Design
Page 117
Strong foundation
Despite being fired from two jobs, Monica von Schmalensee now heads Scandinavia’s largest architecture practice. She mulls over the merits of being direct in the design world.
Politics
Francis Kéré’s dreams of a new parliament in Ouagadougou, the Polish government’s power grab and a new name in Korean politics.
Small story
As demand grows, city living spaces are getting more compact. But there are opportunities to be had by embracing micro homes.
Editor’s letter
Our editor in chief on why developers should be seizing the opportunity to build apartments that people can spread out in.
Good morning
Struggling to rise with the lark? From coffee to newspapers, here are a few enlivening items.
Into the blue
Blue can convey honesty, suggest authority and lift our mood, making it a branding favourite. With its popularity soaring, Monocle explores the global search for the perfect, and rarest, new shade of blue.
Road tested
The head of design for BMW Group on the best pens to carry and what gets him revved up in the mornings.
Culture
How to translate design on television, the Autophoto show in Paris and a preview of Photo London.
Architecture
Small-space living in Japan and a Sydney-based graphic studio with a Dutch sensibility.
Chinese whispers
Casa Xina is all China-inspired folly on the outside but inside it’s a world of quiet and calm. And the residents are happy to conspire to keep it that way.
