Nordic Museum architects selected
Nordic Museum architects selected: “The Nordic Heritage”
Located in Ballard, Seattle, USA, the Nordic Heritage is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to preserving the history of the five Nordic countries: Denmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; and Sweden.
With a rich history in Ballard, the museum was founded in 1979 with a mission to honor the Scandinavian immigrants who arrived in the Northwest in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Now a new Nordic Heritage Museum building planned to be built on Market Street of Ballard.
The design team includes Juhani Pallasmaa, a well known Finnish architect, and top exhibit designers, Andr/ and Associates from Victoria, British Columbia, known for their work at the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Jämtlands läns Museum in Sweden.
Pallasmaa, an architect, author and professor, has experience as a museum designer and museum director.
From Ballard News-Tribune
From Wikipedia:
Scandinavian Culture in Ballard
Historically Ballard is the traditional center of Seattle’s ethnically Scandinavian seafaring community, who were drawn to the area because of the salmon fishing opportunities.[23] In recent years the decline of the fishing industry has decreased the proportion of Scandinavian residents but the neighborhood is still proud of its heritage. Ballard is home to the Nordic Heritage Museum, which celebrates both the community of Ballard and the local Scandinavian history. Each year the community celebrates Norwegian Constitution Day (also called Syttendi Mai) on the 17th of May to commemorate the signing of the Norwegian Constitution.[24]
Locals still refer to the neighborhood as “Snoose Junction,” a reference to the old Scandinavian settlers’ practice of using snus.[25]
Walking in downtown Ballard much of the old flavor can still be seen as there are still many shops and Bakeries with a Scandinavian theme and some businesses hang out flags from the Scandinavian countries.
Link: The Nordic Heritage Museum
That’s fantastic news! I love the Nordic Heritage Museum, and have visited it many times. The location will remind people of Seattle’s ethnic heritage. The Scandinavian essence of Ballard is shrinking, and this new location on Market Street will do much to revive it and expand the Nordic Heritage Museum’s membership.
Thanks for this wonderful story.
Comment by Countess Jeanne — February 13, 2008 @ 5:31 am
So you live in Seattle area? That’s really good news for you, since this building will be designed by team managed by Juhani Pallasmaa, your town will get an architectural pearl – Juhani is well-known here in Helsinki for his Kamppi shopping centre, it’s a real gem!
Comment by Igor Polyakov — February 13, 2008 @ 9:19 am
Hello, Igor. No, I don’t live in Seattle, but we may visit again in the future–after the new museum space is finished! I’m so glad that a Finnish person, Mr Pallasmaa, was given the job. And, we have visited the fantastic Kamppi shopping center.
Finnish design has always been cutting-edge and individualistic.
My family (Swedes and Swedish Finns) was very close with the late founder of Marimekko. Back to Ballard–the new museum will be very exciting.
Sisu!
Comment by Countess Jeanne — February 13, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
I am so exited to see how is small yet fascinating our world! You live on another side of the earth and have connections with place where I am… Fantastic! I have heard that biggest Finnish communities residing in Florida, is it a true, and do you know about another places where they tend to live? I asking you because I have some idea for the blog article.
Comment by Igor Polyakov — February 13, 2008 @ 8:41 pm
Hei, Igor! The Finns in United States live in the very snowy Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is sometimes called the Finnish-American Woods; Lake Worth Florida (where lots of them go for the winter), and some of them settled in both Seattle and Astoria, Oregon. My mother was a historian who worked with Finnish universities and museums, and I learned much from her about Finns in the U.S. The highest concentration of them are in the Houghton-Hancock area of U.P. Michigan. It is situated on birch-tree lined Lake Superior, which becomes a frozen fresh-water sea in the winter. Almost everyone there has sauna. Now that travel is more accessible to people, Finns move about from the U.S. to Finland, and vice-versa with head-spinning regularity. You’re right. What a wonderful, small world it has become, indeed.
Sisu!
Comment by Countess Jeanne — February 14, 2008 @ 4:44 am
Thanks Jeanne for such detailed information, it was really interesting to know. Now I’ll dig through Internet basing on your information, maybe I’ll find related resources. I guess that such article will be on interest for NDB readers.
Comment by Igor Polyakov — February 14, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
Hei hei Igor!
Here is a link to the google results for “Houghton Hancock Finns”:
http://www.google.com/search?q=houghton+hancock+finns&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7HPIA
Kiitos for the beautifuly designed link!
~~Jeanne
Comment by Countess Jeanne — February 14, 2008 @ 4:56 pm