With winter’s festivities now behind us, the year is getting going in earnest, which makes this the perfect moment to reflect on the fundamentals of what we hope to achieve. That’s why, this issue, we ponder the deceptively simple question of what makes a place ‘work’.

Deceptive dinosaurs and desperate Australian estate agents. Plus: why some of Jair Bolsonaro’s fans are appealing to a higher authority.

Pioneering photographer Ming Smith, who broke down barriers as a black female artist, earns a well-deserved exhibition at Moma.

The historic buildings of London, including such landmarks as Buckingham Palace, owe a lot to a dedicated team of stone-carvers and their skills.

With a world-class sculpture garden and a new community farm, the curatorial team at Minnesota’s Walker Art Center is finding novel ways to connect with the city – and reimagine its future.

Andrew Mueller surveys the military hardware that will reshape modern warfare in the years to come.

Electric car charging in California, the Alpine snowbike boom and a leading London stationer.

Arabic news in Sweden, a bold Swiss art atelier and San Diego’s groundbreaking acoustic design.

Sydney’s most important cultural venue since the Opera House, an Álvaro Siza watch and designer Ron Arad’s approach to work.

The Annex isn’t just a calm, warm environment where politicians work – it’s also Finnish to the core.

On the waters of the North Sea is Floating Office Rotterdam, an carbon-neutral structure that embodies the need to build better.

With its open, egalitarian design and a layout that promotes easy political discussion, Seattle City Hall is a building that can actively shape public policy.

The trains soon to be arriving at Vienna’s U-Bahn stations are defined by a consideration of every detail in a passenger’s journey. Quite right too – they’ll be on the rails for decades.

The towns of Grand Valley are shining new beacons for businesses abandoning expensive US cities

Morocco’s pioneering use of renewable energy is helping it to shift gears to become a car-manufacturing hot spot.

A clever brand recipe has created a rapidly expanding coffee chain. The question now is: how far can it go?

Part of the city’s scenery in more ways than one, Vega has risen from its socialist roots to provide the perfect home for all kinds of music.

Italy’s largest rolling news channel now sits within a Renzo Piano-designed ‘workshop’ TV studio.

Christine Sullivan

An isolated recording studio on a small Norwegian island offers inspiration for busy minds.

Artists thrive on community. And that’s exactly what Mohilef Studios has created in the City of Angels.

Newly renovated and redesigned, 195 Piccadilly gives Bafta the space the academy has always deserved.

A power couple of Catalan design has commissioned a new home – and the result is a celebration of their scene and its people.

A new restaurant is mixing up the Moroccan food scene by combining traditional design and French flair. Time to tuck in.

Learning the rules of the road can be fun. This traffic school helps kids to move in the right direction.

Luxury shops can often resemble department stores. Cartier’s local approach is a jewel in its crown.

Turin is a city with many bold and experimental mid-century residential developments. Using these buildings as an inspiration, a new generation of architects is continuing to push the envelope.

The handmade principles that guide tailoring brand Lerici are reflected throughout its set-up.

At this huge ecclesiastical spectacle, it’s small details that count: its five million bricks were sanded by hand. writer

For decades, Charleston has been known for its booming food scene and historic, mansion-lined downtown. But it’s only recently that the South Carolina city has received a fresh wave of spruced-up new hotel openings offering a platform from which to explore the low country in high comfort. Here’s our round-up of new and notable openings.

A true winter warmer with an umami punch, the return of a storied Milanese restaurant to its home turf and much more: sink your teeth into this month’s culinary highlights from around the world.

The young owners of two ventures in Palma de Mallorca are uncorking success with their passion for natural and low-intervention wine.

Williamsburg Market, a welcome addition to New York’s culinary scene, is serving up a buffet of global flavours in one of the city’s buzziest neigbourhoods.

We present the finest hotels for your perusal this month, from a former Iranian embassy in Belgrade to a cinema-themed opening in Tbilisi. Plus: new shops that make responsible retail a pleasure.

End on a high with delicious guava buns from Mexico’s Panadería Rosetta.

We visit 50 places, from buildings to parks, that inspire great designers.