Design
At Helsinki Design Week, the real product on show was a better city
This year’s Helsinki Design Week focused on design’s role in making cities more lively. The event, which finished at the weekend, included about 250 talks, exhibitions and showcases in venues across the Finnish capital.…
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Can neuroscience help architects design buildings that make us feel better?
Buildings do more than just shelter us: they inform how we feel on a psychological and physical level. Researchers in the field of neuro-architecture are developing new ways of creating stress-free urban environments.
Mount Street Printers demonstrates the appeal of fine print in a digital age
Where other printing companies have failed, Mount Street Printers endures. The secret, its director says, is innovation and custom-made equipment.
Can good design support learning? A Catalonian kindergarten is trying to find out
Architecture firm Sarquella + Torres led the redesign of the school complete with extra-wide hallways that pull double duty and a dragon head-shaped waterspout hanging from the eaves.
Lessons from Margaret Calvert, the designer who helped shape Britain’s road signs
The London-based artist was a longtime tutor at Royal College of Art and redesigned the UK’s road signs in the 1960s.
Inside Hamar Atriumhus – one of Scandinavia’s most admired architectural templates
Since its construction in the 1960s, the Atriumhus has become one of Scandinavia’s most loved buildings and respected works of architecture. We meet its current custodian, architect Gary Parkes.
Room to grow: Impressive educational architecture in Finland, Austria and beyond
Built learning environments can be transformative, inspiring students to look after their surroundings while nurturing creativity. We talk to architects shaping outcomes for the better by eschewing screens and embracing natural light and greenery.
Munich’s Arabellahaus could become a model for saving Germany’s ageing housing blocks
When the owner of Munich’s Arabellahaus announced in 2018 that the building would have to come down, residents were furious. Completed in 1969, the enormous, skinny, rectangular structure long functioned as a miniature city,…
Alvar Aalto’s designs define Finland abroad. But Unesco recognition is marring his legacy at home
Architectural powerhouses Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto are the pride of Finland. But could a new Unesco designation for 13 landmark projects threaten to do more harm than good?
This beautiful house in Menorca skillfully displays the art of hot-climate architecture
What are the makings of a perfect summer house or a year-round warm-weather retreat? We take a close look at Morella Vell’s clever design features.
What ‘Backrooms’ reveals about the emotional power of furniture and interiors
For certain interior architects, the devil is in the decor.
