home last week: it raises questions; with answers I warm to it. “Like” or “Dislike” are not enough.
Tokyo Hike
Took the train to Asakusa, Tokyo, walked back until I ran out of time. Along the way it was my kind of urban hike: huge temple; buildings not intended to last (that’s OK); the only Le Corbusier building in east Asia (went in); stark transit infrastructure (love it); and the gardens of the Imperial Palace.
Teshima Art Island
Walked across Teshima, one of the “art islands” in the Seto Inland Sea, looking for art installations. At one point, sat on the floor in a vast concrete inside space while little rivulets of water slowly formed around me, only to “find” tiny drain holes. (Photography wasn’t allowed.)