Wenche Selmer, Houses at the Oslo Suburbs

May - June 2013

Wenche Selmer (1920-1998), an unpretentious master, a modern interpreter of the Norwegian tradition. Here, "the suburbs" are where the hill rises and the city merges with the wood. Houses where people live. I shake off my diffidence, I ring the bell, they let me in. Inside, I do not take any pictures, I just ask and listen. The house at the moose trail (1967) has a new owner. In another house (1974), a photographer still lives and works.

There is a monography of Selmer by Elisabeth Tostrup, a smart lady I have met at AHO. The English edition is called Norwegian Wood.

Jørn Utzon, Middelboe House, Holte, 1953

May 2013

A spring evening. We cross an empty lot and the house is in front of us. We eye around, a man from the neighbouring garden approaches us. A natural visual control. We are interseted in architecture, say we . Go have a look from the other side, too, says the neighbour. We walk around the water and really, this is the best view. The Furesø lake ends here and a small river flows out of it - a favourite route of trip boats. Utzon has put the living space in the upper floor so that the trippers do not peek in the windows.

Jarní večer. Projdeme přes prázdný pozemek a skrz živý plot a dům je před námi. Okukujeme, na sousední zahradě se k nám blíží muž. Přirozená sousedská kontrola. Zajímá nás architektura, říkáme. Běžte taky z druhé strany, říká soused. Obcházíme vodu a opravdu: je to nejlepší pohled. Jezero Furesø tu končí, vytéká z něj říčka, oblíbená trasa výletních lodí. Utzon umístil obytné prostory do patra, aby jim výletníci nekoukali přímo do oken.