You know the type: the one who’s bolting through the airport or train station, complaining that there was traffic or public-transport delays, or that they couldn’t find their keys. Meanwhile those of you early-arrival types, sipping your cappuccinos or beers in a café, mulling the shops or magazines in the departure hall, shake your heads and wonder, “Didn’t they leave a buffer?”
Yes, I’m one of those who often forgets the buffer, though I have become better as I’ve matured (cue your sceptical “Have you, though?”). Nonetheless, this column is in defence of us late-arrivers because we have been marginalised of late (and because I haven’t really changed). The most recent example is from London’s King’s Cross train station, where rail authorities, in their infinite wisdom, have resolved to remove trains from their boards a full three to four minutes before departure to avoid people falling over themselves in that last-gasp rush to the platforms.
As someone writing this piece on a German train from Magdeburg to Berlin, which I caught with one minute to spare, I resent King’s Cross for its nanny-state approach – and for its pointlessness. For one, we all have apps that tell us the platform number, so you won’t be able to fool us late-arrivals that easily. And if this is about safety, all you’re doing is shifting when we have to sprint, not if.
Airports are no different: digitalisation has given check-in desks an easy excuse to refuse latecomers. I recently arrived to check in for a flight at Heathrow with 57 minutes to spare and was told by a computer that I was too late. The attendant confirmed that she had no way of overriding the online check-in and got rather annoyed with me for asking. Contrast that with a flight that I successfully made 15 years ago at JFK in New York, with only 35 minutes from arrival to take-off, after I dared the check-in desk lady to let me try. She had no online terminal to override and so accepted my challenge. I made the flight. The system worked – so why change? Efficiency is no excuse. An airline that refuses my check-in is left with an empty seat on the plane and, unless you’re Ryanair, has to politely book you on the next flight.
There is a point to all this beyond my personal gripes. Ask anyone who cuts these things rather fine and they will espouse the advantages of their habit. Timing your arrival exactly means finishing that one final nagging task; avoiding the drudgery of airport terminals and questionable food service; spending an extra few minutes embracing a friend or loved one who you rarely see before they have to head off again; and swerving the tedium sitting at the arrival gate or being one of those people who lines up instantly when the gate-announcer declares that it’s time to board because you have already been sitting there for 30 minutes. Time can be better spent than waiting at the airport.
“Militant arrival times suck the joy out of travel. If I want to risk a 100-metre dash through the terminal, that’s my choice.”
On a personal note, I have my rights: if I chose to arrive just in time for a train and engage in a dance with destiny, shouldn’t that be allowed? My parents try hard enough to keep raising me into my 40s – do I really need the train attendants to do the same? Granted, this is not a lifestyle choice for everyone but I do speak for a minority of chronic late-arrivers who time their departures to the minute, while the rest of you enjoy a cosy meal and drink in the airport lounge. Yes, we should do better but militant arrival times also detract from the beauty and flexibility of travel. Not everyone wants a flight to take over an entire day of their lives.
As for me, I’m learning to become the person who actually enjoys a bit of food and shopping at the airport. After my one-minute train scare in Magdeburg, I’m finishing this column with a two-hour buffer at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. This is because I’m tired of the stress – not because anyone told me to be early. On principle, however, I stand firm: I should have the right to fall back into bad habits and prove to myself that I can, in fact, run a terminal-length 100-metre dash. 15 minutes to Terminal D? I’ll make it in 5. Watch me.
It’s not up to King’s Cross to teach me a lesson. If I miss my connection, then I should have only myself to blame.
Best armchair
Flair O’ Maxi by B&B Italia
Italy
The Flair O’ Maxi is a new iteration of B&B Italia’s 2021 Flair O’ chair – and the rightful winner of our best armchair award. We love it for its simplicity: its stately plinth and swivel combined with comfortable padding. “The key idea for this particular form was ‘lounging’,” Monica Armani, the chair’s designer, tells Monocle. “But that’s a very broad notion. Last year, suddenly inspired by Italian dresses from the 1960s, I decided to change the proportions of the seat.”
bebitalia.com
Best bar
Bar Vitrine by Frama
Denmark
Designed and run by furniture brand Frama, and with a menu devised by a former Noma chef, Bar Vitrine occupies a 1960s-era brutalist building. “We loved the space’s uniqueness,” says Frama founder Niels Strøyer Christophersen. “We wanted it to feel warm, like entering someone’s home or kitchen.” Dark and light wood interiors balance the exterior’s metal and stone. A communal birch table is at the bar’s centre, while tables along the windows are complemented by Frama’s 01 chairs.
barvitrine.dk; framacph.com
Best portable light
Snowman 15 Portable by ILKW
South Korea
The Snowman15 Portable marks South Korean lighting brand ILKW’s wireless debut. This design features a polycarbonate resin shade, giving it a balloon-like, join-free silhouette. Kwon Sunman, creative director of ILKW, says he developed the portable light for adaptable and outdoor use. “The body, shade and integrated led, which is capable of producing a wide range of colour temperatures, all come together,” he says. The lamp not only replicates natural light but can evoke different atmospheres according to its owner’s mood.
ilkwdesign.com
Best in the kitchen
Expressive series oven by Gaggenau
Germany
German home-appliances manufacturer Gaggenau’s latest is a sleek oven from the Expressive Series. “The kitchen is now often part of the living room,” says Gaggenau industrial designer Alexander Stuhler. “That means you might have a view of it from your sofa. So it’s important to design appliances that you want to look at.” Here, that means a simplified user interface, smooth joints and a floating control ring – a combination that lets you show off your cooking skills and your taste.
gaggenau.com
Best for versatility
Studie chair by Fermob
France
Fermob’s versatile oak-and-metal Studie chair is the perfect stackable number. It was created by French designer Tristan Lohner as a seat that’s fit for the dining room but just as easily used in other situations. “When I pick up a pencil, I aim to get closer to the concept of service,” says Lohner. The concept of service is wonderfully broad. We can see this chair in a French bistro, an auditorium or piled up five-high after a party.
bebitalia.com
Best bookshop
Good Company Bookshop
Portugal
Good Company Books is a newcomer to Lisbon’s bookshop scene, focusing on English-language titles and serving coffee, baked goods and wine. “We missed the kind of space where you can sit down, read a book, work or meet a friend over coffee,” says American-born Samuel Miller, who opened the bookshop last November with his Brazilian partner, Giovanna Centeno.
goodcompanybooks.com
Best train fit-out
TGV InOui by Nendo and Arep
France
French state-owned rail service SNCF’s soon-to-launch TGV InOui trains have a new look, courtesy of France’s Arep and Japan’s Nendo. This is principal Oki Sato’s first transportation design and it features curved surfaces, a modular layout, warm lighting and a muted palette – its understated elegance a welcome departure from other trains’ utilitarian monotony. Our favourite detail? The lemon-yellow lamp from TGV’s prior design remains, but with a bulbous shade typical of Nendo’s playful style.
sncf-voyageurs.com
Best camera
Sigma BF
Japan
For its combination of austere beauty, technical prowess and ease of use, we salute the Sigma BF, a digital camera from the iconic Japanese lens maker. Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki had a very specific aim in mind: a return to the beginnings of photography, when a camera was no more than a lens and a black box. “For a lens manufacturer like us, the lens is the true star,” says Yamaki. “We felt that the camera body should be as simple as possible, much like the camera obscura.”
sigma-global.com
Best hospitality fit-out
Finlandia Hall by Fyra
Finland
Though a central part of Helsinki’s cityscape, Alvar Aalto’s 1971 Finlandia Hall always felt remote to the city’s residents, who knew it only as a conference centre – until now. Finnish design studio Fyra has opened it up to the public with a new bistro, café and shop. The bistro features original Aalto chairs and lighting, complemented by marble tables and an oak bar. The café and shop are bathed in natural light. “When you design for a protected building – and an Aalto one, no less – you’re a custodian of heritage,” says Eva-Marie Eriksson, Fyra’s co-founder. “But this building isn’t a museum. Ensuring that it’s used is the best way of honouring Aalto’s legacy.”
fyra.fi
Best retail installation
‘Je t’aime comme un chien’ by Le Bon Marché
France
Le Bon Marché’s retail installation “Je t’aime comme un chien” was a love letter to dogs of all shapes and sizes. The pedigreed Paris department store was given a fetching makeover recently, featuring cutouts of hounds, mastiffs, retrievers and poodles gazing longingly towards the treats on offer. The commercial team unleashed its creativity, assembling an impressive assortment of items for dogs and their owners from more than 200 brands. These ranged from Barbour raincoats to a poodle-motif necktie from Cinabre. “It was the exhibition that generated the most enthusiasm among both our staff and our customers,” says Elodie Abrial, Le Bon Marché’s commercial director.
lebonmarche.com
Best in production
Kasthall
Sweden
Founded in 1889 in Kinna, a historic textile hub in southern Sweden, Kasthall continues to operate from the same factory and design studio where skilled artisans and designers bring every rug to life.“Our factory in Kinna is the heart of our brand,” says CEO Mirkku Kullberg. “The artisanal pride and generational expertise in our team define us. Without them, we would lose not just our legacy but our identity.”
kasthall.com
Best retail addition
Alaïa’s London café and bookshop
UK
A new café and bookshop on the top floor of French fashion house Alaïa’s London flagship is a welcome development in the retail landscape. An aluminium table occupies the centre of the café, which serves flat whites and matcha lattes with pastries from London bakery Violet. The bookshop is curated by the team behind Claire de Rouen, a popular east London spot for titles on art, photography and fashion.
maison-alaia.com
Best playground
Yirran muru playspace
Australia
When Shellharbour’s town council planned an educational space to recount the local Dharawal Aboriginal people’s history, they tapped landscape architect Fiona Robbé for a playground design. “You should experience a good playground for its own sake but a deeper didactic meaning is there if you want it,” says Robbé of the project, whose design functions as a miniature map of the Dharawal people’s region. Blue zones represent the nearby ocean and lake, sandpits symbolise the beach and coast, and a large stone semicircle represents the Illawara escarpment.
architectsofarcadia.com.au
Most democratic design
Mofalla Easy chair by Ikea
Sweden
Swedish furniture company Ikea has built an archive of accessible, democratic design since 1943 – and from this, back by popular demand, is the Mofalla chair. First made to the design of Denmark’s Niels Gammelgaard in 1978, this foldable number features a simple, appealing combination of canvas and chrome.“It’s also very practical,” says Karin Gustavsson, the project’s creative lead. “I believe that there’s always a need for lightweight, easy-to-use furniture for extra seating.” And thanks to Ikea, this example is available to everyone.
ikea.com
Best branding
27/4 by Yorgo & Co
France
Graphic designer Yorgo Tloupas’s branding work on entrepreneur Paul Dupuy’s 27/4 building in Paris creates a sense of cohesion across the drinking-and-dining hub’s three floors. Tloupas developed bespoke signage and typography for everything including customised fire-safety notices and alcohol-licence information. “The overall effect works on a subconscious level,” says Tloupas. This impressive attention to detail sets a benchmark.
27quatre.com; yorgo.co
Best artistic installation
‘On Weaving’ pavilion
Saudi Arabia
“It’s a given that places of worship are spiritual and ethereal,” says Charles Kettaneh, co-founder of East Architecture, referring to the practice’s modular musalla – an open area used for prayer in Islam. Titled “On Weaving”, it’s an exploration of the idea of transience, adds Kettaneh’s fellow co-founder, Nicolas Fayad. “Musallas have never been studied as architectural typologies,” he says.
eastarchitecture.net; akt-uk.com
Best incubator
UAE Designer Exhibition
UAE
Cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai have long imported star architects and designers from across the globe for major works. But the UAE Designer Exhibition, which took place during last November’s Dubai Design Week, is shifting the narrative. “We want people to know that design’s potential here is quite large,” says Omar Al Gurg (pictured), who curated the most recent exhibition, spotlighting 30 local talents. About 22,500 visitors saw the show, helping to change the Gulf’s design narrative.
dubaidesignweek.ae
Best hi-fi
RA03 by Rudy Audio
Denmark
Monocle spotted Rudy Audio when it debuted at last year’s 3 Days of Design festival in Copenhagen: we were taken by its gorgeous speakers, amps and turntables with chiselled surfacing and exquisite joinery. A collaboration between Søren Rose Studio, furniture maker Københavns Møbelsnedkeri and a Danish technician, this hi-fi features speakers hand-made in Denmark by Scan-speak. “We went the road less travelled,” says Søren Rose, the founder of his eponymous studio.
rudyaudio.com; sorenrose.com
Lifetime achievement
Marva Griffin
Italy
For more than 25 years, Venezuelan-born, Milan-based curator Marva Griffin has been helping to develop design talent from across the globe. In 1999 she founded Salone Satellite, an exhibition within Milan’s Salone del Mobile trade show that spotlights projects by young practitioners under the age of 35. It has nurtured the careers of designers such as Cristina Celestino, Sebastian Herkner and Oki Sato – an on-going achievement that’s worthy of celebration.
Best bedframe
MC-1 by ReFramed
Denmark
It pays to be flexible in the bedroom. Copenhagen-based practice ReFramed’s sleek and modern MC-1 bedframe is a case in point. Created in collaboration with Swiss industrial designer Michel Charlot, it features a chunky steel frame that holds the mattress and four simple cylindrical legs. There are two powder-coated finish options (ivory or moss green) and sprung slats that are supportive and remain flexible for added comfort.
reframedbrand.com
Most playful design
Aço collection by Ghome
Portugal
“I don’t think about products but rather what they can do to the spaces that they inhabit,” says Gonçalo Prudêncio, founder of Portuguese design firm Ghome. Case in point: Aço, which exudes playfulness through bold shapes and colours.
ghome.pt
Residential architect of the year
Manuel Cervantes
Mexico
It’s appropriate that we’re meeting Manuel Cervantes, our residential architect of the year (though his practice encompasses much more), in his studio. “I live next door, so it’s an extension of my home,” says Cervantes. His residence and studio is filled with books, artwork and objects that “shape the way that we discuss projects”, says the architect. “It’s a space for thinking and connection, not just work. Sometimes it’s easier to communicate an idea with a painting or a material sample than through a drawing.”
Best retail display
Tojiro Knife Gallery
Japan
At Tojiro Knife Gallery in Osaka, every detail is a celebration of traditional Japanese craft. In particular, the design riffs on yoroi-bari cladding, a method of construction inspired by samurai armour that involves weaving metal plates with silk or leather cords. The knives are lined up on magnetic shelves, held up by clever notches. “If a product is exceptional, the space must be equally refined,” says the shop’s designer, Katata Yoshihito.
tojiro-japan.com
Best exhibition design
Gallery of the Kings
Italy
Museums of ancient history can sometimes feel a little dusty and stale. That’s why the bold and unconventional Gallery of the Kings at Turin’s Museo Egizio caught our eye. David Gianotten and Andreas Karavanas – Partner and Project Architect, respectively, at the Dutch architecture firm OMA – designed the layout in collaboration with Andrea Tabocchini Architecture. “These statues hold a lot of importance and we didn’t want to keep them in the dark,” says Gianotten.
oma.com; andreatabocchini.com
Best glassware
Fit by Aldo Bakker for J Hill’s Standard
Ireland
Dutch designer Aldo Bakker’s on-going collaboration with J Hill’s Standard, an Irish maker of contemporary cut crystal, is underpinned by their shared admiration for form and the use of glass. Their cup-and-carafe combination, named Fit, can be stacked and comes in three colours: grey, clear and opaque ochre. “We want to re-establish the glass industry in Ireland,” says Anike Tyrrell, the founder of J Hill’s Standard. “We’re not interested in revisiting what’s already been done a thousand times.”
jhillsstandard.com; aldobakker.com
Best gadget
TP-7 field recorder by Teenage Engineering
Sweden
Teenage Engineering’s palm-sized TP-7 audio recorder has us wondering how we ever went without it. Its centrepiece is a motorised “tape reel” that allows you to pause recordings, control the menu navigation and more. This highly intuitive device is making waves.
teenage.engineering
Best project evolution
Rita Lee Park by Ecomimesis
Brazil
All too often the Olympic Games leave host cities an urban legacy of white elephants. Not so in western Rio de Janeiro, where the landscape architects at Ecomimesis Soluções Ecológicas transformed the grey pedestrian thoroughfare that was the Olympic Way into a fun and colourful park named after the late Brazilian queen of rock, Rita Lee.
ecomimesis.com.br
Best storage solution
Util
Portugal
When it comes to steel storage solutions, options tend to fall into two extremes – either industrial-grade efficiency or uninspired, budget-friendly office staples. Enter Util, a Portuguese brand striking a balance between functionality and elegance with a thoughtfully curated and design-conscious collection.
thisisutil.com
Best design partnership
Holder Objects
Chile & Germany
Berlin-based design store and gallery Holder Objects brings new and archival Latin American design to Europe. This exchange stems from the Chilean duo behind it, Trinidad Davanzo and Camilo Palma. “Latin America’s unique geographical position is a bridge between European, indigenous and African influences,” says Davanzo. Eminent talents on the duo’s radar include Venezuelan architect and designer Jorge Suárez-Kilzi and Italian-Uruguayan maker Matteo Fogale.
holder-objects.com
Best lamp
Bellhop Glass T by Barber Osgerby for Flos
Italy
The familiar shape of UK studio Barber Osgerby’s Bellhop Glass T throws a warm, uniform light wherever it sits thanks to its layers of opaline glass. The new iteration of the lamp is also dimmable: when turned down low, the glow it gives is almost ethereal. “I wanted to concentrate on a light that can act as a central focal point in a space, that enhances an environment rather than just illuminating it,” says Osgerby.
flos.com
Curator to watch
Zanele Kumalo
South Africa
Zanele Kumalo is an invaluable member of South Africa’s design scene, platforming the work of local creatives through her work as curator of Design Week South Africa – a new fair that took place for the first time last October across Johannesburg and Cape Town. “What drives me is helping young creatives find a firmer footing in places where they haven’t had access,” she says. “There’s such a wealth of talent in this country.”
Design Week South Africa’s strength lies in Kumalo’s curation that includes emerging talent as well as bigger players. Although in its early days, the fair has already garnered international attention – and it has also fostered domestic pride.
designweeksouthafrica.com
Best sports facility
Gerland Aquatic and Sports Centre
France
When Lyon-based 4_32 Architecte was tasked with updating a 1930s outdoor pool in their hometown’s Gerland sport complex, the architecture firm was guided by a desire to enhance the experience of sport for people of all abilities and ages.
The scope of the project involved retaining the 10-metre diving tower and the 33-metre pool as well as building offices and training facilities for the city’s professional rugby club. “What made this project interesting is that we needed to accommodate a wide spectrum of people, from young swimmers to high-profile athletes, all in one place,” says the practice’s co-founder Claire Bertrand. “The result aligns with the vision of Tony Garnier, the site’s original architect, who believed sport was part of a healthy lifestyle and should be accessible to all.”
432.archi
Best first-class cabin
La Première by Air France
France
When Air France unveiled its new first-class cabin, La Première, in March, expectations were sky high. They were met. We’re most impressed by the airline’s ability to design a new seating solution that feels spacious. The muted tones, red accents and curtains remain but a full 3.5 sq m of space – 25 per cent more than before – has been added. “It’s very elegant and fits the brand,” says Benjamin Smith, Air France-KLM’s CEO. “We are quite confident that we can remain at the top of the European space in first class.” Air France spent three years refining the suite, which features a chaise longue that can transform into a two-metre-long bed. La Première’s new cabins take flight from Paris to New York this spring.
airfrance.com
Best civic building
Siège du Conseil de la Concurrence
Morocco
Reflecting centuries-old heritage in the design of a new building is a tough brief. But Rabat-based Prism Architectes have found a way to meld traditional details with contemporary requirements in its design of new headquarters for Morocco’s Conseil de la Concurrence, an institution that aims to ensure transparency in the country’s economic relations.
Key architectural features include a méchouar (a central area inspired by traditional pathways), courtyards and shading devices. These features are enhanced by the use of stone, wood and intricate metalwork that reference Morocco’s traditional vernacular.
prismarchitectes.com
Best barbecue
Phil by Ethimo
Italy
Italian design brand Ethimo and Maltese-born designer Gordon Guillaumier’s concept for an outdoor kitchen just made your next summer barbecue significantly better. Part of the Phil collection, which includes a sink and induction-hob option, this sizeable, cylindrical grill-on-wheels is available in an olive green or a sepia black, with pleasing teak details. We think that Phil is the perfect summer party guest – free enough to go where the evening takes him but decorous enough to know exactly what is needed and when. Phil has us longing for a hot day when we can sizzle some steaks and throw back an ice-cold spritz. This is outdoor design at its best: uncomplicated, efficient and tailored to improving people’s lives. Bring on the summer.
ethimo.com
Best material innovation
Sungai Design
Indonesia
Since Gary Bencheghib and his siblings co-founded the river clean-up nonprofit Sungai Watch in Bali in 2020, they have collected more than 2,000,000kg of plastic waste. Rather than sending it to landfill, they have been transforming it into chairs.
The manufacturing process involves cleaning each plastic bag and melting them into uniform sheets that can then be sliced and layered to build furniture. “We launched a product that was 100 per cent made from recycled plastic, to carry as much weight as possible,” says Bencheghib. “It’s a symbol of how much plastic we’re collecting from rivers.”
sungaidesign.com
Best community initiative
Casa Ria by David Chipperfield Architects
Spain
Chipperfield’s Fundación Ria, a contribution to his adopted city of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, has a new headquarters in what was once a sanatorium. Casa Ria is intended for use by the non-profit to contribute to sustainability initiatives and quality of life in Galicia. It’s also a base for David Chipperfield Architects Santiago.
fundacionria.org
Best emergency facility
Jircany Fire Station by SOA Architekti
Czechia
Czech studio soa Architekti’s redesign of Jircany Fire Station has turned what could have been an isolated storage space for vehicles and hoses into a place where essential workers and the community overlap. Located in Psáry, a town that’s a 30-minute drive south of Prague, it’s a luminous polycarbonate-façade structure.
s-o-a.cz
Emerging designer
Minjae Kim
South Korea & USA
Minjae Kim works across interiors, furniture, sculpture and art, in Seoul and New York. His work straddles the line between the practical and the artistic.
“I favour objects that reveal the layers of their creation, permitting one to discern their formation, in contrast to those flawless products that merely inspire admiration,” he says. “I contend that the presence of imperfections, rather than a pristine finish, cultivates an aura of ‘breathing space’.”
minjae.kim
Best imprint
Park Books
Switzerland
Zürich-based architecture and design imprint Park Books makes publications that are both sources of knowledge and beautiful objects. “Inspired by Swiss craftsmanship, we pay close attention to the materiality of every book while engaging with the topical issues of design,” says Julie Cirelli, its Stockholm-based director.
Established in 2012 as an affiliate of Scheidegger & Spiess, Park encourages an exchange of ideas between authors, architects and readers that continues long after the publication date.
park-books.com
Graduate to watch
Changhwi Kim
South Korea
Driven by empathy and an insatiable curiosity, Changhwi Kim creates products that go well beyond what is expected. Fresh from design school, Kim is a nuanced observer of people and everyday objects, and he aspires to build a better, more playful world. We meet him to discuss his graduation project, “Ed!t”, in his collaborative workspace, Creative Group 297.
Best for seniors
Little Tokyo Towers by OWIU
USA
Home to 301 one-bedroom apartments for seniors, Little Tokyo Towers in Los Angeles shows how assisted living spaces can be uplifting. Design studio OWIU renovated communal areas, making simple adjustments, such as custom seating, homely lighting and space-defining shoji screens.
owiu-design.com
Best modernisation
Astep Model 262
Denmark
According to Alessandro Sarfatti, the third-generation owner of Danish-Italian design company Astep, his grandfather Gino was a “purist”. Sarfatti is modernising his family firm’s mid-century designs, including Gino’s Model 262, a striking light fixture in which the light bulb sits cradled in the curve of a sleek aluminium disc. Originally created in 1971, the design has been updated to meet 21st-century needs and conform to Astep’s exacting standards as a certified B Corp. It’s chic, functional and energy-efficient – and shows that the past can be both celebrated and modernised.
astep.design
Best new hotel
Stadthotel Kleiner Löwe
Austria
A celebrated Swiss practice, Bregenzerwälder craftsmen and a couple seeking a lifelong investment came together to convert a 17th-century brewery into the Stadthotel Kleiner Löwe, an elegant eight-room guesthouse. Lisa Rümmele and her partner, Johannes Glatz, convinced Herzog & de Meuron to take on the renovation. The building’s centuries-old façade has been preserved but a modern annexe has been added on top. It’s a fine hospitality addition to the Austrian stretch of Lake Constance.
kleinerloewe.at; herzogdemeuron.com
Best public space
Pier 22 by Mostlikely Architecture
Austria
Vienna’s Danube Island is an artificial stretch of land created in the 1970s and 1980s as a flood protection measure. “When they built it, they didn’t have any idea of what else it should be,” says Mark Neuner, the founder of Viennese architecture firm Mostlikely. Last year the practice completed the first phase of its Pier 22 project on the island. Facing Vienna’s tallest building, the DC Tower 1, it’s the recreation space that the city has long needed, despite its strong tradition of bathing beaches and swimming pools.
mostlikely.at
Best for contemplation
Raj Sabhagruh
India
The Raj Sabhagruh in Gujarat is a meditation complex designed by Serie Architects, a firm based in Mumbai, Singapore and London. Built for Jains, the vast construction is dedicated to providing the optimal conditions for samayika, one of Jainism’s key tenets, meaning the pursuit of spirituality through 48 minutes of concentrated silence.
serie.co.uk
Civic architect of the year
Jeanne Gang
USA
Jeanne Gang established Studio Gang in 1997 and has since become renowned for spaces that connect people, their communities and the environment. “Our core principles come through in how we approach every project, starting with what’s already there,” says Gang, who recently expanded the California College of the Arts. “That doesn’t just mean context in a traditional sense. It also means people, geology, history or existing buildings. With the Verde tower in San Francisco, for instance, we considered how the building contributes to the public realm. If a place is designed well, people will want to be there.”
studiogang.com
Best cutlery
Concorde by Christofle
France
The Place de la Concorde in Paris is symbolic of French fraternity. So it’s a fitting source of inspiration for Christofle’s well-established Concorde silverware collections, designed for use at parties. Housed in a white-oak-and-steel case, the cutlery draws deeply from the brand’s heritage. A milleraies pattern lining the utensils’ handles provides a contrast between gloss and matte finishes. These knives, forks and spoons are a pleasure to hold.
christofle.com
Best for coffee
Linea Micra by La Marzocco
Italy
This compact version of La Marzocco’s barista-approved coffee machines allows you to make café-level flat whites at home. “The Linea Micra is designed to offer the same performance as our commercial machines, scaled for home use,” says Stefano Della Pietra, La Marzocco’s head designer. The coffee machine’s clean-lined aesthetic reflects the manufacturer’s Florentine roots, particularly the architectural legacy of the Renaissance – making the Linea Micra an elegant and eye-catching addition to your kitchen countertop.
lamarzocco.com
Best renovation
Lunetta by Acme
Australia
With its panoramic views of Canberra, the 12-sided restaurant building at 60 Red Hill Drive has been a city landmark since its completion in 1963. Originally designed by Czech architect Miles Jakl, it was reimagined in 1981 by Italian-born Enrico Taglietti, who added futuristic convex bay windows. Now, after three years of closure, the building has reopened as the home of two dining spots: Lunetta and Lunetta Trattoria.
lunetta.au; acme-co.com.au
What the winners receive
The award by Harry Thaler
Merano
Harry Thaler has crafted the trophy for the Monocle Design Awards since its debut in 2021, working with the Tscherms-based workshop of Martin Klotz to refine its curved timber form. For the 2025 iteration, Thaler opted for plywood as the primary material, reflecting human ingenuity; the laminating of several layers of timber veneer make a product that is lighter than solid wood. The trophy, which can be used as a paperweight, is a testament to thoughtful design that is celebrated by these awards, which this year are supported by Cupra Design House.
A note from Cupra Design House:
Design has always been at the heart of everything that we do at CUPRA. It shapes our identity, defines our language and runs through every innovation and experience that we create. For us, design isn’t just about form; it’s about emotion, energy and defying convention. Every line, texture and detail in our cars is an expression of our rebellious spirit.
Inspired by collaborations with like-minded brands who also see design as a space to inspire the future, we push further into new, unexplored territories.
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The first mayor of Amsterdam was appointed in 1383 in a process not dissimilar to that used in 2018, when Femke Halsema became the first woman to hold the position. Amsterdam’s mayor is nominated by the minister of the interior and kingdom relations on the recommendation of the municipal council – a selection then rubber-stamped by the Dutch monarch. This makes Halsema’s role officially apolitical but she has responsibility for many political things, including taxation and the police. Some argue that this state of affairs is more suited to the 14th century but not being beholden to voters might also mean that a politician can propose radical solutions to urban ills.
Halsema has done exactly this. She is a proponent of both decriminalising all drugs and introducing tighter rules on the selling of cannabis to tourists, as well as its consumption. (It is the only narcotic currently legal in the Netherlands.) Her boldest idea – relocating Amsterdam’s red-light district to a purpose-built “erotic centre” on the outskirts of town – does not contradict her pro-sex-worker pronouncements. She is also battling the twin scourges of gentrification and over-tourism, signing legislation this year that will limit to 15 the number of days residential properties in certain neighbourhoods can be let out on platforms such as Airbnb; while in 2023 she launched “Stay Away”, a campaign to deter undesirable tourists from visiting Amsterdam.
But perhaps her greatest challenge came in November last year, when clashes between supporters of Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv and local youths made global headlines. Media reports alleged that young men had “hunted” the team’s Jewish fans, sparking outrage from both Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu. Halsema earned praise for a response that ultimately calmed tensions between the city’s Jewish and Muslim communities. On a misty day in the Dutch capital, Halsema welcomed Monocle into her official residence, a 17th-century canal-side townhouse, to discuss the riots, housing, security and much more.
Let’s dive into that episode in November that became a global story within hours. What’s it like when the US president inserts himself into your municipal affairs, while the Israeli prime minister proposes dispatching jets to Schiphol Airport?
It felt utterly surreal. Someone told me that the rioters had chosen the sweetest city in Europe. I don’t know whether that’s true but we have relatively little crime and few riots. And then this. Of course, what happened that night was terrible. But in hindsight I’m increasingly astonished. At the very moment we were still collecting all the data, Joe Biden was already responding, 30 minutes before our press conference. We tried to be careful not to be cornered by hasty reactions.
What did you learn from that episode?
What deeply moved me was the pain in our Jewish community. During the Second World War, almost all of the city’s Jews were deported from Amsterdam, with a questionable role played by the municipality. Even after the war, the reception was distressing. Yet Jews have always continued to speak fondly of “Mokum”, their city since the 16th century, with synagogues and a rich Jewish life. After the riots, a deep hurt arose. What shocked me next was how politicians and certain residents were quick to single out Muslims, another pillar of this city. Since the riots, I have been investing a lot of time in conversations with both Jews and Muslims. My message to them is clear: this was your city yesterday, it is today, and it will remain your city tomorrow.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, the city has seemed agitated. Geopolitics has an effect on local politics. How do you govern a restless city where disagreements can lead to physical confrontations?
Are the city and country really more unsettled, or do we cope worse? I think the latter. Amsterdam has a history of resilience. Geopolitical tensions are nothing new – the largest-ever demonstration in the city was against US nuclear weapons in the middle of the Cold War. After September 11 and the murder [by a 26-year-old Dutch-Moroccan] of film director Theo van Gogh in 2004, emotions also ran high. Commotion is part of a city like Amsterdam; people make themselves heard and sometimes clash. We always have been a city of individuals, not of groups. Unrest is of all times but the reactions now are more hysterical and there is less and less room for dissent. That worries me.
As a mayor, you are in charge of maintaining public order and have authority over the police. How do you approach this?
We call it “the triangle”. It consists of me, the chief public prosecutor and the police commissioner. We direct the police. I have the last vote but we almost always agree. That strengthens my position in talks on security with national politicians. Demonstrations in the city have doubled since 2023. We’re also grappling with a rise in mentally disturbed people prone to violence. We have about 4,750 police officers but are short 300 full-time positions. Yet the government thinks that we have enough people. In the medium term, this harms public safety.
Speaking of public safety and wellbeing, in your position as a mayor and police chief, you advocate for the legalisation of drugs. Other European mayors do not yet dare to explore this topic.
The debate is ideologically charged due to the failed war on drugs. People hardly dare to talk about it rationally for fear that by doing so, they condone it. But why leave a health-risk product to criminals? Alcohol and medicine are regulated, why not drugs? Take MDMA: it’s less harmful than alcohol yet has been banned since the late 1980s. The consequence? The Netherlands is now the world’s biggest producer, resulting in illegal labs and drug wars. We want to investigate how much tax and excise duty we are losing and what a regulated market could look like. Eighty per cent of Amsterdam’s police capacity is used on drug crime. This is unsustainable. It is not a moral issue but an economic and managerial problem that requires rational solutions.
Do any colleagues in Europe share your ideas?
Many leaders privately agree but fear the political fallout of going public. Behind closed doors, I get a lot of support. The mayor of Bern openly supports me, as does Claudia López, the former mayor of Bogotá. Awareness is also growing within police, justice and health services. An international group of former heads of state and secretary-generals support regulation but they wait until they are out of office before speaking out.
Amsterdam is a prosperous city but residents complain ofhousing shortages and overcrowding.
Growth means that things are going well, and our scale makes the city manageable. However, there are significant issues: we have both the richest and poorest neighbourhoods in the Netherlands, and middle groups are moving away. That is why we invest unequally: not pro rata to the number of inhabitants per neighbourhood. The money goes where it is needed – a pragmatic, sharp, social-democratic choice to keep the city liveable.
Property prices here are rising at the fastest rate in Europe and the population is approaching one million. There is less and less space for lower-income groups. What is the city doing about this?
We are building everywhere but the housing shortage is increasing. Things are moving too slowly. We will have to densify. In new neighbourhoods, we will build upwards, without modifying the historic city centre. This requires more infrastructure, schools and public transport, as we are already competing for every square centimetre, while dealing with the effects of climate change in a city below sea-level. It is a highly complex puzzle.
Tourists are also competing for space – the city had a record 22 million visitors last year. What are you doing to decrease tourism?
We need to think hard about the tourist/resident ratio. The city’s liveability is under enormous pressure. In Barcelona, short-term rentals will be banned from 2028. That will be inevitable for us too, we need to change the tide. People jetting in on €25 flights to binge drink and get high, with no thought for the town, adds nothing to our economy. That needs to change. In Amsterdam, tourism accounts for about 10 per cent of employment. That’s not so bad but not crucial. Business services, technology, and health and sciences mean much more to the city. Fewer tourists do not necessarily harm the economy. Everyone remains welcome but mass tourism without local connection has to decline.
As Amsterdam celebrates its 750th birthday this year, how well is the city really doing?
Amsterdam keeps changing – it’s greener, fairer and more in tune with its residents. But one thing remains constant: it’s a city with a big heart and a rebellious streak. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
The CV
1966: Born in Haarlem.
1993: Graduated from Utrecht University with a degree in criminology and sociology.
1998: Enters parliament, representing GroenLinks.
2002: Elected leader of the GroenLinks party.
2012: Works as a documentary filmmaker and journalist.
2018: Becomes Amsterdam’s first female mayor and the first from GroenLinks.
Lebanon’s cultural institutions have long existed in a hostile environment. Historically, the country’s weak state has hobbled public sector sponsorship of artistic production on the European model. Yet Beirut’s arts institutions persevere. Among the most robust are Metropolis, an arthouse cinema founded in 2006; the Arab Image Foundation (AIF), an artist-led photo-archiving project launched in 1997; and Metro al-Madina, a repertory theatre founded in 2012. These private initiatives have thrived despite state indifference and in defiance of Lebanon’s political, economic and security instability.
The years since 2019 have been trying for the city: financial collapse, the 2020 port explosion, the coronavirus pandemic, political stagnation and war. The crises have reduced many to penury and emigration. Lebanon’s haemorrhage of artists, experienced administrators and other cultural labourers has undermined organisations’ capacities and institutional memory. The support of local and international donors is more uncertain, while those who have stayed have had less money and leisure time.
Yet, in stubborn optimism, Metropolis, AIF and Metro have each moved into new spaces during this time. When the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah ended the bombing of greater Beirut in November, their hopes were fuelled. Metropolis, AIF and Metro continue to face challenges but they share an unshakeable belief in the power of culture in times of crisis.
1.
The cinema
Putting arthouse film in the frame
Metropolis
“Metropolis is almost 19 years old but this is a new venue,” says Hania Mroué. “No matter how prepared you think you are, there are always things that you discover as you go.” Mroué started dancing professionally at 18, performing at the prestigious Caracalla Dance Theatre for 13 years. She later studied economics, then earned a diploma in cinema production. In 1999, Mroué co-founded a filmmaking co-operative and served as managing director of its Ayam Beirut al-Cinemaiyya (Beirut Cinema Days) festival. When asked how a dancer found herself running a film festival, she shrugs. “For the love of cinema.”
After five years without a proper location, thousands descended on the cinema’s new space on opening night in December last year. Among those to address the crowd were Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, French auteur Jacques Audiard and Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, who all sent video messages to express their support. Since then, Mroué’s 15-person team has been playing catch-up, hosting events programmed for a 2024 season severely truncated by the war. The reception has been strong, with mostly sold-out festival programmes. “It’s a diverse audience and very wide, age-wise,” says Mroué (pictured). “In general, the audience of arthouse cinemas across the world is ageing. That’s not the case in Beirut.”
Metropolis’s story began in July 2006, in the basement theatre of the Saroulla, a cinematic institution of pre-civil war Beirut. Its debut event was a run of that year’s Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique programme. A few hours after a sold-out opening, Beirut Airport was bombed – the start of a month-long war with Israel. While European guests fled via Damascus, young people from displaced families now sheltering in the theatre came to watch Metropolis’s projections. Two years later the cinema migrated to a two-screen theatre and a business partnership with Empire, a Beirut-based regional cinema and distribution chain. “It allowed us to grow,” Mroué said in 2020. “It gave us access to a beautiful cinema and allowed us to release many Lebanese and Arab films in other commercial cinemas.”
Metropolis also partnered with international film industry bodies to create workshops and training platforms for the region’s young film professionals and set up outreach programmes to bring cinema to students in Lebanon, including youngsters in refugee camps. It established Cinematheque Beirut – a Wikipedia-style online archive for the region’s neglected cinema heritage – and created an independent film distribution company.
When political demonstrations erupted in October 2019, the cinema joined other Beirut arts institutions in expressing solidarity with a general strike. But when Metropolis wanted to resume programming, Empire shuttered the cinema in January 2020. Mroué’s team continued as much of its work as possible without a location. And, slowly, Mroué started gathering support for a purpose-built cinema from international, regional and domestic institutions including European embassies, cultural centres and film platforms, foundations and distributors.
The newest iteration sits in Mar Mikhael, a two-hall structure with an outdoor projection area. In April, the venue will host a new festival focusing on the cinema of the Global South. “We’re gathering international filmmakers who work with the same constraints as the Arab world: censorship, lack of support and infrastructure,” says Mroué. “It’ll be interesting to see how they deal with these challenges and still manage to create wonderful films.”
2.
The archive
Preserving the image of the Middle East
Arab Image Foundation
Rana Nasser Eddin is anxious to get back to normal operations. The Arab Image Foundation (AIF) director is awaiting the delivery from Kirkuk of Kurdish photographer Ramazan Zamdar’s collection of glass photographic plates dating from the 1930s to the 1980s. “In his studio photography, Zamdar used glass plate technology long after the film revolution,” says Nasser Eddin.
Six months after AIF opened the doors to its new premises in March 2024, warplanes began targeting locations across greater Beirut, delaying the shipment of the collection. “Beirut airport was functional,” says Nasser Eddin.“But no art shipper was willing to transport 13,000 glass plates to a place that’s being bombed.” The foundation activated emergency protocols, which involved packing and securing its collections and paper archive while preparing evacuation plans.
Co-founded by Akram Zaatari, Fouad Elkoury and Samer Modad, AIF is a unique project: a resource for the critical discussion of archival practices and a collection of photographic objects from the MENA region. With the Zamdar collection, the foundation will have approximately 600,000 objects from 308 collections, dating from the 1860s through to the 1990s and spanning 50 countries. Beirut’s port blast ruined the foundation’s previous offices – a cramped flat 300 metres from the explosion – but the collection emerged intact.
The foundation now nests in a three-story suite of rooms in Beirut’s Aresco Center, a short stroll from Lebanon’s National Library and three universities. The workspaces (where AIF’s six-person technical team conserves, documents and digitises images and preserves them in climate-controlled storage), the library and 42-seat auditorium, which will soon house a Beirut filmmaking co-operative, occupy the basement. At ground level, gallery-style spaces with shopfront windows allow for exhibitions and workshops. Public Works, a critically minded research and design studio, operates from AIF’s mezzanine.
In 2024, AIF’s library opened to the public. The stacks combine its specialist print library with Dawawine bookshop’s collections dedicated to cinema, sound and performance, and the library of Public Works. AIF launched its public programme in March with a series of screenings and talks about politics and film translation.
3.
The theatre
Inspiring future generations to take the stage
Metro al-Madina
Hisham Jaber’s flat overlooks Beirut’s derelict Holiday Inn, which was ruined during Lebanon’s civil war a few months after it opened in 1974. Through its gaping windows, the Mediterranean is clearly visible. “There will be peace, it seems,” says Jaber, glancing into his coffee. “We’ve faced many problems these past 13 years but now we have a clearer vision of what we should do.”
The flat is a short walk away from the Metro al-Madina theatre, which Jaber co-founded. He is well known for his on-stage persona: cabaret emcee Roberto Kobrolsi, notable for his mop of black curls, spectacles and fondness for silver lamé. Since 2002, Jaber has written and directed more than a dozen plays, musicals, stand-up comedy routines and cabarets that have been staged around Lebanon and the wider region. While Jaber is invested in recent history, the performances he’s staged tend to favour the light-hearted and sardonic over the tragic. And when asked why he became an entertainer, it’s a simple answer. “I like people to be happy,” he says.
Like Metropolis cinema, Metro was born in Saroulla’s little theatre. But since July 2023 it has made its home at the theatre of the Aresco Center, next door to The Arab Image Foundation (AIF). “We moved during the biggest crisis of our generation,” says Jaber. “They said we were mad but it was a good move. You feel new energy in the hall.” Renovated and redesigned by architect Paul Kaloustian, Metro’s terraced hall can seat more than 700 guests at tables in front of the 14-metre-wide stage. The venue is “a bit trippy”, says Jaber. “It’s like something from a 1960s film about the future or outer space.”
Currently headlining at Metro is Al-Souq al-Oumoumi (The Public Market), a musical comedy set in the early 20th century, in a thriving red-light district on Beirut’s Mutanabbi Street. Featuring 18 vocalists and musicians, the show was written and directed by Jaber, who created the music with composer Makram Aboul Hosn.
During the recent war, Metro unveiled 3al-Qamar (On the Moon), a series of intimate Tuesday evening listening sessions. “We invite two or three solo musicians to try something new,” says Jaber. “It’s a lab for small gigs that could later develop into a main stage show.” Several new performers have also emerged from Mehaniya, a free, two-year performing-arts programme that the troupe created in 2022. Rather than soliciting donations, the theatre invites regular clients to become partners in the company, though some support comes from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) and Unesco. AFAC and Culture Resource, another regional cultural support agency, also made a grant to Metro after the Beirut port blast.
Jaber says that peace will be a time for consolidation and experimentation, and it should bring younger artists with fresh ideas to the theatre. “Next year, we might start working with new technologies. With AI – sensors and suits – you can bring a new dimension to onstage visuals.” He sips his coffee. “And it’s cheaper. Thank god.”
While much in Lebanon is still in ruins, Jaber echoes the sentiments of Mroué and Nasser Eddin, expressing relief and enthusiasm at the prospect of something resembling normality in Lebanon. Like Metropolis and AIF, Metro has come through the crises on firmer ground than before 2019. The contingency, though, never abates entirely. “We are still recovering from the extreme violence that we lived through in 2024,” says Mroué. “We’re happy, but cautious. We know how fragile this stability is.”
