Design
Architects in Iceland are showing us how to build with molten lava
Iceland’s volcanoes might have an unexpected new purpose. An architect duo want to harness eruptions to shape the houses and cities of the future.


Latest
Shoemaking with Yohei Fukuda
Monocle Films visited the Tokyo studio of Yohei Fukuda, a master shoemaker who has been creating timeless pieces for decades. See behind the scenes at his studio and hear about his ethos in our…

Glassblowing with Michael Ruh
Nature is a key source of inspiration for glass artist Michael Ruh, who has hand-crafted pieces for leading architects and brands, such as Fortnum & Mason. We visited his south London studio as production…

Design tours: The world’s best public housing?
The world is urbanising fast. But how do you accommodate people in cities in a way that offers dignity, affordability and a sense of community? Vienna may have a solution.

Inside Tokyo’s colourful community bus
An electric bus service has injected a new playfulness into a borough of Tokyo in need of a revamp. We hop aboard and meet Eiji Mitooka, its creator and Japan’s foremost train designer, who…

Design tours: Lithuania’s modernist city
As Lithuania’s second city, it’s not often Kaunas gets much international attention. This, however, could be about to change. Kaunas has been named one of Europe’s Capitals of Culture for 2022; a title it’s…

Yinka Ilori’s 3D-printed basketball court
Designer Yinka Ilori discusses the design inspiration behind his temporary installation in London’s Canary Wharf and the importance of play in adulthood. Hear more on ‘Monocle on Design’ on Monocle 24.

Rebuilding Beirut
After the devastating port explosion of 4 August 2020, Beirut's creative community is battling to rebuild amid power-cuts and petrol shortages. A year on from the blast, Monocle joins its designers and architects on the…

The 2021 Monocle Art Survey
From gallerists to artists, collectors to auctioneers, we check in with industry players to find why – digital innovations or not – seeing art in real life matters, how the past year has shaken…

Christchurch School: sunny modernism
We explore a New Zealand take on mid-century modern architecture that fused British brutalism with a Scandinavian aesthetic. The simple construction methods of the Christchurch School’s creative homes have endured changing tastes – and…

A different view with David Alhadeff
Perched above the buzz of Beverly Hills sits Casa Perfect, a gallery of contemporary design set in a spectacular modernist home. Its founder David Alhadeff shows us the wealth of remarkable art and architecture…
