g and me went to see the alvar aalto exhibition at the barbican today for a breath of fresh air and some inspiration. it’s finnish architect aalto through the eyes of japanese architect (and aalto devotee) shigeru ban, both men too clever by half.

art galleries at lunch time on a work day are populated by strange societies made up of students (in this case all japanese), old ladies, and men of indeterminable age in ill-fitting trousers.

of aalto, i found some of the exteriors a bit foreboding but his attention to detail on interiors, including bespoke lighting designs, showed unexpected warmth. i took photos of my favourite light before someone told me i wasn’t supposed to, otherwise there would be pictures too of door handles, cartoon-big wheels on hostess trolleys from mr aalto, and endless paper structures from mr ban.

i said nobody concentrates quite so hard as japanese students. g said he’d like to live in one of the little scale models. special.

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