Shopping is one of Europe’s first interior shopping centers ever built. This mid-century gem is hidden away in the cold northern parts of Sweden. It was designed by famous British-Swedish architect Ralph Erskine and built in 1955. Erskine wanted to create something that would be enjoyable for everyone all year round, not being dependent on the current (and sometimes harsh) weather conditions.
The shopping centre was to become a natural meeting point for everyone in the city and to offer both entertainment, dining and plenty of merchandise and goods for all the family. It was nick named “a city within the city”. The unique floor plan of the shopping center features multiple levels that are offset to each other by half a level and all connected by numerous staircases and escalators – creating a maze that can be a bit confusing to navigate for first comers. The huge concrete pillars and walkways supporting the construction makes it a look a bit cold but at the same time very clean and easy on the eyes. This type of design was very popular throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s – especially in northern Europe.
By Chris
January 16th, 2012
From WhatsBuzzin.com, comes a handful of original, well designed retro Holiday Cards that trend with the popularity of 1950s and 1960s themes as seen in the television shows “Mad Men“, “Pan Am” and 2011 film “The Help“. Featuring fun, nostalgic images of 1950′s and ’60′s Retro American Christmas.
Set up the aluminum tree, plug in the color wheel, and put Bing on the on the hi fi – now you’re ready to write out and send your fabulous retro Christmas cards. The cards are designed, illustrated and printed in the USA by WhatsBuzzin.com, a small business located in Clearwater, Florida. Specializing in retro styled Christmas cards with light-hearted messages and sometimes kitschy, but always cool, visuals of vintage ornaments and bubble lights, retro toys, model trains, and other classic Christmas memorabilia that take their cues from the colorful vintage vibes of the 1950s and 1960s.
A set of 8 cards and envelopes retails for $12.00
By Chris
December 22nd, 2011
Ultra Swank – Your one stop blog for retro living, style and design
Ultra Swank takes you back in time into the kitsch, chic and swank living of the 50s, 60s and the 70s. We mainly focus on the design, architecture and the lifestyle of the happy-go-lucky and space-age-living mentality of that era – but also on the music and movies that takes you back to happier times. Ultra Swank is run by Chris, a Swede born in the wrong decade that currently resides in Barcelona. Read more
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Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, many filmmakers have been drawn to the old school majesty of London. Here are a few films where London—a city of striking contrasts— makes an appearance.
By Oline Eaton
December 14th, 2011
Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, many filmmakers have been drawn to the crusty liveliness of New York. Here are a few films where, even when cast alongside screen legends like Audrey Hepburn, Robert Redford and Marlon Brando, New York was the star.
By Oline Eaton
November 11th, 2011
Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and the City of Love, in particular, has long been a favorite of filmmakers. Here are a few films where, even when cast alongside screen legends like Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando, Paris was undoubtedly the star.
By Oline Eaton
October 18th, 2011
In America, the 1950s and 60s spawned The Monster Kids. These were kids, mostly pre-adolescent boys, who assembled Aurora model kits of Frankenstein or Dracula after school; read Tales From The Crypt comics with a flashlight under the covers at bed time; and sneaked downstairs on Saturdays to watch the late-night horror movie show on TV with spooky hosts like Zacherle, Chilly Billy, or Ghoulardi. And they discussed it all in their super-secret tree houses on Sunday — no girls allowed.
Some of these youngsters went on to become highly influential adults in genre entertainment: horror novelist Stephen King; fantasy film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, and Steven Spielberg; and shock rock musician Gene Simmons of the band KISS are but a few of many Monster Kids who turned their obsessions into their careers.
April 26th, 2011
The religion of The Atom died with Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. With that fall from grace came the end of many of our utopian dreams. A responsible future of conservation and organic carrots just wasn’t very exciting.
Although widespread use of the atom remains controversial; 436 reactors remain the source of 15 per cent of the world’s electricity. In some European countries atomic power accounts for over one third of electrical generation. China has 27 under construction.
Despite the decades of public relations and meaningful scientific progress the atomic genie is still threatening. The fundamental parable of science for good or evil is still a question mark. We are now living in the ‘future’ and we are all part of the ongoing experiment.
April 8th, 2011
