The second coming

Mahathir Mohamad shocked the world when he was re-elected Malaysia’s prime minister earlier this year. With his first stint in charge not without its controversial moments, does the political veteran have a clear vision to drive his country forward this time around?
Progressive rock

Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. With the rest of the UK set on leaving, what does that mean for the diminutive British territory?
Get the look

From Europe and Asia to the US, five branding insiders give their take on the industry – and what’s next.
Made to measure

Metalworker Kikukawa’s precision and meticulous attention to detail appeals to architects at home and abroad.
Image makers

As celebrities become their own paparazzi, what is on the cards for these streetwise snappers?
Clean canvas

A Victorian bath house in south London has been reborn as an inviting – and very timely – new gallery space serving Goldsmiths’ art college and the community beyond.
The Better by Design Manifesto, 2018

Sometimes you need design to step up to the plate and change your life. In tiny increments, that’s what these tools, materials and products will do. Let’s start the revolution.
Swede dream

A wooden house made in Sweden but set in a Japanese forest. What could be more idyllic?
Perfect pieces

Our favourite designs to fill a calm and comfortable home.
In safe hands

The home of one of Portugal’s leading architects now belongs to a family friend and is a much-treasured modernist masterpiece.
Home grown

When a designer decided to rebuild his own home in Maastricht, it turned out to be a great career move.
Simple but effective

A childhood LA home, designed by maverick architect RM Schindler, has been brought back to its modernist glory.
Hidden talents

Tokyo furniture shop Bullpen is one of the few outlets focusing on handmade pieces by lesser-known design talent.
Prickly clients

A garden of succulents near Madrid uses architecture and good design to support its plants, quietly showing them off to their full potential.
Net gains

This German fish market is more than it seems: it’s also a meeting point for early birds and night owls alike.
Winning Toulouse

Meet the French duo who are showing the fashion world how to do retail – and they’re not even based in Paris.
Fresh look

How Amy Smilovic, the owner of womenswear brand Tibi, found success – and then found it again with a risky rebrand.
Hotel openings

We visit a few new hotels, from The Calile in Brisbane to a former Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

City guide / Helsinki

Baltic beauty

Finland’s capital boasts magnificent architecture, quirky drinking venues and dashing design.

The Finnish capital is a cheery city year round: in the winter residents stoke up their saunas and head out to bars to stave off the chill; in the summer the harbour is dotted with sailing boats and alfresco dinners enliven pavements late into the night.

Restaurateur Antto Melasniemi’s new neighbourhood bistro and wine bar Pontus serves fresh fish and fine Italian dishes, while a cornucopia of cafés, including the classic 19th-century coffee house Ekberg and Levain’s new outpost in Töölö, sate the hunger for sweet treats. Wine may still be expensive but reasonably priced craft beers abound.

Helsinki is also nurturing its culture scene with new developments such as the contemporary-art museum Amos Rex. Meanwhile Finnish architecture needs little introduction but even here there are some overlooked gems, such as Alvar Aalto’s National Pensions Institute.

Shopping-wise, we recommend stopping in at design studio Poiat, which recently launched a minimal version of the traditional Finnish fold-up chair. And you can’t leave without a sauna session or two; head to Lonna island for a refreshing post-sauna dip in the Baltic. That’s how it’s done in Finland.