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Design

Richard England’s architectural world in Malta

The prolific octogenarian writes poetry, draws cityscapes and is currently penning a book based on biblical characters. Over his six-decade career, he has created a captivating body of colourful, dreamy, postmodern delights. Along the way, England has reimagined religious spaces, challenged the island’s prevailing styles and breathed life into cities the world over. Monocle heads to Malta to meet the maestro and find out more about his career, id...

Sarah Johnson in Design 2025-12-13 05:10:33

How AIM Studio applies its creative vision to brand-building

In the initial stages of a residential project, Milan-based architecture and interiors firm AIM Studio likes to ask their clients for references that extend beyond architecture and design. This means cultural picks such as movies and books, but also favourite travel destinations and information about their family lives. Gathering clues about people’s ways of living and translating them into their homes is integral to being a mindful residential a...

Sarah Smith in Design 2025-12-17 12:14:31

Why Italian furniture giant Cassina encourages disagreement

“If you want to do this job properly, then you really need to love the product,” says Luca Fuso. “Otherwise, there are so many other roles you can do.” Fuso, the CEO of Italian furniture giant Cassina, welcomes monocle to the company’s headquarters in Meda, a 30-minute drive from Milan, where the firm has been based since 1927. Some of the oldest buildings here date back to the 1940s and received a makeover from Cassina’s art director Patric...

Jennifer Jones in Design 2025-12-22 09:02:00

Our top 25 furniture picks to purchase at Salone del Mobile

1.Roè armchair by FastItalyDesigner Francesco Meda and interior designer David López Quincoces wanted to blur the lines between the indoors and the outdoors for their collaboration with Fast. This dining chair is a stylish option for a summer aperitivo or alfresco dinner.fastspa.com2.Stelo chair by MattiazziItalyLondon-based design consultancy Industrial Facility reinterprets the typology of an all-wooden English Windsor chair. With a curved...

Jennifer Johnson in Design 2025-12-31 20:03:42

Interview: Sara Zewde on how she is designing for a changing climate

Landscape architecture is often viewed as a “nice to have” design discipline, one that’s focused on making projects look pretty once architects have finished their work. It’s a notion that Sara Zewde is turning on its head. The New York-based landscape architect’s work for Studio Zewde – the practice she founded in 2018 – merges her work with social and environmental causes.The young designer has been earmarked as a generational talent thanks to ...

Robert Williams in Design 2025-12-26 20:36:00

The new Ginza Sony Park is as radical as its 1966 predecessor

To witness a prime example of how corporate giants can meaningfully insert themselves into the life of a city without plastering their branding all over the place, make your way to Tokyo’s Ginza district. If you’ve visited at any time over the past eight years, you might have observed the transformation of one of its most prominent corners, Sukiyabashi Crossing, once the most expensive piece of real estate in the city. First came the demolition i...

Jennifer Miller in Design 2026-01-06 18:07:29

Moving to Mumbai? Colaba is the place where art and architecture unite

At the southernmost tip of Mumbai, people congregate along the shoreline, seeking respite from the tropical morning heat. This is Colaba, a former island that’s now one of four peninsulas dangling from India’s most populous megacity into the Arabian Sea. Once a haven for jackals and pirates, Colaba became a mercantile enclave that blossomed into a jewel of the British Raj in the late 19th century after colonial authorities reclaimed land in the s...

John Jones in Design 2025-12-17 03:42:25

The Welsh mill securing its future by becoming an employee-owned enterprise

From the outside, the whitewashed stone workshops nestled in the Welsh countryside look remarkably similar to how they appeared a century or so ago, when the Melin Tregwynt wool mill was established. But step inside the facility, where some of Wales’s most striking fabric designs are made, and you’ll see that a quiet transformation has taken place – and a new yarn on how to overhaul the business model of a heritage brand is being spun.Melin Tregw...

Michael Johnson in Design 2025-12-25 14:48:58

The finest new furniture, lighting and homeware to curate your dream space

1.Oru ChairAndreu WorldSpainFully circular and sustainable in its production methods, Andreu World uses responsibly harvested timber to craft bold designs such as the Oru Chair. The firm’s expert craftsmanship is evident in the elegant curves of this solid ash frame, which wraps around a seat that can be upholstered in an array of colours.andreuworld.com2.Helium lampDe PadovaItalyDesigned by Elisa Ossino for De Padova, this lamp’s sculptural form...

Robert Jones in Design 2026-01-02 11:41:03

Tech corner: Three releases to keep on your radar

From sleek new smartphones to high-tech accessories, this roundup features some of the latest innovations that combine style with cutting-edge functionality.Whether it’s Samsung’s revamped Galaxy with improved AI and photography, Technics’ impressive in-ear headphones with seamless connectivity, or Oura’s slimmed-down ring with advanced health tracking, these gadgets are designed to elevate your everyday life.From left to right:Samsung Galaxy S25...

Emily Williams in Design 2025-12-27 14:46:04

Interview: Cecilie Manz on design with a purpose

Since founding her studio in 1998, Danish designer Cecilie Manz has contributed to the catalogues of manufacturers including Fritz Hansen, Bang&Olufsen, Kasthall, Maruni and Hermès. Considering how prolific she is, it’s peculiar that the lasting impression that she leaves is one of restraint or, rather, compelling discretion.“I like to balance output and inspiration,” Manz tells Monocle in her studio in Sølvgade, Copenhagen. Sitting across an...

John Brown in Design 2025-12-24 19:43:17

The Agenda: Design

Retail design: Mexico CitySeeing the lightItalian optical retailer Retrosuperfuture is bringing its collection of elegant eyewear to Latin America with the opening of its first flagship shop in Mexico City. For this new retail space in the leafy Condesa neighbourhood, Dutch design studio Cloud has created a stainless steel-clad space. “We took inspiration from the architecture of a bank vault,” says Cloud’s Paul Cournet. “The metal-cladded walls ...

Emily Smith in Design 2025-12-15 16:36:47

Wood intentions: A look inside Stora Enso’s HQ as the largest timber building in Finland

The new headquarters of Finnish forestry giant Stora Enso is a tribute to the material that’s kept the company in business for 700 years. The largest timber building in Finland, Katajanokan Laituri is a fitting home for a firm that provides wood for the construction industry and turns trees into paper, packaging and, increasingly, biomaterials. “We are among the largest private owners of forests in the world,” says Hans Sohlström, the company’s C...

Robert Johnson in Design 2025-12-08 21:37:55

The Japanese principle influencing designers with an emphasis on peace and presence

Remember when the design world fell for feng shui? Its proliferation in the West followed Richard Nixon’s state visit to China in 1972 and it didn’t take long for people to want to apply its teachings to their immediate surroundings. After all, who doesn’t want a sprinkle of harmony in their home? Since then, various design philosophies for our domestic environments have caught our attention, from Japan’swabi sabito Denmark’shygge– as we all sear...

John Johnson in Design 2025-12-26 23:27:25

Interview: Giovanni del Vecchio on Giorgetti’s journey from classic to contemporary

Despite its 126-year history, Brianza-based furniture maker Giorgetti is anything but complacent. The Italian firm is continuing its transformation from a more classical design brand to one rooted in the contemporary. We asked its CEO, Giovanni del Vecchio, about this transformation.Giorgetti has talked about a contemporary evolution. What does that mean?Evolution – and not revolution – has been one of the pillars of our strategy since the c...

Sarah Jones in Design 2026-01-02 12:13:17

Schloss Fuschl is a luxury alpine retreat in The Sound of Music’s landscape

On the eastern shore of the Alpine lake is Schloss Fuschl, built as a hunting lodge in 1461 and once a retreat for Salzburg’s nobility. It has been a seasonal hotel since the 1940s but was recently reopened under the Rosewood banner. “It’s a legacy hotel and many regulars are happy to see ‘their’ castle back,” says Sascha Hemmann, who swapped his role as managing director of Rosewood Bermuda for the Austrian Alps. “If you take away the mountains,...

Sarah Brown in Design 2025-12-14 03:05:35

Iberian furniture brands are driving shifts in the global interiors industry

Brands from Italy and Scandinavia have long dominated the global furniture market. The latter has become renowned for producing work under the banner of “democratic design”, creating functional contemporary furniture that is also excellent value for money. But it might soon face some stiff competition – at least, if brands and industry bodies on the Iberian Peninsula get their way.In a sector where durability and wellbeing are becoming increasing...

Jennifer Johnson in Design 2025-12-14 12:59:34

Design round up: The new Finnair lounge at Helsinki Airport, Japanese townhouses and more

Finnair commissioned Helsinki-based designer Joanna Laajisto to create a new 440-seat Finnair lounge at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The recently opened space, which is located on the Schengen side, is influenced by Finnish nature and features local wood, stone, leather and woollen fabrics. “I wanted to create an environment that gives your senses a moment of rest from the hectic world of travel, the type of positive feeling you get when you col...

Jennifer Brown in Design 2026-01-08 13:19:14

Three designers who are setting the industry’s agenda, from typography to spiritual architecture

1.The typographerMark GowingGraphic designer, Sydney, AustraliaMark Gowing is an Australian artist and designer whose 30-year career has been typified by type. His explorations of letters and language has been widely deployed across a range of fonts. He’s also a graphic designer, having worked on type for Artspace Sydney, identity and branding for Hopscotch Films and poster design for Euroluce Lighting.Mark Gowing in his studioIt’s work that has ...

Michael Davis in Design 2025-12-15 00:04:06

The top 9 smartest workplace furniture pieces designed for comfort and collaboration

Offices should be comfortable and inspiring, allowing for moments of both individual focus and group collaboration. As such, they need to be fitted out with furniture that facilitates this, from smart industrial shelving and ergonomic seating to chic planters and even exercise equipment. By doing so, companies can help everyone from ceos to interns stay on top of their game. Here, we survey the smartest pieces. — Lbar trolley‘WM Brown’ Bar Trolle...

Jane Brown in Design 2025-12-29 15:24:49

Architects of ambience: Meet three firms shaping hospitality’s finest spaces

Crucially, hospitality is also about the atmosphere cultivated by the interior design and architecture, spanning everything from material selection to furniture choice and lighting levels. These are the names making a material difference to leading hospitality operations across the globe.1.ChzonParisDorothée Meilichzon and her team“I made the choice to focus on hospitality because I’ve always enjoyed thinking about the narratives around projects,...

Jennifer Williams in Design 2025-12-21 22:53:32

How heritage brand Tolix’s revival reflects the boom in traditional luxury design

There’s something afoot in the peaceful Burgundian town of Autun. Among the vineyards and the vestiges of Roman temples, design brand Tolix has been undergoing what could be described as a fashion makeover since Antoine Bejui and Emmanuel Diemoz took over the company in October 2022. After meeting at Parisian couture house Balmain, where they held executive roles and helped to save the firm from bankruptcy, Bejui and Diemoz worked at fashion bran...

John Miller in Design 2025-12-09 21:40:45

Three firms demonstrating the role of architects in designing productive workspaces

Architects play a powerful role in shaping our lives and the success of companies too. Whether it’s a sprawling campus-style office or an intimate workshop space, a building’s form and function have a profound effect on employees’ morale, collaboration and overall wellbeing. Office architecture can also communicate messages about the brand and help to shape company culture. Here, we meet the teams behind three distinct workplaces that demonstrate...

John Jones in Design 2025-12-25 06:44:34

Coasting it: Beer-mat designs that can build your brand

Summer in the city means enjoying more meals outdoors, so we set our correspondents a quick challenge over the past month: bring back the beer mats and coasters that catch their eye. At Monocle we’re sticklers for the way that a little canny design, a well-chosen hue or material might make the difference between creating something you see, savour and maybe even steal as a memento – and an item that blends into the background. Here are a few of ou...

Robert Jones in Design 2025-12-09 00:59:43

All aboard The Monocle Express, redefining luxury travel one dream at a time

Trains are a smart, smooth way to travel. A well-designed train can connect communities and make business and leisure a pleasure. Sadly, many railway companies are relying on old rolling stock and tired notions of onboard hospitality, occasionally excelling in one area while falling short in another (big windows but small seats, for example). That’s why we’re designing our own. If we were to chart a route, our train would offer unrivalled co...

Jane Miller in Design 2026-01-01 22:54:27

Australia’s laneways investment is breathing new life into its cities

Australian cities don’t have panoramic piazzas like in Italy, nor do their streets rival the grandeur of France’s finest boulevards. But the treatment of laneways here contains lessons that any municipality can learn from. For the better part of 30 years, players from both the private and public sector have been turning the country’s small-scale thoroughfares into vibrant urban places.So what is the appeal of investing in such spaces? These alley...

Michael Brown in Design 2025-12-17 03:28:43

Design agenda: Paris’s arrondissement culture and Miami’s public-park renaissance

Making an impressionChristophe Delcourt’s Paris showroomBefore housing Delcourt Collection’s furniture showroom, 47 Rue de Babylone in Paris’s 7th arrondissement was home to a photo-developing studio and, before that a piano factory. So it’s no wonder that, when Monocle pushes through the heavy doors leading from the street into the courtyard, there’s an instant sense that this is a space dedicated to craftsmanship.It was this ambience that attra...

Jennifer Davis in Design 2026-01-05 20:46:02

Interview: Nteje Studio’s Myles Igwebuike on exploring heritage through design

Based between the UK and Nigeria, designer Myles Igwebuike works in the field of diplomacy as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Through his practice, Nteje Studio, he collaborates with artisans in southeastern Nigeria to explore heritage through design – be it to reimagine a workout bench for Technogym or develop his line of sculptural wooden chairs. We talk to Igwebuike about his ambition to scale craft and design as soft diplomacy and how o...

Emily Brown in Design 2025-12-13 06:15:39

Three legacy furniture brands crafting masterpieces in a modern world

The furniture industry in Europe’s powerhouse design scenes, such as Helsinki, Copenhagen and Milan, has largely been built by family- owned companies. Many of these household names were established in the early 20th century and enjoyed enormous success in their domestic markets before expanding overseas. However, with investors and private-equity companies increasingly buying up such furniture firms, their numbers seem to be dwindling. Here, we ...

David Davis in Design 2025-12-11 10:33:09

Nic Monisse on why Dubai designers are the future of the Middle East’s creative scene

At the turn of the century, when the likes of Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas began designing buildings in Dubai, the Emirate faced criticism for importing talent rather than nurturing it. But things have changed. The city’s design scene is growing in confidence and nowhere is that clearer than at Dubai Design Week. The most recent edition of the annual event, which took place in November 2024, made local talent the headline act (even ...

Emily Miller in Design 2025-12-29 18:44:33

How to design for severe weather and endangered species

The Meise Botanic Garden just north of Brussels is one of the world’s largest conservatories of endangered plants. Apart from ensuring the security of rare species, the garden also enables the public to view and enjoy these rarities, an experience enhanced by its new Green Ark Project. This new pavilion, which doubles as a learning hub, is defined by parabolic wooden slats that curve above visitors’ heads.“We were pushing the boundaries of the ac...

David Johnson in Design 2025-12-16 03:23:44

Interview: Hines co-CEO Laura Hines-Pierce shows us her office of the future

When monocle walks into the lobby of Texas Tower, the pleasant scent of sandalwood and primrose wafts through the air. The Italian-marble floors and white coffee tables suggest a well-appointed living room – albeit one with numerous power outlets and task lighting at the ready. Well-dressed professionals sit and chat in richly upholstered chairs, before heading further up to one of the downtown Houston office building’s 47 storeys.Designed by Pel...

Sarah Davis in Design 2025-12-28 00:24:15

A round-up of eight architects’ vision for automobiles

Architects and designers have long been entranced with the dynamic potential of the automobile. From Edwin Lutyens to Renzo Piano, many have attempted to create their own cars – with mixed success. There have been a good number of speed freaks among their ranks too: Frank Lloyd Wright had to stop driving after too many near-misses, while one of Le Corbusier’s most treasured memories was hurtling around Fiat’s rooftop test track in Turin in a...

Emily Jones in Design 2025-12-24 02:07:06

East meets west within Istanbul’s design evolution

Plenty of ink has been poured over Istanbul’s mystique; its status as a crossroads for cultures, religions and customs is well known. So let’s get the clichés out of the way: it’s a place where East meets West, Asia meets Europe, religion meets secularism and past meets present. These clichés sometimes hold truth, with Istanbulites created in their city’s image, adept at negotiating swirling economic, social and cultural currents. Nowhere is this...

Jennifer Brown in Design 2026-01-04 13:41:09

Inteview: Daniel Lalonde on merging fashion and furniture for luxury design success

Daniel Lalonde’s CV makes for impressive reading. After starting his career as a management consultant in Paris, the Canadian-born businessman worked at Nespresso before spending more than 10 years in executive positions at lvmh, building brands such as Tag Heuer, Louis Vuitton, Moët&Chandon and Dom Perignon, followed by a stint at Ralph Lauren. In 2014 he became the ceo of smcp and under his leadership the French multibrand group flouri...

John Smith in Design 2025-12-09 08:44:46

Toying with convention in the House of Toogood

If you’ve been on the design-fair circuit over the past 12 months, there’s a strong likelihood that you have encountered the work of Faye Toogood. Whether it’s being named guest of honour at the Stockholm Furniture Fair and designer of the year at Paris’s Maison&Objet, working with Italian manufacturers including Cc-Tapis, Tacchini and Poltrona Frau, collaborating on an installation for Danish brand Frama’s Copenhagen flagship or working on t...

David Williams in Design 2025-12-16 02:59:46

Design agenda: Sydney’s Studio Prineas, London-based Hût Architecture and the revival of the Memphis waterfront

Urbanism: USAWalking in MemphisThe city of Memphis, Tennessee, was founded on the banks of the Mississippi river in the 19th century but its modern waterfront has long been defined by unremarkable swaths of turf abutting the famous waterway. Now, a 12.5-hectare portion called Tom Lee Park has opened as a dynamic public and natural space, refreshing the city’s most prominent landscape.“The redesign was inspired by a desire for Memphians to come to...

Sarah Smith in Design 2025-12-28 12:02:17

In good hands: How dedicated schools are keeping luxury brands’ traditions alive

The rise of AIand a slowdown in luxury consumption have cast a shadow over the fashion and design sectors. Yet heritage luxury businesses are taking a longer-term view. Instead of following technological trends or being discouraged by market conditions, they’re doubling down on the crafts that they have honed for decades – or even centuries.Forward-looking brands are making significant investments in education, hoping to pass down craft skills to...

Sarah Williams in Design 2025-12-14 23:04:48