France is preparing for another weekend of unrest following this month’s protests against rising costs of living and the deterioration of public education. What began as peaceful public demonstrations quickly escalated into widespread violence, with police deployed across the country in a bid to prevent further looting and vandalism. According to justice minister Gérald Darmanin, more than 2,000 people were taken into police custody last weekend alone.

In Strasbourg-Saint-Denis, dark plumes of smoke rose from trash-can fires, while looters – hundreds, by some estimates – broke into shops. “They came out of nowhere,” said Vincent, the owner of a tobacco shop in the neighbourhood. He added that he tried to find and call the police but no one came. “They said that they were completely overwhelmed and that they couldn’t help.”

The riots across the country exposed both the government’s lack of preparation for the protests and a deeper issue with its strategy for maintaining public order. Opposition politicians blamed the administration for the misallocation of police forces, questioning why so few specialised units were deployed to quell the unrest and why it took hours to put forces on the ground. In Marseille, only one riot unit was on hand to monitor the demonstrations. Far too few officers were there to respond when several hundred rioters arrived in the city by early morning, breaking into the town hall and tipping over a statue.

Despite weeks of social-media buzz leading up to the demonstrations, French intelligence services allegedly underestimated their size. On the day of the protests, about 550,000 people took to the streets, which dwarfed the some 60,000 security forces that had been deployed to keep the peace. “In certain large cities, we lost control,” said interior minister Laurent Nuñez on France Inter, acknowledging “a lack of anticipation.”

That limited foresight coincided with the complexity of policing a crowd as varied as the day’s demonstration. Officers had to manage “three topics at once: peaceful demonstrators, opportunistic looters and more organised ‘breakers’ attacking state institutions”, said Sébastien Malzieu, senior police commissioner at the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) central directorate. The CRS is part of France’s national police force, dedicated to security and crowd control. The group has several specialised units, such as the CRS 8 – a highly mobile and trained riot-policing unit that acts as a Swat team – but these were only deployed in the late afternoon of 17 October to assist with the riots.

“Stopping the violence was difficult and time consuming,” said Malzieu. Police tracked looters throughout the night and over the next two days. “Officers had to go street by street, shop by shop, following the long protocol for making arrests,” he added, arguing that the operation did not result in the collapse of public order. “A great majority of institutions were protected.”

While citizens have expressed outrage over looted businesses and affected town halls, many have also criticised the government and police response to the demonstrations. On the ground, the police used tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades in an attempt to stem the unrest. French regulations require several warnings to be issued before force is used but videos circulating online reveal tear gas at peaceful gatherings. Reports also show that the CRS used la nasse (kettling), a controversial tactic that involves surrounding a group of protesters and preventing them from leaving, often trapping peaceful demonstrators alongside those suspected of violence.

Ahead of this weekend’s demonstrations, the government has opted for a drastic escalation of its security measures. On Tuesday it asked local authorities to establish curfews in several cities. To protect sensitive sites, it also announced the deployment of troops from the army’s long-running counterterrorism operation, who were last mobilised during the Yellow Vests protests of 2019. The Brigade de Recherche et d’Intervention (BRI) and Brav-M motorcycle units are also involved today, the latter of which is infamous for several court convictions related to brutalising protesters and journalists.

Mobilising such a battery of militarised police forces reflects a textbook pattern in the government’s handling of street unrest in recent years. During the student protests in early October, interior minister Laurent Nuñez ordered that authorities use anti-riot weapons with “no restraint”. The declaration contributed to renewed public outrage over police violence, particularly around the CRS units, whose use of anti-riot grenades and rubber bullets have maimed several high schoolers during those demonstrations.

“[The government’s] strategy is one of political desperation,” said Sebastian Roché, research director at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and co-author of La Police Contre La Rue. “The use of the army, for example, is not a strategy that will add efficiency to dealing with public disorder. It sends a message about waging a war against the youth and people who are angry about their purchasing power.”

Where France goes from here is yet to be seen. Its politicians have used the riots as an opportunity to trade blame. Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed the violence to the far left; La France Insoumise’s left-wing leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, criticised the government’s policing strategy; and Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National blamed the government and immigrants (there is no proof that migrants or the far left were responsible for the riots).

As France prepares to head to the polls next year, policing will surely be at the centre of the debate. Mélenchon and Le Pen offer sharply contrasting visions of law and order. The next presidential election will not only shape how France responds to future unrest but also whether it can find a way out of the cycle of escalation between protesters and the state.

Monocle contacted the French Interior Ministry, which declined to answer questions.

This week gallery representatives, advisers and collectors alike have been crowding into Karl Lagerfeld’s former home at the Hôtel de Maisons in Saint-Germain-des-Prés for Design Miami Paris. Prices, provenance and acquisitions were discussed in hushed tones as the design and art market got down to business at the event.

Highlights included the Designers of Tomorrow showcase, a collaboration between Design Miami Paris and Apple. Curated by Rodman Primack, it brought together four emerging studios with the theme of “Design for Presence”. Among its contributors is New York-based Isabel Rower, who presented “Padded Chair 1860”, a 19th-century boudoir-inspired seat with a fringe made of 1,500 ceramic beads. For Rower, a craft’s sense of presence begins in the making, especially with the surrender that ceramic requires: colour and finish are never predictable. “There is this inherent embracing of the presence of the present, of opening the kiln and relinquishing any control,” she says. The slow, laborious, ritualistic process brought her a “monastic” kind of presence. “Rower has created an invitation to sit,” says Primack, explaining that the piece invites people to remain still – to pause. But touch the beads and a soft clatter interrupts the expected moment of rest, drawing attention to the body and its surroundings. “It wakes you up,” adds Rower.

But the chair was not the only work to reward reflection at Design Miami Paris. Wrapping up tomorrow, the multi-day showcase of collectible design – from one-off pieces to antique treasures – was steered by curatorial director, Charlene Prempeh. Here are three other studios and galleries that caught Monocle’s eye.

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The A/P Room
UAE

Based in Dubai, The A/P Room made its Paris debut at Design Miami Paris with a presentation of international designers that pushed materials into unexpected territory. California-based artist Rogan Gregory, for one, brought the farm to the table. His almost-two-metre-long upholstered chandelier combines goat fur with gypsum, while his smaller sculptural lights bring together bronze and horse hair.
theaproom.com

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Pulp Galerie
France

Paris-based Pulp Galerie also made a bold first entrance to Design Miami, with orange walls and a prime spot by the doors of the Hôtel de Maisons. Specialising in design from the 1980s to the 2000s, the gallery’s manifesto reads, “style before function, form above all”. Gaetano Pesce’s Canovaci lights embody this spirit. Made with Italian glassmaker Venini, the luminaries are a ludic nod to laundry strung across Italian alleyways.
pulpgalerie.com

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Galerie Scène Ouverte
France

At the presentation of “Around a Desk”, Galerie Scène Ouverte turned the 18th-century room into a sculptural office space. Made from peeled and unfurled layers of maillechort (nickel silver), Studio Lugo’s desk and library evoke the organic. “The manufacturing process is not concealed; it is highlighted, embraced and placed at the very heart of the creative gesture. A sculptural horizontality serves a functional object whose layers of metal unfold like geological strata or petals”, says founder Laurence Bonnel.
galerie-sceneouverte.com

1.
On Tuesday I walked over to Soho to see a preview screening of Spanish-language film La Bola Negra, directed by “Los Javis” (Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo). It’s a story set during the Spanish Civil War and the present day. It’s about love and desire. It’s about secrets and telling the truth. It’s about being gay. The film could be an Oscar contender for Best Picture: a campaign that will be aided by the shimmering, mesmerising presence of Penélope Cruz and a poised performance from Glenn Close.

Now, press screenings are not the most intimate of settings. The room is usually packed with seen-it-all critics who make their living from finding fault, taking things apart, spending the duration of the film scribbling big thoughts in little notepads. But in this velvet-chaired cocoon, I found myself lost in this epic, weaving and sometimes fantastical tale. The directors deliberately take their time to stitch all the narratives together (at one point I wondered if I should ask my jotting-away neighbour if he knew what the hell was happening). But even this pacing keeps you transfixed.

Towards the end of the film – when all is finally clear – there’s a fleeting moment when a young man stoops to kiss the head of his boyfriend. It’s just an “I’m here for you” kiss but I felt a tear jog down my face, and then another. I brushed them away. Why was I crying? For them, for me, for us? I need to see the film again because there’s something buried there. A little bit of me? A little bit of you too?

2.
There’s something that I forgot to tell you about my brother-in-law’s funeral. Phil had been partial to a Starbucks, so his granddaughter arrived at the funeral service carrying a venti latte. She placed this next to the coffin. I was desperate to see if, for once, a Starbucks employee had managed to spell a name correctly but I was too far away.

Anyway, this last order for Phil sat there throughout the entire service. It was even there as the curtains closed and the coffin was dispatched to the flames. I have mentioned this Starbucks detail to a few people and it seems that, just as the ancient Egyptians entombed their dear departed pharaohs with all sorts of crap for the afterlife – mummified cats, cooking utensils, electric barbecues – modern grievers are keeping the tradition alive. I have been told of a Sunday roast being brought to a church and numerous pints of beer (even, in one case, to the funeral of a gentleman who had died an alcoholic).

Just so you know, I think that I will be happy to go to the next world free of pizza or pies – even if, finally, the carbs don’t matter. Though if you order one final cheeky margarita, I might be up for that.

3.
On Monday, London will discover that a 1km stretch of the famous retail strip Oxford Street has been pedestrianised overnight. I wrote about this news for the Monocle Minute yesterday. I am sure that the project will be a success but I grew up in a new, postwar town with a fully pedestrianised centre and it was rubbish. It would have been so much nicer with cars. To keep the retail streets pedestrian only, the town was ringed by ugly multi-storey car parks. And, at night, once the shops had closed, it was desolate. People preferred to drive to pubs and restaurants in nearby villages. Over the years the town centre became edgy at night; the walkways stank of wee. Meanwhile, neighbouring towns with traffic, movement and activity thrived.

The plans for Oxford Street seem full of potential. But just getting rid of cars is not enough. I will watch and wait a while before getting too giddy about this change.

Want to read more of Andrew’s columns? Click here.

In a city where tourism is increasingly seen as a threat to local culture, Barcelona’s independent bookshops are thriving. Even as cinemas close and small music venues disappear, the city’s number of bookshops has climbed to 140, a 30 per cent increase since 2008. According to the Catalan Guild of Booksellers, new openings have far surpassed closures in recent years, though some have struggled to keep their doors open. 

In 2024, the threatened closure of the historic Llibreria Sant Jordi triggered weeks of public mobilisation. While it ultimately shut, it reopened a year later with a gastronomic offering. The episode underscored deeper anxieties over skyrocketing rents, the declining use of Catalan and the strain that a tourism-driven economy places on local life. And yet, while more retailers stock titles in English and other languages, Catalan-language publishing is growing too. Barcelona’s new wave of bookshops has become a valuable refuge for locals and foreigners alike.

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Ona

Since launching as a small shop in Gràcia in 1962, Ona slowly built a reputation for its selection of Catalan literature. A few years ago, second-generation owner Montse Úbeda teamed up with entrepreneur Tatxo Benet to expand the business and, upon opening a 900 sq m space on Carrer Pau Claris in 2020, Ona became the world’s largest bookshop dedicated to Catalan-language books.

The boutique also stocks a selection of Catalan literature translated into 15 languages, from English to Mandarin. “We stock 1,500 references by authors who write in Catalan that have been translated into other languages,” says Ona’s director, Iolanda Batallé. “It’s painstaking work because we have to go publisher to publisher but we’re very proud of it.”  

Ona has grown fivefold over the past six years, hosting book clubs, talks and live music in its café space, as well as a busy schedule of events in its vast children’s section. “Most bookshops have only about 30 per cent of books in Catalan because Spanish takes over,” says Batallé. “Shops like Ona are very important for the growth of the Catalan publishing industry.”

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Llibreria Sant Jordi

When the longtime owner of Llibreria Sant Jordi, Josep Morales, passed away in 2024, the historic bookshop in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter announced that it would be closing its doors. After an appeal urging book lovers to buy its remaining stock, hundreds of people turned up to purchase discounted books on art, photography, design and illustration. The event morphed into a spontaneous tribute to a local business which – with its listed 19th-century wooden shopfront – had been a fixture of the street since the early 1980s. 

“The neighbours made it clear that they didn’t want yet another shop to close,” says Alba Biliotti, who now helps run the business under a new model. To the delight of locals, Llibreria Sant Jordi reopened its doors in December 2025 with most of its interiors unchanged. In the evenings after shoppers have left, the space transforms into a restaurant that hosts book clubs, literary discussions and dinners with authors. “Most people still come because it’s their local bookshop,” says Billiotti. “But now it has two different atmospheres. Some people come for dinner and walk out with a book, while others come to buy a book and end up staying for a drink.”

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3.
Laie

In 1980, four young women opened the doors of Laie on Barcelona’s Carrer de Pau Claris without much fanfare. “Back then it wasn’t customary to announce the opening of a bookshop; it wasn’t considered particularly newsworthy,” co-founder Conxita Guixà wrote for the shop’s 40th anniversary in 2020. “Perhaps three or four people came in during the first few hours.” Four decades later, Laie runs 35 outposts all over Spain, from Santiago de Compostela to Palma de Mallorca.

Fresh out of university, co-founders Conxita Guixà and Montse Moragas wanted to create a space dedicated to the humanities and critical thinking. It quickly became a meeting point for the city’s intellectuals, who would hide their favourite books in the wrong sections so that they could purchase them later. In the 1990s, a café and restaurant opened on the first floor. On any given day, you can still spot journalists, authors, playwrights and politicians conducting interviews or discussing book deals over a plate of ham croquetas or fish soup. “Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, walked in the other day and I had to act normal,” says literary director Damià Gallardo. “Laie has become a nerve centre of Barcelona’s culture; people have made it their own.”

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4.
Llibreria Byron

Huygens, a publisher dedicated to academic and educational titles, was planning to open its first bookshop in April 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit. When it finally opened months later, it was welcomed by locals who had rediscovered the pleasure of reading during Spain’s strict lockdowns. Founded by editor Mariana Sarrias and law professor Víctor M. Sánchez, Llibreria Byron – named after the British poet – opened with a café, quiet reading nooks and a space for events, designed with the ambition of giving neighbourhood residents a place to reconnect. “We decided to call it a bookshop but right from the start, we wanted it to be more than that: a place where culture is brought to life, not just sold in the form of books,” says Sarrias.

Byron has a large children’s and young-adult section, and a packed calendar of community events. Every Friday a group of neighbours from El Raval gathers for a philosophical coffee hour to debate a variety of questions from the dangers of consumerism to the role of uncertainty in daily life. These discussions often take place around a walnut-panelled fireplace that Sarrias found in an antiques shop and had restored before placing it at the heart of the shop. Though it’s powered by electricity, it still fulfils its intended purpose: to create a cosy, welcoming atmosphere for people to get lost in a book. In the evenings, Byron makes space for music too. The café’s grand piano is used for everything from jazz performances to renditions of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

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Llibreria Finestres

Llibreria Finestres (Catalan for “windows”) opened in 2021 inside a modernist building by architect Enric Sagnier. Just a few steps from Passeig de Gràcia, the shop was designed by Quintana Partners and is furnished with carpets, sofas, well-lit reading nooks and a fireplace. The retailer describes itself as “a bookshop for reading”, where patrons are invited to curl up with a book inside or linger on the terrace with a glass of vermut. 

A second location opened shortly after the first, dedicating its venue to comic books as well as publications on illustration and art. Thanks to its success, the business’s expansion has continued: another outpost arrived in the coastal town of Palamós last summer and in May, Finestres Palestina, an outlet devoted to Palestinian culture and literature, opened in the Gràcia neighbourhood. Designed by Valencia-based Palestinian architect Malek Murad Mateu, the latest addition features bright green sculptural bookshelves, hand-woven rugs and an indoor fountain inlaid with a mosaic map of Palestine.

Run by the Finestres Foundation, the bookshop is also behind several literary awards and writers’ residencies. Its impressively multilingual selection includes titles in English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Galician and Basque, alongside Spanish and Catalan.

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6.
Llibreria Calders

After several bookshops in Catalonia closed following the 2008 financial crisis, journalist and writer Isabel Sucunza and historian Abel Cutillas teamed up in 2014 to open a space to showcase the work of new small publishing houses. Named after Catalan writer Pere Calders, who lived in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood in his later years, Llibreria Calders occupies a former button factory in a small alley. It has gathered a loyal following for prioritising local authors over bestsellers. “At the time there were very few independent bookshops in Barcelona,” says Sucunza. “There also wasn’t a single one named after an author.”

The space resembles a vast wine cellar, with dark bookcases set against bare stone walls. Customers seek it out for its well-stocked poetry section, as well as its selection of titles on theatre and dramatic theory. “Poetry wasn’t so central to the bookshop at first but as soon as we started hosting recitals, we noticed that there was a huge demand for it,” says Sucunza. Readers can continue to pay homage to one of Catalonia’s most famed writers at the nearby bar, Calders, which serves “dishes of exile” inspired by the author’s banishment to Mexico after the Spanish Civil War.

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7.
Llibreria Terranova

A bookshop that specialises in art publications occupies a former shoe boutique on the corner of a 19th-century building in Sant Antoni. When the space became available in 2020, it caught the eye of Lucía Bonet and Luis Cerveró, who had long dreamt of opening a dedicated outpost of their publishing house, Terranova.

With the help of furniture design studio Owl, the pair restored the modernist listed building’s original features, including its tall ceilings and white wooden floorboards. The original bookshelves, which once stored shoe boxes, returned to their olive-green colour, while a custom-made central island that sits in the centre of the space was painted the same bright red as the Vico Magistretti Carimate chairs scattered throughout.

The shop features Terranova’s design-focused publications, alongside a broader selection of titles on art, fashion and design. Highlights include Servilletas, a book by photographer Felipe Hernández on napkins gathered from bars across Spain, and Sofia Coppola’s visual history of Chanel’s haute-couture designs.

Rather than sorting books by category, the duo has decided to arrange them randomly for customers to stumble upon as they browse. The shop hosts monthly exhibitions and houses a collection of rare books, which are available to view by appointment.

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8.
Altaïr

With so many visitors regularly passing through the city, it’s perhaps not surprising that Barcelona is home to Europe’s biggest travel specialist bookshops. In 1979, Pep Bernadas founded Altaïr – named after one of the brightest stars in the night sky – in a small space in Barcelona’s El Raval neighbourhood, where he began to collect guidebooks. It quickly outgrew that first venue and, for the past 20 years, has occupied a vast space spanning three floors in the Eixample, where globetrotters can peruse an unparalleled selection of maps, travel guides and titles that cover every corner of the world. “The only country that we haven’t been able to get any books on is San Marino,” says Altaïr’s director, Helena Bernadas.

Books are organised by country in order of their proximity to Spain, from an extensive selection of publications on Barcelona all the way to a section on Oceania downstairs. Since 1992 the business has also housed a travel agency and an online magazine of the same name, both of which are centred on a “more anthropological than touristic” approach to travel. It is the bookshop, however, that plays the most important role in preparing for any trip. “We like to put together a curated reading list for our customers that includes guides but also fiction or poetry,” says Bernadas. “There are a million different ways to engage with Japanese culture, for example, so we try to find the titles that best reflect our customers’ specific interests.”

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9.
Llibreria +Bernat

During his teenage years, Carles Armengol helped his parents’ business by serving tables at their restaurant in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. When the establishment eventually closed in 2012 after 80 years in the family, Armengol began to write. His debut book, Collado: La maldición de una casa de comidas (Collado: The Curse of a Diner), was published in 2022 and explores his complicated feelings about the restaurant industry.

Today Armengol has brought his two passions – food and literature – into a single space. After he presented his novel at +Bernat, the bookshop’s owner, Montse Serrano, offered him the opportunity to open a café inside the shop. Today +Bernat describes itself as a place where “literature feeds you”. Walls lined with the latest releases surround tables where Armengol serves a simple lunch menu of classic Catalan dishes, such as fideu casserole or chickpea stew with calamari. He spends the rest of the day assembling sandwiches named after classics made with local produce, from Crime and Punishment (sobressada and Minorcan cheese, roast aubergine and honey) to Il Gattopardo (mortadella from Bologna with cashew pesto, scamorza and spinach). “A café and a bookshop are destined to work well together,” says Fernando Pelayo, who runs the bookshop while Armengol tends the bar. “They make each other stand out.”

Further reading?
– Leaf through London with 10 bookshops that are bound to please
– Seven Amsterdam bookshops worth writing home about
– Ten of the best bookshops in Paris

On Monday morning Londoners will awake to a seismic change in how the city gets around. A 1km stretch of Oxford Street, one of the most famous retail strips in the world, will suddenly be for pedestrians only. No buses, taxis or bicycles will be allowed along a part of the road between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. It’s a switch that was first mooted in the 1960s and that – at various stages – residents, retailers and local councils have thwarted. Determined to deliver the project, London mayor Sadiq Khan set up a development corporation in January that gave him the necessary planning powers to push the measure through. Some 10 months later, it’s happening.

On Sunday night, teams will come in to remove bus stops and redundant traffic signals but it will take some months for new seating, plazas and planting to be added. Nabeel Khan, the new corporation’s chief executive, says that Monday “is going to be the start of what will be a period of change, test and review”. He makes it clear that the key ambition is to make a vibrant street that works for Londoners and visitors. “The economic performance of this street and the wider West End is critical. And all the evidence suggests that once you pedestrianise a space and make it easier for people to visit, to dwell, this results in more spending for retailers.”

Will it work? Pedestrianisation is not always a panacea. In the UK during the 1960s, for example, many town centres lost footfall and became hangouts for vagrants and pockets of crime without the bustle of traffic. Oxford Street will only thrive if it becomes a public space that people have affection for and use, if security is robust and if it does not become a police-car-free haven for pickpockets and phone-snatchers. The ambition, however, is there.

On Monday, Monocle Radio’s ‘The Globalist’ will be reporting live from Oxford Street.

Further reading
Interview: Sadiq Khan on designing the London of the future

After decades of failure, are North America’s pedestrian malls on the road to success?

A short time ago, in a country far, far to the right, a museum opened to great fanfare and much debate in the art world. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (LMNA) in Los Angeles is the $1bn (€892m) brainchild of George Lucas, creator of Star Wars and co-creator of Indiana Jones, and his wife, Mellody Hobson. When the futuristic Ma Yansong-designed building recently opened its doors to the public, many critics took the museum’s apparent anti-intellectualism as a Death Star-style attack on the Western museum. The LMNA – which, in a conscious effort to elevate the art of illustration, employs a laconic labelling system and prioritises experience over academic explanation – stands accused of collapsing the supposed boundaries between high and low culture.

The question at the heart of the row is a simple one: should an art museum make us think or feel? Describing the LMNA as everything from “upending the art world” to bringing “the history of the Western art museum to its inevitable conclusion”, the critics seem to suggest that the experience of art is somehow separate to understanding it. Lucas disagrees. In an interview with Vogue, the world-builder put his cards on the Sabacc table. “My feeling is that art is emotional,” he said. “It’s not intellectual. Are you emotionally connected to it? If you’re connected, it’s art. And if you’re not, then it’s not art.”

Lucas isn’t alone. As LMNA was lambasted across the media galaxy, the Fondation Beyeler unveiled three new buildings by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in a picturesque slice of suburban Basel. Forming part of its “expanded ensemble”, the additions meld into a now-public parkland that all but doubles the footprint of Switzerland’s most-visited museum (more on this in Monocle’s just-published Design Directory).

Like Lucas, Zumthor builds superstructures on the foundation of his beliefs. His architectural style leans on feelings through spaces that prioritise sensory experience and emotional resonance. “Feelings encompass much more than thinking,” he says. “Your emotions contain things that you don’t even consciously remember.” This is not to say that Zumthor dismisses intellect out of hand. “But let’s not make museums too didactical,” he adds.

Lucas and Zumthor’s desire to do away with art-world didacticism is at odds with the view of critics who believe that museums are essentially places that provide context, interpretation and intellectual architecture for the understanding of art. But these are not just places to think and contextualise; they’re also places to stretch out emotionally, to reach for fresh feelings and new ways of understanding ourselves. Meanwhile, one critic wrote that he left the LMNA disappointed because he failed to learn anything beyond what he already knew, which sounds suspiciously like someone who went in search of facts and was frustrated to find art.

Just as impressionism emerged as a reaction to the stale sobriety of academic painting, art museums that premise feeling and sensuality are not aberrations but natural reactions to the heady pace of modernity. People don’t want to walk into galleries that make them feel dull or stupid – they want galleries that make them feel human. Or, at least, feel something. If impressionism was “the new painting”, the LMNA and Fondation Beyeler are the new museums. The critical backlash can be put down to the fact that the new almost always comes as a shock. But in an era of heightened instability, perhaps the likes of Lucas and Zumthor are simply bringing balance to the force.

For Serbians, Sunday’s parliamentary elections will feel like a novelty. It might be the country’s seventh such vote since 2012 but, for the first time in 14 years, the result will not be easy to predict.

Aleksandar Vučić is facing an unfamiliar challenge. None of the elections since his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) entered government have featured a credible alternative proposition for voters. Whether serving as president or prime minister, he has been the undisputed man in charge, taking control of so many aspects of government that critics mockingly dubbed him “Superman”. The Vučić-friendly media has embraced the label, portraying him as the tireless, sleepless protector of the Serbian people.

This time, however, most opposition parties have stepped aside to allow a clear run for the Student List, a grassroots anti-corruption movement fielding candidates to run against the former president. In a move that indicates wisdom beyond their years, the students have not put themselves forward as a potential government. Instead they have nominated uncontroversial academics and athletes, alongside a few economists and engineers.

Heart surgeon Ilija Srdanović is at the top of the candidate list. If the Student List wins, he is the most likely to become prime minister. On the campaign trail, Srdanović has proven himself to be a snappy dresser with wit to match. Like the rest of the Student List, however, he has no prior political experience. The movement insists that this is a strength rather than a weakness. From a wide range of professional backgrounds, the student-approved candidates are – crucially – untainted by the suspicion of corruption and cronyism that clings to most of Serbia’s political class.

But the nature of the opposition is not the only obstacle that Vučić faces. His kryptonite is arguably the event that triggered the student protests. Sixteen people died in November 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station in Serbia’s second city, Novi Sad. This was not a crumbling piece of ex-Yugoslav architecture but a key part of Vučić’s signature infrastructure project: the high-speed railway linking Belgrade to Budapest.

Distancing himself from the disaster was always going to be difficult. Two years prior, Vučić held a rally at the re-opening of the facility alongside Hungary’s then-prime minister, Viktor Orbán. From the top of the station canopy, the message from the speeches was clear: the railway project was going to transport the country into the future and voters could trust Vučić to be the man behind the wheel.

Above all else, this projection of competence has been the key to Vučić’s electoral success. Detractors – and international monitors – have correctly highlighted the SNS’s domination of media coverage and its use of state resources to boost its share of the vote. But a significant proportion of Serbia’s voters just liked the cut of Vučić’s jib. As long as they saw him as a strong leader who was making life better in Serbia, they were willing to look the other way when it came to allegations of authoritarianism.

The Novi Sad disaster significantly dented Vučić’s public perception. Now the question is: will the Student List be able to take advantage of the former leader’s tainted image where other opposition movements have failed? Vučić has resigned as president so that he can lead the SNS’s list of candidates for prime minister. In essence, he is betting everything on the hope that enough of his “Superman” aura remains.

They say a musician’s sophomore album is always the hardest: after the critical acclaim of a breakout debut, expectation weighs heavy on an artist and production team. The same could be said for the follow-up edition of a magazine. Which raises the question: for the Monocle Design Directory’s second outing, how could we step it up? We didn’t want this issue to simply be a showcase of good-looking design – a round-up of handsome products and projects. Rather, we wanted to seek out people and places that demonstrate the impact that design can have beyond aesthetically pleasing architecture, and how it shapes communities and cultures.

To do so, we touched down in Baghdad to trace the work of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. Commissioned by the country’s ruling powers in the mid-20th century, the duo played a part in transforming the Iraqi capital into a major Western-style city. The ambition? To distinguish it from other Arab metropolises that were looking to the Soviet Union for inspiration. It was architecture intended to empower and embody a young nation, though it was ultimately co-opted by dictators. Yet it shaped a generation of Iraqi architects, including Rifat Chadirji. “I thought it imperative that, sooner or later, Iraq create for itself an architecture that is regional in character,” wrote Chadirji. The architect would go on to do exactly that.

We also saw how architecture can influence artistic experience, visiting the Fondation Beyeler near Basel, which has been newly expanded with three structures by Peter Zumthor. “Let’s not make museums too didactic,” he told Monocle’s Blake Matich. The result is a set of buildings that prioritise the viewer’s experience: there’s no artistic preamble, wall labels are spare and art is positioned so that visitors encounter it immediately. Large windows and abundant light put the galleries into conversation with the surrounding landscape. It’s a welcome reaction to screen and information saturation.

Design’s ability to transform economies is also on show, with the municipality as patron and dealmaker in Saint-Étienne. The French city is offering affordable studio space to creatives and grants to businesses that hire designers in a bid to supercharge its economy. In a similar vein, Brussels-based Rotor is building circular economies by reviving reuse, a practice that was the norm until industrial materials made new products cheaper than those that exist already.

All of this is rounded out by visits to communities in Kyoto, New York and Florence, where makers and quality of life go hand in hand. It’s a reminder that we can design the lives that we want, with creatives marching to the beat of their own drum.

As the stories in our Design Directory have demonstrated, the global design industry is thriving. Here we have compiled an international directory of the firms, studios and individuals at the top of their game, drawing on the crafts and vernaculars of the countries where they work to produce objects and buildings that enhance our lives.

Austria

The country’s contemporary designers build on a foundation of secessionist art and early modernist rigour.

Bernardo Bader
This Vorarlberg-based studio’s practice draws on the region’s timber-building traditions and exacting craftsmanship.
Klostergasse 9A, Bregenz
+43 5574 44440, bernardobader.com

Daniel Fügenschuh
Innsbruck architect behind light-filled houses, schools and rooftop extensions, with a gift for breathing new life into existing buildings.
Höttinger Auffahrt 11, Innsbruck
+43 5122 38601, fuegenschuh.at

Mostlikely
Architecture studio known for designing markets, civic buildings and public spaces. Most recently, it completed Vienna’s Naschmarkt, a hybrid timber market hall and public green space.
Schottenfeldgasse 62/2/22, Vienna
+43 1 890 8921, mostlikely.at

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Belgium

Tapping into a storied heritage of art nouveau and Flemish urbanism, modern Belgian design is a leader in minimalist creativity.

Bas Smets
Landscape architect who designs with the climate and microclimates in mind, working with prevailing conditions to create welcoming, self-sustaining environments.
Place Eugène Flagey 7, Brussels
+32 2 219 75 21, bassmets.be

Veld
Architecture and urbanism practice designing housing and mixed-use city blocks, including in the canalside City Dox district.
Square Eugène Plasky 92-94, Brussels
+32 2 381 01 12, veld.work

Vincent Van Duysen
Architect and designer (and Molteni creative director) renowned for creating pared-back, material-rich homes and furniture.
Lombardenvest 34, Antwerp
+32 3 205 91 90, vincentvanduysen.com

WeWantMore
Studio that fuses branding and identity work to create engaging, narrative-driven spaces.
Hessenstraatje 1G, Antwerp
+32 3 290 62 73, wewantmore.studio

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Czechia

From gothic towers to brutalist works, Czech architecture offers a wide range of styles. Today the nation is a pioneer in adaptive reuse.

SOA Architekti
Renowned for its thoughtful, community-minded approach to schools and civic infrastructure, including an extension to Prague’s Deutsche Schule.
Vaclavske namesti 828/23, Prague
+420 774 322 109, s-o-a.cz

TaK Architects
Adept at marrying old and new, this studio has worked on heritage sites, transformed historic city gates and made gentle additions to civic spaces.
Hollarovo namesti 2275/2, Prague
+420 272 730 714, tak2002.cz

U/U Studio
Architecture studio that turns neglected urban spaces such as underpasses into sculptural skateparks and lively public areas.
Kamenicka 5, Prague
+420 724 819 859, uustudio.cz

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Denmark

A new generation of designers is now standing on the shoulders of the country’s mid-century masters, ensuring that Denmark remains a leader in functional minimalism.

Asca Studio
Cassandra Bradfield and Sofia Olsson’s studio for material-focused interiors and objects, spanning hospitality, retail and homes.
Sturlasgade 14, Copenhagen
ascastudio.com

Atelier Axo
Copenhagen studio that designs galleries, boutiques and furniture with crisp geometry and warm materials.
Bredgade 66, Copenhagen
+45 22 25 65 47, atelier-axo.com

Cecilie Manz
Designer making elegant utilitarian objects, from chairs and speakers to lamps and textiles.
Sølvgade 7, Copenhagen
+45 26 25 10 34, ceciliemanz.com

GamFratesi
Danish-Italian duo fusing Nordic craft with Italian conceptual rigour, making furniture for the likes of Gubi, Koyori and Porro.
Vermundsgade 40B, Copenhagen
+45 51 90 01 17, gamfratesi.com

Henning Larsen
Founded in 1959, Henning Larsen is celebrated for light-filled civic buildings such as Reykjavik’s glittering Harpa concert hall.
Vesterbrogade 76, Copenhagen
henninglarsen.com

Maria Bruun
Furniture designer winning awards for her sculptural contemporary updates to Denmark’s traditional design heritage.
+45 51 29 78 20, mariabruun.com

OEO Studio
Danish practice with Japanese sensibilities creating pared-back furniture and restaurant, retail and hotel interiors.
Forbindelsesvej 12, Copenhagen
+45 41 42 21 00, oeo.dk

SLA
Nature-based studio of landscape architects and biologists creating biodiverse parks and urban spaces.
Njalsgade 17B, Pakhus 2, Copenhagen
+45 33 91 13 16, sla.dk

Spacon
Cross-disciplinary studio that specialises in world-building, combining architecture, scenography and furniture design.
Løgstørgade 2, Copenhagen
spacon.studio

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Finland

The home of organic modernism, Finland has a contemporary scene that celebrates natural materials and human-centred design, while making room for new ideas and technological innovations too.

Avarrus Architects
Helsinki practice that champions traditional construction materials and methods, such as the use of solid brick and natural ventilation.
Punavuorenkatu 1, Helsinki
+358 40 517 4241, avarrus.fi

Sistem
Storied interiors firm that has completed more than 1,600 workplaces, schools and public spaces since its foundation in 1972.
Bulevardi 5A5, Helsinki
+358 9 636 520, sistem.fi

Studio Kukkapuro
Established by the late Yrjö Kukkapuro and run by his daughter, this Kauniainen-based museum continues to release colourful, playful archival designs.
Alppitie 23, Kauniainen
+358 9 505 1080, studiokukkapuro.com

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France

French design expands on centuries of haute-couture craftsmanship, pairing new technologies with exceptional handicrafts.

Corpus Studio
Design practice that plays with form and materiality to create sculptural, geometric architecture, interiors and furniture.
+33 1 71 20 31 01, corpus.studio

Chzon
Dorothée Meilichzon’s studio weaves local history into cinematic hotels, bars, restaurants and lounges.
54 Rue Greneta, Paris, chzon.com

Garnier & Linker
École Camondo-trained duo making lights and furniture in alabaster, plaster and cast glass in partnership with French ateliers.
22 Rue de l’Echiquier, Paris
+33 6 73 51 76 18, garnieretlinker.com

Hall Haus
Young collective taking inspiration from Bauhaus design, the African and Arabic diasporas, and street culture to create bold furniture and scenography.
shop.hall.haus

L’Atelier Senzu
Paris-based practice creating climate-sensitive architecture through adaptive reuse, renovation and low-carbon architectural interventions.
5 Rue de Charonne, Paris
+33 1 75 43 76 31, lateliersenzu.com

Lina Ghotmeh
Beirut-born architect committed to paying tribute to place and shaping culture and communities through large-scale housing and civic projects.
75 Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, Paris
+33 1 43 38 12 47, linaghotmeh.com

Modern Metier
Design house commissioning craft-made furniture and lighting by emerging European creatives.
102 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, Paris
+33 1 87 66 45 22, modernmetier.com

Pierre Yovanovitch
Designer who creates sculptural, shapely furniture and calming interior spaces.
6 Rue Beauregard, Paris
+33 1 40 98 98 90, pierreyovanovitch.com

Pierre-Alexis Guinet
Art director helping luxury clients to understand and express their identity through narrative-led brand-development campaigns.
pierrealexisguinet.com

Studio KO
One of the most sought-after contemporary studios, Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty’s firm has a reputation for atmospheric, tactile interiors, furniture and architecture.
6 Bis Rue Gabriel Laumain, Paris
+33 1 42 71 13 92, studioko.fr

Studio Marant
Creative agency with a sharp eye for emerging collectable design, connecting artists, designers and brands.
studiomarant.com

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Germany

There’s more to German design than the Bauhaus and industrial precision. The country’s contemporary design scene is a respected leader in efficient architecture and savvy design.

Büro Ole Scheeren
Practice known for building tall towers with a sensitivity to place and human scale – showing that bigger can also be better.
Gubener Strasse 47 (Fabrik), Berlin
+49 30 346492830, buro-os.com

Kéré Architecture
Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Francis Kéré’s Berlin studio has a focus on using regional materials and building capacity in communities.
Arndtstrasse 34, Berlin
+49 30 78952391, kerearchitecture.com

Sebastian Herkner
Industrial designer bringing raw materials and craft to contemporary industrial-production methods.
Ludwigstrasse 4, Offenbach am Main
+49 69 82368081, sebastianherkner.com

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Greece

Classical antiquity and modern regionalism combine to define the contemporary Greek design scene.

K-Studio
Architecture studio known for making hotels, housing developments and cultural venues at scale.
Isavron 5, Athens
+30 210 677 7522, k-studio.gr

Local Local
Architecture practice focused on reworking historic buildings with Greek materials and a minimalist aesthetic, while displaying a sensitivity to context.
Xenokratous 15, Athens
localocal.org

Objects of Common Interest
Split between Athens and New York, this studio is turning heads for its colour-shifting objects, furniture and installations that sit at the intersection of art and design.
Plateia Karytsi 6, Athens
+30 210 331 2860, objectsofcommoninterest.com

Point Supreme Architects
A studio creating sunny, contemporary residences with bright colours and raw materials.
pointsupreme.com

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Italy

Renaissance roots and postwar radical design continue to have an influence on contemporary Italian design, which now strikes a balance between industrial efficiency and elegant opulence.

AMDL Circle
Acclaimed architect Michele de Lucchi’s studio works at all scales, from well-designed desk chairs to community master plans.
Via Varese 15, Milan
+39 02 637 8681, amdlcircle.com

Casa Milana
Furniture and interiors studio pairing Brianza craftsmanship with a commitment to promoting wellbeing, exploring the link between the mind, the body and the spaces that we inhabit.
casamilana.it

Diez Office
Industrial-design studio that is a pioneer of modular and repairable furniture, as well as lighting for circular economies.
Via Sarson 185, Bassano del Grappa
diezoffice.com

Dimorestudio
Interiors and furniture studio creating moody, nostalgic works that mix mid-century traditions with contemporary influences.
Via Solferino 11, Milan
+39 02 3653 7088, dimorestudio.eu

Federica Biasi
Industrial designer making clean-lined, organically curving furniture and objects for major design labels.
Via Privata Giovanni Ventura 5, Milan
+39 340 551 3672, federicabiasi.com

Harry Thaler
South Tyrolean designer whose studio is capable of distilling grand ideas down to singular forms and visions.
Zona Industriale 8, Lana
harrythaler.it

Keiji Takeuchi
Milan-based Japanese designer constructing precise furniture and lighting.
Via Giuseppe Ripamonti 15, Milan
+39 02 3669 6624, keijitakeuchi.com

Parasite 2.0
Research-led architecture practice responding to modern challenges such as resource shortages and environmental pressures.
Via Boncompagni 51/10, Milan
parasiteparasite.com

Raffaella Mangiarotti
Designer creating sensual domestic objects spanning ceramics, furniture, lighting and appliances.
Via Alfonso Lamarmora 40, Milan
+39 333 815 6840, raffaellamangiarotti.com

Studio Klass
Milan-headquartered industrial-design studio producing clean-lined furniture and objects.
Corso Magenta 56, Milan
+39 02 0995 9003, studioklass.com

Simple Flair
Creative agency responsible for the lived-in Simple Flair Apartments in Milan and New York that double as design showcases.
Via Gorani 4, Milan
simpleflair.it

Studioutte
Milan studio that has a well-earned reputation for its warm, minimalist interiors and solid-wood furniture.
Via Volturno 45, Milan
+39 02 3293 2044, studioutte.com

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Ireland

The rugged Irish landscape shapes the country’s modern architecture and design scene with a creative output defined by robust and timeless works.

Grafton Architects
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara’s Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning practice reshapes communities for the better with its cultural, civic and housing projects.
12-14 College Green, Dublin
+353 1 671 3365, graftonarchitects.ie

Ryan W Kennihan Architects
Dublin practice designing distinctive, stout houses and public buildings rooted in the Irish landscape and vernacular.
30 Mountjoy Square, Dublin
+353 1 888 1916, rwka.com

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Malta

At their best, Maltese designers deliver smart enhancements that bolster the appeal of the island’s ancient fortifications and rocky shores.

Chris Briffa Architects
A studio weaving new interventions into historical structures.
146 St Paul Street, Valletta
+356 2122 1407, chrisbriffa.com

Richard England
The sculptural, light-filled buildings of Maltese architecture’s elder statesman fuse modernism with Mediterranean tradition.
18 Oleander Street, The Gardens, St Julian’s
+356 9925 4363

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Netherlands

Contemporary Dutch design brings together the legacies of game-changing 20th-century movements and centuries of water management, frequently resulting in savvy, sustainable works.

Aldo Bakker
Industrial designer making sculptural objects in glass, copper and urushi lacquer.
Rechtboomssloot 89H, Amsterdam
aldobakker.com

Bothi
Design house that makes furniture, lighting and objects with Dutch manufacturers and independent creators.
Buiksloterweg 95, Amsterdam
+31 6 20965875, bothi.design

Mecanoo
Practice creating civic landmarks that are reflective of their communities, taking a poetic approach to places and serving the needs of their users.
Oude Delft 203, Delft
+31 15 2798100, mecanoo.nl

Piet Oudolf
Garden designer known for naturalistic planting built around seasonality and microclimatic understanding.
Broekstraat 17, Hummelo
+31 314 381120, oudolf.com

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Norway

Nordic timber traditions and fjord landscapes have influenced generations of Norwegian designers to create climate-sensitive, smartly crafted works.

Anderssen & Voll
Studio behind robust, cleverly engineered furniture and lighting, typically in natural materials.
Trondheimsveien 2, Oslo
anderssen-voll.com

Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter
Architects using timber to make homes and cabins that sit lightly in the Norwegian landscape.
Hegdehaugsveien 14, Oslo
gartnerfuglen.com

Oslo Works
Architecture studio working across interiors, identity and more.
Gøteborggata 27B, Oslo
+47 400 03 032, oslo.works

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Poland

Born of a rich craft tradition and the legacy of postwar modernism, the Polish design industry skilfully melds tradition with innovation.

Jan Strumillo
Architect, urbanist and graphic designer interested in housing and its intersections with sociology, economics and sustainability.
Ulica Szpitalna 6A, Lokal 5, Warsaw
+48 504 059 884, janstrumillo.com

Maja Ganszyniec Studio
Industrial design practice creating elegant furniture and homeware for both Polish and international brands.
Odynca 9/4, Warsaw
studioganszyniec.com

89 Stopni
Studio working on everything from architecture to branding, imbuing projects with emotion and a strong sense of place.
Ulica Marszałkowska 27/35, Warsaw

Cudo
This architecture firm’s recent hospitality projects have helped to reshape Warsaw’s modern culinary and commercial landscape.
Powstancow Slaskich 112, Wrocław
+48 732 012 032, cudostudio.pl

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Portugal

Modern Portuguese design melds artisan crafts, minimalism and a proud sense of regionalism to produce places and items with a distinct Lusitanian charm.

Aires Mateus
Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus’s architecture studio produces work that plays with volume and geometry.
Rua de Campolide 62, Lisbon
+351 213 827 500, airesmateus.com

Atelier Miguel Marcelino
Architect known for bold, sculptural concrete buildings.
Calçada da Boa-Hora 87, Lisbon
+351 213 472 265, marcelino.pt

Hugo Passos
Designer making furniture and objects that invite play and joy into daily life.
hugopassos.com

Luso Collective
Lisbon-based independent creative platform uniting Portugal-based design studios, makers and independent practices.
luso.works

Mircea Anghel
Romanian-born designer making handcrafted furniture and lighting with an emphasis on materiality.
Herdade da Barrsinha, Alcácer do Sal
mirceaanghel.com

Origin Made
Portuguese brand producing furniture, objects and lighting in cork, clay, wood and stone.
Rua do Almada 586/588, Porto
+351 965 322 249, origin-made.com

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Spain

From Moorish architecture to Catalan modernism, Spanish designers have a rich history of sunny vernaculars to inspire them.

Bofill Taller de Arquitectura
The late Ricardo Bofill’s studio furthers his legacy, making colourful, monumental geometric architecture.
Avenida de la Indústria 14, Barcelona
+34 934 999 900, bofill.com

Isern Serra
Interior designer creating minimalist spaces and furniture, in which raw materials and soft light do the talking.
Carrer de Llull, 47-49, Barcelona
+34 65 029 3485, isernserra.com

Isla Architects
Architecture practice that prioritises place and culture, revealing hidden potential and championing craft.
Tous i Maroto 12, Entlo B, Palma, Mallorca
+34 871 036 937, isla-architects.com

Jorge Penadés
This designer turns waste – from leather offcuts to cork refuse – into handsome furniture.
Ronda de Toledo 16, Madrid
+34 91 552 4270, penades.xyz

Locus Landscape Architecture
Landscape practice with studios in Madrid, Seville and Marbella, known for its tranquil outdoor spaces.
Calle Maestro Ripoll 5, Madrid
+34 67 547 1342, locuslandscape.com

Ohlab
Design studio that embraces the elements and material innovation, producing environmentally sensitive hotels, homes and restaurants.
Francesc de Borja Moll 6A, Palma de Mallorca
+34 971 919 909, ohlab.net

Viruta Lab
This studio draws on local heritage in homes such as Casa Cabanyal, a fisherman’s house reworked with blue-and-white tiling.
Calle del Mar 47, Valencia
+34 622 876 384, virutalab.com

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Sweden

Scandinavian functionalism meets cutting-edge innovation, from industrial circularity to flat-pack designs, resulting in a creative economy whose products are as useful as they are sleek.

Contem
Innovative furniture company known for turning timber felled for Dutch elm disease into traceable, locally made collections.
Tavastgatan 2B, Stockholm
contemfurniture.com

Form Us with Love
Studio with a focus on reforming the industry by working closely with materials and producers to make furniture, lighting, acoustic panels and more.
Norr Mälarstrand 58, Stockholm
+46 736 41 66 99, formuswithlove.se

Joy Objects
Stockholm brand that does exactly what its name suggests, creating playful chairs, benches and storage solutions.
joyobjects.com

Veermakers
Interior designer Louise Liljencrantz’s made-to-order furniture, built in workshops in Stockholm and Fiskars, is rich in materiality and detail.
Brahegatan 26, Stockholm
+46 76 654 00 05, veermakers.com

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Switzerland

Precision meets Alpine engineering traditions in Switzerland, whose creative community delivers work that’s both practical and expressive.

Design by INI
Neuchâtel-based US designer Ini Archibong makes otherworldly contemporary sculptural furniture, glass and watches.
designbyini.com

Karamuk Kuo
Studio known for the expressive quality of its structures, whether working on schools, sports halls or public buildings.
Binzstrasse 29, Zürich
+41 44 533 08 20, karamukkuo.com

Leopold Banchini Architects
Practice renowned for creating sensitive, richly detailed homes across the globe.
Rue De-Grenus 12, Geneva
leopoldbanchini.com

Panter&Tourron
Lausanne-based duo Stefano Panterotto and Alexis Tourron blend industrial and craft traditions to make furniture, objects and exhibition designs.
Avenue Bergières 22, Lausanne
pantertourron.com

Sébastien El Idrissi
Industrial designer known for distilling objects such as coffee roasters, side tables and planters down to their archetypal forms.
Baurstrasse 2, Zürich
sebastienelidrissi.com

Studio Seitz
Swiss-American furniture firm that makes pared-back, locally made pieces in an Alpine workshop.
Hauptstrasse 5, Muotathal
studioseitz.com

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Turkey

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey boasts a lively contemporary design scene that blends modern urban innovation with the legacy of Byzantine-Ottoman craftsmanship.

Autoban
Working across architecture, interiors and product and experiential design, this Istanbul-based firm has risen to prominence with its work on hospitality projects and its transport-hub innovations.
Dibek Sokak 48, Istanbul
+90 212 243 86 41, autoban.com

Sour
Design studio based between Istanbul and New York that tackles social and urban problems through architecture, research and public tools.
Asmali Mescid Mahallesi Nergiz Sokak, Karateke Is Hani, 8/5, Beyoglu, Istanbul
+90 212 243 90 45, sour.studio

Superpool
Design practice that combines architecture with urban research, known for its housing, schools and mapping projects.
Büyük Parmakkapi Sokak 14/4, Istanbul
+90 212 252 74 24, superpool.org

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United Kingdom

Despite a design history that spans everything from brutalist experimentation to a Georgian focus on symmetry and proportion, the UK doesn’t rest on its laurels. Its contemporary scene remains among the most exciting in the world, marked by material innovation and a playful approach to architecture.

Alison Brooks Architects
Stirling Prize-winning studio best known for its sculptural housing and materially rich education buildings.
53-79 Highgate Road, London
+44 20 7267 9777, alisonbrooksarchitects.com

Andu Masebo
London-based furniture and product designer whose sleek objects sit at the intersection of craft and industry.
andumasebo.com

Feilden Fowles
This environmentally minded practice makes low-carbon timber and rammed-earth-inspired buildings, such as those in the gardens of Tate Britain gallery.
8 Royal Street, London
+44 20 7033 4594, feildenfowles.co.uk

Frost Collective
Vince Frost’s strategic design studio shapes brands, wayfinding and places. Founded in Sydney, it’s back in London 20 years after closing its last UK outpost.
300 St John Street, London
+44 20 7362 0775, frostcollective.com

Holloway Li
Alex Holloway and Na Li’s studio makes bold, intricate and research-driven interiors and architecture for hospitality and retail companies.
6 Baker’s Yard, London
+44 20 7993 5997, hollowayli.com

Joe Armitage
London lighting specialist known for his cleverly engineered and playful modernist pieces.
joearmitage.com

Boronkay Studio
Founded by Linda Boronkay, this London studio specialises in what it calls “spatial couture” – colourful, layered residential and hospitality interiors.
60 Gray’s Inn Road, London
boronkay.studio

Michael Anastassiades
This Cyprus-born, London-based designer creates considered, geometric lighting and furniture, often employing polished brass.
50 Rochester Place, London
+44 20 7928 7527, michaelanastassiades.com

Philippe Malouin
Born in Quebec but based in London, designer Philippe Malouin’s experimental interiors and furniture – from tables and chairs to sofas and lighting – play with notions of making and materiality.
+44 20 3222 5531, philippemalouin.com

Rio Kobayashi
Japanese designer and maker whose irreverent furniture and characterful interiors often feature bold primary colours and unusual shapes.
3 Independent Place, London
riokobayashi.com

Simone Brewster
Designer and artist whose furniture, vessels and jewellery explore notions of identity and form through the lens of black British and Afro-Caribbean histories.
simonebrewster.co.uk

Bahrain

Contemporary design in the Kingdom of Bahrain has long reflected the country’s island heritage, Dilmun history and pearl-diving lineage.

Maraj
This emerging architecture and design studio run by Latifa Alkhayat and Maryam Aljomairi focuses on research informed by culture and the climate.
maraj.works

Studio Anne Holtrop
The practice of a Dutch architect working between Bahrain and Amsterdam, known for materially-rich cultural, retail and hospitality projects.
Building 1502, Road 1551, Muharraq
anneholtrop.nl

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Egypt

With a deep connection to desert landscapes, as well as the legacies of the nation’s pharaonic and Islamic histories, modern practices in Egypt excel in climate-smart residential architecture and creating localised brand identities.

Dar Arafa Architecture
This Cairo-based practice designs slick contemporary homes and public buildings that respect both the needs of the environment and materiality.
New Cairo 1, Cairo Governorate
+20 10 2600 0669, dararafa.com

Matter
Based between the Egyptian capital and Riyadh, this brand consultancy focuses on building identities, naming and packaging for some of the region’s biggest companies.
2 El Malek El Afdal, Cairo
matterbranding.com

Shahira Fahmy Architects
Giza-based architecture studio whose research-led cultural and residential projects draw on Egypt’s desert landscapes and heritage.
10 Geziret Al Arab Street, Giza
+20 2 3749 6144, sfahmy.com

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Ethiopia

Contemporary Ethiopian design has a bountiful hinterland of ancient, rock-cut masonry and indigenous crafts.

Miriam Hillawi Abraham
Addis Ababa-born architect and designer exploring craft, memory and urban change through objects, installations and space.
miriamhillawi.com

RAAS Architects
A leading voice, working on housing, education and civic buildings.
Gabon Street, Enat Bank Building, Addis Ababa
+251 114 160 303, raasarchitects.com

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Ghana

Modern Ghanaian design is informed by the country’s tropical vernaculars and vibrant urban cultures.

Dot Ateliers
Design residency that facilitates the exchange of perspectives, knowledge and experiences in Ghana.
254A Third Kaadjano Street, Accra
dotateliers.space

Limbo Accra
Spatial-design collective that encourages the reclamation of forgotten and abandoned spaces, transforming unfinished buildings into new opportunities.
limboaccra.online

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Lebanon

Taking cues from Levantine craft and mid-century cosmopolitanism, modern Lebanese design blends art deco and graphic geometry into light-filled architecture and fine bespoke furniture.

A130
Studio designing atmospheric homes, restaurants and industrial buildings.
Armenia Street, Mar Mikhael, Beirut
+961 3 433 500, atelier130.com

David/Nicolas
Beirut-based duo David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem create confident graphic furniture, lighting and interiors.
119 Pharaon Street, Beirut
davidandnicolas.com

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Morocco

Grounded in centuries of earthen kasbah construction, contemporary Moroccan architecture focuses on the restoration of historic granaries and sustainable vernacular building techniques, celebrated at the Casablanca Design Week.

Driss Kettani Architecte
For more than 20 years, this studio has been creating sleek, grounded and geometric residences, villas and private facilities.
85 Rue Driss Lahrizi, Casablanca
+212 522 22 40 17, drisskettani.com

Othmane Bengebara
Multidisciplinary architecture and design practice established by its namesake French-Moroccan professor, known for its atmospheric residences and art installations.
othmanebengebara.com

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Nigeria

Modern Nigerian design is renowned for its refined industrial works that transcend resource restrictions through the raw ingenuity of the country’s informal manufacturing sector.

NLÉ
With outposts in Lagos and Amsterdam, this architecture practice is focused on solving global challenges in a way that is sensitive to local scale.
nleworks.com

Nmbello Studio
Founded by Nifemi Marcus-Bello, this Lagos-based studio draws on the city’s informal manufacturing and scrap-metal know-how to create refined furniture and objects.
nmbello.com

Oshinowo Studio
Architecture practice celebrated for its innovation across high-end residential, cultural and civic-housing initiatives.
CBC Tower, Lagos
+234 201 293 0622, oshinowostudio.com

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Qatar

Qatari design pairs regional motifs informed by Bedouin and maritime traditions with luxury contemporary craftsmanship.

Abdulrahman Al Muftah
Parsons-trained Qatari artist and designer who reworks local heritage and materials into contemporary pieces.
abdulrahmanalmuftah.com

FROMM.
Founded in Msheireb and Milan, this furniture brand pairs Qatari regional designers with an Italian approach to making.
M7 – Msheireb Cultural Forum, Doha
+974 3350 8887, from-m.com

Sameh ElNahas
Art director and branding designer who creates identities for Qatari cafés, dairies, sports clubs and more.
+974 3367 4742, samehelnahas.com

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Saudi Arabia

Modern Saudi practices focus on participatory heritage restoration and regionally sensitive architectural interventions and additions.

AN Studio
Riyadh-based architecture and interiors studio that aims to ground homes, cafés and hotels in local identity and materials.
3663 Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Road, Riyadh
+966 58 033 0413, anstudio.sa

Muntj Studio
Research-led product design studio that reinterprets Saudi craft and everyday rituals as contemporary products and cultural experiences.
muntjstudio.com

SAL Architects
Salwa Samargandi’s Jeddah-based practice was behind the participatory restoration of AlUla’s Ammar bin Yasser Mosque, which was shaped by interviews with locals.
Jameel Square, 2091 Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz, Jeddah
salarchitects.sa

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South Africa

South African design brings together time-tested Indigenous craft skills and diverse cultural narratives, making for potent ideas and works that respect their setting.

Counterspace
Sumayya Vally’s Johannesburg-based studio bridges the gap between African and Islamic architectural ideas and identities.
138 Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg
counterspace-studio.com

James Mudge
Along with a small team of skilled artisans, this Cape Town-based furniture designer crafts pared-back, solid-timber, made-to-order pieces with a sculptural edge.
1 Calcutta Street, Cape Town
+27 79 448 1683, jamesmudge.com

Lemon
Based in Cape Town and Amsterdam, this furniture brand crafts pieces by hand with impeccable detailing and a rich sense of materiality.
24 Waterkant Street, Cape Town
+27 66 035 3183, lemonfurniture.co

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United Arab Emirates

Evolving rapidly from a landscape of traditional courtyards to one of hyper-modern towers, the UAE leads the way in climate-conscious desert architecture and innovation.

Anarchitect
UK architect Jonathan Ashmore’s Dubai-based practice makes climate-conscious buildings and interiors.
Office 137, Al Shafar Investment Building, 655 Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Quoz 1, Dubai
+971 4 239 1993, anarchitect.com

Latifa Saeed
Emirati designer and artist whose studio spans spatial and object work, alongside residencies, classes and a biannual art majlis gathering.
1 16B 5 Street, Ras Al Khor Industrial Area, Dubai
latifasaeed.com

Modu Method
Dubai-based furniture label known for its playful, modular tables, seats, hangers and storage pieces that can be adapted as life changes, as well as quirky, colourful rugs.
+971 58 525 6638, modumethod.com

Mula Studio
Founded by Emirati architect Abdalla Almulla, this research-led practice works on everything from furniture and buildings to material and design innovation.
5B 15A Street, Al Quoz, Dubai
mula.ae

Ripple Collective
This collective is home to strategic design firm Slash, industrial design outfit Fabrica and concept shop Fount – plus Oxalá, a product line made by Fabrica and sold by Fount.
Level 3, Erth, Armed Forces Officers Club, Abu Dhabi
+971 2 679 8800, ripplecollective.ae

Studio Obliq
Dubai workshop and creative studio that makes sculptural, made-to-size furniture in nuanced tones, luxe textures and refined finishes.
Street 15A, Al Quoz, Dubai
+971 56 734 1767, studioobliq.co

Argentina

Modern Argentine design is rooted in a unique blend of European grandeur, resourceful industrial adaptation and high-quality craftsmanship.

Cristián Mohaded
Designer who draws on the weaving and craft traditions of Argentina for his sculptural furniture and objects.
Avenida del Libertador 1902, Buenos Aires
cristianmohaded.com

Espina Corona
Argentine furniture and lighting studio that pairs natural materials with digital fabrication.
Calle Algarrobo 1041, Buenos Aires
espinacorona.com.ar

Estudio Ramos
Design practice that excels at creating calm, carefully detailed houses and interiors.
Zeballos 2740, San Isidro, Buenos Aires
+54 11 6243 5351, estudioramos.com

Estudio Galera
Storied Architecture studio that is best known for creating austere concrete and brick houses, as well as impressive commercial and revitalisation projects.
Las Golondrinas Gallery, Cariló, Buenos Aires
+54 22 5457 0995, estudiogalera.com

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Brazil

Built on a foundation of tropical modernism and traditional crafts, Brazil is home to creative communities that excel at blending the country’s many and varied approaches to design.

Anastassiadis
Interior design and architecture studio drawing on art, history and anthropology to create soulful residential and hospitality projects.
436 Rua Ceara, Higienópolis, São Paulo
+55 11 2182 7400, anastassiadis.com.br

Etel
Furniture house that reissues Brazilian modernist designs by the likes of Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi, alongside producing new work.
Alameda Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 1834, São Paulo
+55 11 3064 1266, etel.design

Estúdio Campana
São Paulo-based studio that turns everyday materials into exuberant, expressive furniture that can take a variety of forms.
Rua Doutor Miranda de Azevedo, 934, São Paulo
+55 11 98421 5553, estudiocampana.com.br

Isabel Duprat
Landscape architect creating lush, native-planted gardens for homes and public spaces throughout São Paulo and beyond.
1170 Rua Haddock Lobo, São Paulo
+55 11 3088 1826, isabelduprat.com.br

Isay Weinfeld
Architect known for his warm and witty take on modernism, with each project, from houses to hotels, responding to place.
Rua Senador Cesar Lacerda Vergueiro 380, São Paulo
+55 11 3079 7581, isayweinfeld.com

Mercado Moderno
Rio de Janeiro gallery that specialises in vintage Brazilian mid-century furniture and design.
Rua do Lavradio 66, Rio de Janeiro
+55 21 98812 0328, memobrasil.com

Studio MK27
Marcio Kogan’s São Paulo-based practice is acclaimed for its serene modernist houses that often feature sliding walls, timber screens and generous proportions.
Alameda Tietê 505, São Paulo
+55 11 3081 3522, studiomk27.com.br

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Canada

Modern Canadian design is every bit as varied as the country’s vast landscapes and extreme climates – natural assets that are reflected in a scene that remains as resilient as it is innovative.

Full Room
Company specialising in sourcing and reissuing pieces by iconic Québecois designers.
99 Rue Chabanel Ouest, Montréal
fullroom.ca

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
Based in Nova Scotia and Boston, this studio’s spare, barn-like houses reimagine the region’s vernacular farm buildings as works of modern architecture.
Suite 130, 1715 Lower Water Street, Halifax
+1 902 429 1867, mlsarchitects.ca

Michael Green Architecture
Working across commercial and residential projects, this studio is a pioneer of towering mass-timber buildings.
1,535 West 3rd Avenue, Vancouver
+1 604 336 4770, mg-architecture.ca

Omar Gandhi Architects
Based in Halifax, Toronto and Berlin, this architecture studio is known for its clear forms, minimalist material palettes and sensitivity to the locations of its projects.
Suite 300, 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax
+1 902 420 1580, omargandhi.com

Shim-Sutcliffe Architects
Well-established studio known for its finely detailed buildings with respect for landscape and natural materials.
441 Queen Street East, Toronto
+1 416 368 3892, shim-sutcliffe.com

Thom Fougere Studio
The studio creates elegant, restrained furniture, objects and interiors.
305 Rue de Bellechasse, Montréal
+1 204 960 5586, thomfougere.com

Yabu Pushelberg
The Toronto and New York interiors powerhouse behind hotels and furniture for leading brands.
55 Booth Avenue, Toronto
+1 416 778 9779, yabupushelberg.com

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Chile

Demanding geography, rigorous seismic codes and a focus on utility over ornament shape a contemporary Chilean design culture that is both resourceful and function-forward.

Bravo
Specialising in object, interior and furniture design, this studio fuses local craftsmanship with modern technology to deliver simple but purposeful solutions.
Alvar Aalto 1170, Vitacura. Santiago
+56 2 2785 0981, bravo.io

Cristián Romero Valente
Residential architecture firm that strips forms to their essentials to seamlessly blend clean lines, natural light and consideration for the environment.
+56 9 9345 3252, romerovalente.cl

Pezo von Ellrichshausen
Architecture studio responsible for striking, monolithic and symmetrical structures.
Santa Lucia Alto S/N, Casilla 6, Yungay
pezo.cl

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Colombia

The Colombian creative scene is booming, built on a dynamic fusion of ancestral craftsmanship and tropical modernism.

Ar_ea
Medellín-based architecture and design studio creating warm, polished interiors across hotels, residences and commercial spaces.
Astorga Loft Building, 7D Street #43C-23, Medellín
+57 300 343 8152, ar-ea.com.co

Cinco Sólidos
Architecture firm that turns out uplifting, material-rich homes and hotels.
Calle 10A # 38-31, Medellín
+57 320 635 5070, cincosolidos.com

Del Valle Studio
This interiors studio takes a holistic, human-centred approach to the crafting of atmospheric homes and offices.
Astoga Building L, El Poblado, Medellín
+57 300 465 7260, delvalle.studio

Studio Fango
Working closely with artisans, this studio weaves craft traditions into collectable design objects.
fangostudio.com

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Mexico

Famed for its monumental pre-Hispanic structures and globally celebrated mid-century regionalism, contemporary Mexican design is pursuing fresh ideas and is deservedly having a moment.

Fernanda Canales
This Mexico City-based architect specialises in contextually sensitive residences and cultural projects, and enjoys a parallel career writing about Mexican housing.
fernandacanales.com

Francisco Pardo
Architect working on projects that revitalise urban spaces, honouring the past and supporting the local community – but always with an eye to the future.
Dr Erazo 172, Colonia Doctores, Mexico City
+52 55 5525 2556, franciscopardo.mx

Kenya Rodríguez Estudio
The Guadalajara-based interior designer creates calming homes in the city, in the country and on the beach.
Calle José Guadalupe Zuno Hernández 2,141, Guadalajara
kenyarodriguez.com.mx

Lanza Atelier
Award-winning Mexico City-based architecture practice known for its inventive small buildings, installations and furniture that draw on the best of local lore and craft.
lanzaatelier.com

Ludwig Godefroy
French-born, Mexico City-based architect of calming, monumental concrete houses, as well as retail and commercial spaces.
ludwiggodefroy.com

Manuel Cervantes Estudio
Architecture studio that works on everything from single homes to entire communities. Its projects are always developed with respect for the relationships between landscape, space and materiality.
+52 55 5201 3500, manuelcervantes.com.mx

Productora
Architecture studio renowned for cultural and urbanism projects that focus as much on communities as on spatial outcomes.
Calle Doctor Lucio 181, Mexico City
+52 55 3092 7746, productora-df.com.mx

Taller Héctor Barroso
This Mexico City-based architect creates residences that are rooted in place and responsive to landscape, light and shade.
+52 55 5038 9088, tallerhectorbarroso.com

Tatiana Bilbao Estudio
Architecture firm known for its people-first, narrative-driven approach across residential, cultural and civic projects.
Paseo de la Reforma 382, Mexico City
+52 55 8589 8822, tatianabilbao.com

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Uruguay

Uruguay’s design scene fuses European colonial roots with modern innovation – all while celebrating local landscapes and materials.

Estudio Diario
Montevideo-based studio that creates simple, well-proportioned and timeless furniture and accessories.
Bulevar General Artigas 2,315, Montevideo
+598 9913 4045, estudio-diario.com

Gualano + Gualano Arquitectos
This Montevideo practice designs rigorous, understated houses and public buildings.
Manuel Haedo 2918, Montevideo
+598 2707 9074, gualano.com.uy

Menini Estudio
Industrial designer Agustín Menini’s studio has built its reputation on bold and unexpected furniture.
San José 967, 11100 Montevideo
+598 9922 5642, menini.uy

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USA

Much like the country itself, contemporary American design offers an astonishing range of approaches and ideas, with creatives inspired by everything from industrial production and radical pop culture to indigenous traditions and civil-rights movements.

Astraeus Clarke
Design studio that makes narrative-focused, nostalgia-inducing lighting fixtures, furniture and objects from its base in Manhattan.
114 Bowery, No 301, New York
astraeusclarke.com

Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Interdisciplinary studio that works on grand, city-shaping projects, from civic spaces to museums and art galleries.
601 West 26th Street, New York
+1 212 260 7971, dsrny.com

Estudio Persona
Uruguayan designers Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young’s studio makes bold, sculptural furniture and lighting in collaboration with makers.
3,469 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles
estudiopersona.com

Ken Smith Workshop
Landscape architect known for his witty, art-minded public spaces and urbanism projects.
450 West 31st Street, New York
+1 212 791 3595, kensmithworkshop.com

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
This landscape firm is respected for reshaping post-industrial waterfronts and urban sites into thriving civic spaces and public parks.
16 Court Street, New York
+1 718 243 2044, mvvainc.com

Norman Teague Design Studios
Chicago-based practice whose furniture and public installations are rooted in community and local contexts.
4,429 West Division Street, Chicago
normanteaguedesignstudios.com

Perron Studios
This studio is responsible for the stage sets for some of fashion and pop music’s biggest names, alongside interiors, retail and furniture design.
4,160 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles
perronstudios.com

Sophie Lou Jacobsen
French-American designer of rippled glassware and sculptural lighting that plays with refraction and colour.
371 Madison Street, New York
sophieloujacobsen.com

Stephen Burks Man Made
This Brooklyn-based studio co-creates furniture, objects and materials with artisan communities worldwide.
141 Flushing Avenue, New York
stephenburksmanmade.com

Australia

Built largely in isolation, Australia’s design scene is frequently grounded in climate-responsive living, an appreciation for resource scarcity and respect for indigenous land.

ACME
Sydney studio creating nostalgic, story-rich hospitality venues.
46A Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney
+61 411 367 444, acme-co.com.au

Aspect Studios
Multinational landscape architecture practice transforming streets, parks and waterfronts into shaded, people-friendly public spaces.
160 Queen Street, Melbourne
+61 394 176 844, aspect-studios.com

Breathe
This Melbourne practice is a global leader in sustainable, community-minded residential architecture.
7 Alfred Place, Melbourne
+61 393 812 007, breathe.com.au

Brud Studia
Design studio making furniture and objects that merge primitive, brutalist principles with advanced production methods.
122 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne
brudstudia.com

Tom Fereday
Sydney furniture and product designer making statuesque pieces in timber and metal with Australian manufacturers.
16 Chester Street, Camperdown, Sydney
+61 404 941 504, tomfereday.com

Tamsin Johnson
Sydney interior designer and antiques dealer known for relaxed spaces that combine vintage and bespoke pieces.
1 Victoria Street, Paddington, Sydney
+61 491 112 546, tamsinjohnson.com

The Letters
Type foundry creating fonts and lettering for clients including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Sydney Opera House.
154 Abercrombie Street, Redfern, Sydney
theletters.co

Malli
Metal fabricator Guthike Watawala established this Melbourne-based furniture brand, creating precision stainless-steel pieces.
malli.com.au

Kerstin Thompson Architects
Architecture firm designing civic, educational and residential buildings shaped by landscape and a generous public spirit.
6 Lothian Street, North Melbourne
+61 386 628 800, kerstinthompson.com

Troppo Architects
Practice founded in Darwin that pioneers climate-responsive, breezy tropical buildings made from lightweight timber and tin.
15 Quarry Crescent, Stuart Park, Darwin
+61 889 819 585, troppo.com.au

Whispering Smith
Preservation-driven Perth architecture practice designing low-key, contextually respectful residential buildings.
6 King William Street, Perth
whisperingsmith.com.au

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Bangladesh

Informed by the country’s river delta landscapes and monsoon climates, contemporary Bangladeshi practice is known for smart, climate-adaptive and community-built structures.

Marina Tabassum Architects
Dhaka practice behind the Aga Khan Award-winning Bait Ur Rouf Mosque and moveable Khudi Bari homes for flood-prone communities.
House 40, Road 6A, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
+880 2 911 1886, marinatabassumarchitects.com

Moofer Architecture
Architecture studio creating poetic, open and airy residences that respond well to Bangladesh’s tropical climate.
+880 1 517 839 111

Paraa
Multidisciplinary design and architecture studio that collaborates closely with communities in Bangladesh and beyond to enrich public spaces.
Flat 1B, House 3, Road 7, Block C, Niketon, Gulshan 1, Dhaka
+880 1 708 656 031, paraa.org

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China

Historic spatial philosophies, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation drive an exceptionally agile and ambitious design culture.

Jiakun Architects
Chengdu architect and 2025 Pritzker laureate known for vernacular designs rooted in communities.
1-2-6, 3 Yulin South Road, Chengdu
+86 28 8558 9491, jiakun.com

MAD
Architecture firm known for futuristic, organic designs that draw inspiration from both advanced technology and traditional Chinese concepts of connections to nature.
Tower A, 107 Dongsi North Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
+86 10 6402 6632, i-mad.com

Neri & Hu
Research-led practice renowned for working vernacular ideas into hotels, homes and furniture.
Building 31, 322 Jiaozhou Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
+86 21 5286 2900, neriandhu.com

Panglossian Studio
Split between Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Venice, this studio creates joyful identities for restaurants, bars and retail spaces.
4F Building 15, Honghuayuan Village, 38 Honghua Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen
+86 152 2137 5946, wearepanglossian.com

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Hong Kong

Dense vertical urbanism and an East-meets-West heritage position Hong Kong design at an intersection of cultures and technologies.

Beau Architects
Design practice with an established reputation for its galleries and exhibitions, characterised by an expressive austerity.
Nathan Commercial Building, 430-436 Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei
beau.hk

Design Eight Five Two
Creative studio designing spaces, brands and experiences for hospitality and commercial clients.
1F Arran Tower, 7 Arran Street, Kowloon
+852 2385 2228, designeightfivetwo.com

Joyce Wang Studio
Interior-design firm behind cinematic hotel and restaurant spaces, among other projects.
12 Kennedy Street, Wan Chai
+852 2804 1138, joycewang.com

One Bite Design
Multidisciplinary design studio bridging the gap between people and physical spaces through thoughtful placemaking.
50-54 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan
+852 2803 0202, onebitedesign.com

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India

India’s architecture is well known for its fusion of Hindu, Islamic and Mughal traditions, and this ancient heritage continues to animate the country’s contemporary design scene.

Casegoods
Architecture studio Case Design’s furniture line blends ancient craft traditions with a contemporary look and feel.
A49, Nandjyot Industrial Estate, Andheri Kurla Road, Mumbai
+91 80972 70837, casegoods.in

Frozen Music
The Jaipur-based workshop partners with international creatives in hand-carving stone, metal and wood into inlay, jali screens and mosaics for hotels, yachts and homes.
H147 Riico Industrial Area, Mansarovar, Jaipur
+91 98290 12530, frozen-music.com

Phantom Hands
Furniture firm producing heritage design and new pieces made by Indian craftspeople.
12/1 A5, Lakshmipura Main Road, Abbigere, Bangalore
+91 77603 29191, phantomhands.in

Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Firm working closely with the communities that it designs for, drawing from material and historical experience.
421, Unique Industrial Estate, Twin Tower Lane, Swatantryaveer Savarkar Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai
+91 22243 27249, srda.co

Studio Mumbai
Architecture studio known for testing ideas on-site using large-scale mock-ups, material studies and physical models.
563 NM Joshi Marg, Byculla West, Jacob Circle, Mumbai
+91 22230 00754, studiomumbai.com

Vikram Goyal
Design studio that’s reviving brass repoussé and other Indian crafts in its sculptural furniture, lighting and interiors.
A4, Sector 64, Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
+91 93105 80433, vikramgoyal.com

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Indonesia

Rooted in tropical timber craft and island vernaculars, Indonesian practices are innovating in the face of rapid urbanisation while maintaining a deep respect for their nation’s heritage.

Alexis Dornier
Based in Bali, German-born architect Alexis Dornier designs sculptural, climate-responsive tropical homes and hotels.
Jalan Raya Penestanan Kelod 1, Ubud, Bali
+62 812 4188 1599, alexisdornier.com

Andramatin
Jakarta architect behind tropical modernist houses and cultural buildings that play with light, shade and raw materials.
Jalan Manyar III Blok O-3 Kavling 29-30, No 4-6, Bintaro Jaya Sektor I, Jakarta
+62 21 735 3338, andramatin.com

Bitte
Creative studio bridging architecture and interior design, taking a holistic approach to crafting residential and hospitality spaces.
Jalan Jurang Mangu Barat 8, Tangerang Selatan
+62 811 858 1773, bitte-design.com

SHAU
Indonesian-Dutch practice known for its monumental residential, civic and religious architecture.
Jalan Adipati Kertabumi 21, Bandung
+62 22 2052 4973, shau.nl

Sungai Design
Bali studio upcycling plastic recovered from the environment into furniture, which is sold to aid further river clean-ups.
Jalan Pangkungsari 18A, Banjar Taman Kerobokan, Kuta, Bali
+62 812 3456 7890, sungaidesign.com

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Japan

From ancient wood joinery to postwar minimalism, Japan has shaped international design and its scene continues to go from strength to strength.

Design Studio S
Tokyo product designers creating human-centred everyday objects, from homeware to medical and electronic devices.
MT3 2F, 1-12-24 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 5724 3200, design-ss.com

Keiji Ashizawa Design
Design studio celebrated for its meticulous attention to detail across architecture, interior design and bespoke furniture.
5-6-13 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo
keijidesign.com

Kohseki
Design firm bridging Japanese lighting and Danish-inspired furniture, glass and objects, uniting two fertile manufacturing cultures.
15 Murasakino Nishigosho-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
kohseki.com

Nendo
This industrial design studio is famous for witty, minimalist products, branding, furniture and interiors.
Sogetsu Kaikan 6F, 7-2-21 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
nendo.jp

Sanaa
Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning practice, known for ethereal, glassy cultural and civic buildings.
1-5-26 Tatsumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 3450 1754, sanaa.co.jp

Shigeru Ban Architects
Tokyo architect celebrated for construction techniques and material innovation, pioneering the structural use of recycled cardboard, paper tubes, timber and bamboo.
5-2-4 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 3324 6760, shigerubanarchitects.com

Sou Fujimoto Architects
Architect behind monastic buildings blurring the boundary between architecture and nature.
2-1-38 Etchujima, Koto-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 5875 8990, sou-fujimoto.net

Tomohiro Hata Architect & Associates
Studio constructing sculptural, geometric residences and civic buildings.
1-4 Onohamacho, Chuo-ku, Kobe
+81 78 599 9035, hata-archi.com

Torafu Architects
Studio making playful interiors, products and installations.
2F, 1-9-2 Koyama, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 5498 7156, torafu.com

Yamazaki Kentaro Design Workshop
Studio creating people-first architecture, prioritising communities.
Suzumori Building 4F-5F, 3-12-7 Higashi Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 6661 9898, ykdw.org

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New Zealand

Informed by Maori and Pacific design principles, contemporary practice in New Zealand produces meticulous typography, landscape-led timber homes and generous civic buildings.

Bull O’Sullivan Architecture
Auckland- and Christchurch-based firm that designs expressive residential and civic buildings.
3-13 Shortland Street, Auckland
+64 9 358 3882, bosarchitecture.co.nz

Jasmax
Auckland studio behind public buildings and places that aim to foster connections between culture, nature and architecture.
2 Marston Street, Parnell, Auckland
+64 9 366 9626, jasmax.com

Klim Type Foundry
Kris Sowersby’s Wellington foundry draws authentic typefaces used by newspapers, banks and brands worldwide.
23-B Totara Road, Miramar, Wellington
klim.co.nz

Monk Mackenzie
Multidisciplinary studio that designs sculptural and poetic architecture, ranging from bespoke residential buildings to monumental civic projects.
106-108 Quay Street, Auckland
+64 9 600 3335, monkmackenzie.com

Seear-Budd Ross
Design-led architecture and interiors studio balancing a restrained, minimal aesthetic with a tactile material palette.
+64 27 763 5067, seearbuddross.com

Warren and Mahoney
Multinational practice founded in 1955 in Christchurch, where it designed the town hall and civic and education buildings.
254 Montreal Street, Christchurch
+64 3 961 5926, wam.studio

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Singapore

The city-state’s youth and compact footprint have fostered a design and architecture scene that’s nimble, efficient, forward-looking and environmentally focused.

Brewin Design Office
Interior design practice celebrated for material-driven residential and hospitality spaces.
201 Henderson Road, 05-25, Singapore
+65 6221 8339, brewindesignoffice.com

Lanzavecchia + Wai
Singaporean-Italian studio behind projects focused on improving quality of life.
115A Commonwealth Drive, 02-01, Singapore
lanzavecchia-wai.com

Practice Theory
Creative agency turning strategy and storytelling into brand identities.
4B Lorong 32 Geylang, Singapore
practicetheory.com.sg

Roger&Sons
Family-run studio making well-crafted furniture for homes and hospitality.
115 King George’s Avenue, 01-01, Singapore
+65 9788 4887, rogerandsons.sg

WOHA Architects
Pioneers of plant-covered, climate-responsive structures.
29 Hong Kong Street, Singapore
+65 6423 4555, woha.net

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South Korea

Blending traditional hanok aesthetics with sleek modernism, South Korean design produces bold graphic identities, woven-cable furniture and adaptive public parks.

Kwangho Lee Studio
Seoul designer knotting and weaving everyday materials such as electrical cables and enamelled copper into sculptural furniture and lights.
B1, 1F 12-6, Seongsu Il-ro 1-gil, Seongsu 1-ga, Seongdong Gu, Seoul
kwangholee.com

Mass Studies
Award-winning architecture studio creating spaces that take inspiration from traditional Korean architecture.
46 Hoenamu-ro 44-ga-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul
+82 2 790 6528, massstudies.com

Studio FNT
Seoul publishing and graphic-design studio known for bold, systematic identities, books and posters for cultural clients.
32 Noksapyeong-daero 40-na-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul
studiofnt.com

Studio Showmakers
Experimental spatial design and branding studio that specialises in immersive environments and experiential retail spaces.
7 Toegye-ro 48-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82 70 7812 0102, studioshowmakers.com

Wise Architecture
Seoul practice designing geometric cultural and residential buildings.
10 Musumak 18-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
+82 2 2256 9070, wisearchitecture.com

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Thailand

Influenced by the nation’s tropical climate, Thai practices are renowned for lush landscape urbanism and lively furniture designs.

Moonler
Moonler’s Chiang Mai artisans create furniture with an impressive network of designers, handcrafted from premium Chamchuri wood.
51 Sam Ran Rat, Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai
+66 81 791 9661, moonler.com

Landprocess
Bangkok landscape studio designing resilient urban landscapes that capture carbon and combat the climate crisis.
+66 2 641 8483, landprocess.co.th

P Landscape
Landscape practice creating lush, climate-savvy gardens for hotels, homes and public spaces.
59/3 Sukhumvit 39, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok
+66 2 261 3700, plandscape.com

Shma
Landscape and design practice based in Bangkok, shaping parks and resorts with a focus on ecology and connections to place.
93/2 Ekkamai 3, Sukhumvit 63, Klongton Nuer, Vadhana, Bangkok
+66 2 390 1977, shmadesigns.com

Studio Make
This team of designers and creators works across architecture, interiors, furniture design and prefabricated construction.
44/4 Soi Baan Sai Ma, Rattanathibet Road, Nonthaburi
+66 2 528 6212, studiomake.com

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Vietnam

With abundant natural materials and a tropical climate, Vietnam is a leading light in environmentally conscious architecture.

Base Saigon
Creative studio building brand identities for cultural clients and consumers.
47B Pham Ngoc Thach Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
+84 283 822 9559, basedesign.com

Tropical Space
Architecture studio designing sensitive, climate-aware houses and community buildings.
11A Nguyen Van Mai Street, Tan Son Nhat Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
+84 338 211 443, tropicalspaceil.com

VTN Architects
Ho Chi Minh City practice creating lush, plant-covered offices and homes.
23 Duong So 55-TML, Cat Lai, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City
+84 286 287 4411, vtnarchitects.net

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1.
Villa El Fida
Marrakech

With its dramatic views and interplay of natural materials, this guesthouse immerses visitors in the landscape’s colours and textures.

Against the backdrop of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, guesthouse Villa El Fida is a celebration of the land that engulfs it. “Organised across four levels, the villa is structured around courtyards and double-height spaces that create a seamless connection between the interior and exterior,” says the property’s owner, Abdellatif Tots, who conceived its spaces with architects Gwenaël Clément and Lou Cirendini. Villa El Fida consists of two distinct sections connected by a narrow bridge. Suspended, exposed staircases are cast in the shadows of the towering peaks and give the façade a sense of Cubist precision.

“This place combines a contemporary architectural language with traditional materials such as tadelakt lime plaster, marble and sculpted cedar wood,” says Tots. Beyond the entrance, the villa opens into a living area anchored by a fireplace, before descending into a sunken lounge with views across the reflecting pool and gardens beyond. The outcome is a villa that feels like an extension of the landscape.
el-fida.com

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2.
Hermès workshop
Loupes, France

French luxury goods house Hermès’s new atelier reaffirms its commitment to the timeless value of craftsmanship.

In the village of Loupes, 20km east of Bordeaux, a sleek wood-and-glass building houses French brand Hermès’s newest atelier, where artisans craft the house’s leather bags. “In a world that is constantly accelerating, making the choice of craft and of doing things slowly sends a strong message,” says the mayor of Loupes, Véronique Lesvignes. This factory has created 260 jobs that are unlikely to be replaced by AI, says the company’s CEO and sixth-generation heir, Axel Dumas. “The strength of Hermès lies in the fact that we’ve missed out on every successive technological revolution,” he says.

The conviction that some things cannot be rushed means that demand for its signature bags far outstrips supply. “The only way to meet demand and increase our output is to recruit and train artisans,” says Guillaume de Seynes, the executive vice-president of the brand’s manufacturing division. “But we want each site to remain on a human scale, where everyone knows each other.”

Bayonne-based architect Patrick Arotcharen designed the Loupes workshop to fit into a forest clearing, without cutting a single tree. It’s heated by biothermal energy and equipped with solar panels and a rainwater-harvesting system. Inside, wall-to-ceiling windows allow in plenty of sunlight.

“The materials are natural and untouched but great care has been taken in the assembly, a bit like the seams of a bag,” says Arotcharen. “There’s a connection between what we do and the patient, meticulous work happening inside. It requires craft and technique.”
hermes.com; arotcharen-architecte.fr

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3.
Stable by Carmen Maurice Architecture
Mayenne, France

Clean lines and simplicity elevate this new space for horses and their riders.

Carmen Maurice Architecture’s brief was to replace a dilapidated former stable in Mayenne, France. The resulting design has an “active zone” that accommodates teams and support staff, with a lounge, parking, saddle room and a farrier’s workshop. This is complemented by an equine space that has stalls creating a quieter, more protected area.

“A certain sense of poetry emerges from the simplicity of the design, the treatment of light and its relationship with the landscape,” says the company’s founder, Carmen Maurice.
carmen-m.fr

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4.
Alouette
Copenhagen

Tasked with designing a restaurant’s new digs in a listed former warehouse, David Thulstrup has cooked up an architectural feast.

When Danish architect David Thulstrup was commissioned to design the new home of Michelin-starred restaurant Alouette in central Copenhagen, his priority was to make it just right for its owners. “You have to understand who they are, how they host people, the food that they make and the kind of atmosphere that they’re hoping to create,” he says.

He began with the arrival experience, drawing on the format of the original restaurant, which opened in the Danish capital’s Islands Brygge neighborhood in 2018. There, chefs Nick Curtin and Camilla Hansen (pictured) made a point of welcoming guests on the street before guiding them through a garden. At the new Alouette, a cobbled pathway leads through flowers and edible plants to an arch made from hand-brushed aluminium. “It’s a journey of discovery,” says Thulstrup. “I wanted people to have that original experience but amplified.”

A sense of place was also important. The restaurant occupies a former warehouse that was built in 1803. The architect devised a palette informed by the building’s history. Raw pine, hessian, blackened steel and Swedish dark stone are complemented by custom furniture developed with Frankfurt-based interior-design and furniture brand E15. “I wanted the material palette to feel grounded in the old warehouse, so we reduced it to a few strong materials,” says Thulstrup.

It’s an approach that echoes Curtin’s work as a chef. “Nick’s cooking is about reducing a dish to a very clear main ingredient,” says the architect. “I work in a similar way with materials.”

The constraints of redesigning a heritage-listed building inspired one of Thulstrup’s favourite interventions. Unable to alter significant parts of the existing structure, he introduced a sculpted hessian ceiling that adds volume while improving acoustics and concealing the technical infrastructure. “I had to design without touching the architecture,” he adds.

Together, these elements create a cohesive experience. “Fine dining takes place over a long evening, so you have to think about how you move through the space and how your mood changes along the way,” says Thulstrup. “It’s a narrative in itself.”
davidthulstrup.com; restaurantalouette.dk

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5.
Cosmos residence
Singapore

In the densely packed island nation of Singapore, 95 per cent of residents are boxed into high-rise apartments. Local firm Right Angle Studio has found a way to elegantly accommodate art lovers when space is limited.

Singapore’s Right Angle Studio has renovated an apartment in the city to accommodate its owners’ passions for hosting and art. “We wanted to allow them to entertain their guests while preparing a feast,” says Alex Liu, who co-founded the studio with his brother, Jay. To that end, the duo connected previously disparate communal areas and opened up the kitchen to face the living areas. They also installed custom cabinetry to fit with immovable stone risers and framed the generous windows with bespoke furniture. The result is a home that is layered with portals, frames and stacking forms. It’s a combination of small details that creates a sanctuary from Singapore’s constant bustle.
rightanglestudio.com.sg

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6.
Teffont House
Wiltshire, UK

This new hotel honours its historic British roots while catering to all of its guests’ modern needs.

Beckford Group’s Teffont House hotel sits in a centuries-old stone building in Teffont Evias, Wiltshire. Designer Natasha Hidvegi and co-owner Charlie Luxton have created a series of distinct public spaces: an orangery, a bar, a lounge, a brasserie-style dining room and an outdoor terrace. In a walled garden are badminton and croquet courts. “It’s important to have areas with different moods,” says Luxton. “You might have a high table where you can do some work, a lounge where you can read the paper, then an upright setting where you can talk. It’s about creating vignettes.”
teffonthouse.com