Monocle: Issue 181 / Global
At the front
Going native in Albania, stats and what’s on Monocle’s agenda for March.
on the road: WHERE TO NEXT?
Follow our lead
Tyler Brûlé on the hotspots that should be on your itinerary over the coming months.
Something happens at the back end of the year that starts to gently inform where the following months will take you. It’s the random but rather steady beat of correspondence from a certain nation or city that can start to add up to a “moment” of sorts.
After a considerable pause, Indonesia is suddenly back on my travel planner – and that of other editorial and commercial colleagues. More significantly, airport code cgk might be soon popping up on your screen. Why? monocle’s The Chiefs conference will be rolling into Jakarta on Wednesday 23 April.Not to be left out, Manila seems to be back as well and you might also have noticed that Austria has started to feature large editorially and on the events front. The nation will also take a starring role in The Monocle Shop in Tokyo come April when there will be a takeover of our space with a special collection of Austrian favourites, from glassware and ceramics to leather goods.
And, on the topic of well-edited collections, by the time you read this, The Monocle Shop and Café at 16 rue Bachaumont in Paris will be open and in its groove. It’s our biggest and sharpest outpost to date and our team in the French capital, led by Loriane and Irma, is ready to greet you and show you the lovely group of “Made in France” items that we’ve commissioned for our launch – all while you enjoy a flat white and a tasty pastry. We will also be on hand for a special edition of Monocle on Sunday on 23 March. Please feel free to swing by for the broadcast.
Come and find us
There’s even more to Monocle than the magazine you’re reading. Here’s where you can catch us in action in the coming months.
The Chiefs
Jakarta
This spring, monocle will be heading to Indonesia for the fourth edition of our global leadership conference. Join us for lively conversations and serendipitous encounters. Secure your tickets at monocle.com.
From 23 to 24 April, 25hours Hotel The Oddbird, District 8, SCBD Lot 28, Jakarta
Hanami Market
Zürich
Join us as monocle and Trunk team up to host the annual Hanami Market at our Swiss HQ in March. Selected Japanese brands will set up stalls at Dufourstrasse 90, while Japanese drinks and snacks will also be on offer.
22 March, Dufourstrasse 90, Seefeld, Zürich
ISSUE 181
Prime numbers
Figures of note from the March issue.
1.
20,000
The colours in Japanese rug maker Yamagata Dantsu’s palette. The carpet manufacturer’s clients include Japan’s royal family and the Pope.
Find our rug report later in the issue
2.
1929
The year that Ermenegildo Zegna planted the first tree at his Piedmont wool mill, helping to transform the area into a green haven. He also built roads, a recreation centre, a pool and a hospital.
Read our interview with Zegna’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori
3.
27.6
The average water temperature, in degrees Celsius, of Paris’s painstakingly renovated art deco Piscine Pontoise.
Dive in with our design section
4.
9
The height, in metres, of a bronze-and-steel sculpture of a spider by Louise Bourgeois in Thailand’s Khao Yai Art Forest.
Face your arachnophobia
5.
23,000
The weight, in tonnes, of the international fusion research facility being built in the south of France. That’s three times heavier than the Eiffel Tower.
Find out how it works in our affairs pages
OBSERVATION
Laying ghosts to rest
When you’re writing a story, it’s important to capture a sense of the place that you’re covering (writes Lucrezia Motta). Reporting on the renovation of the one-time residence of Albania’s former dictator Enver Hoxha in Tirana (see page 108), I found it hard to shake the eeriness of the labyrinth of marbled halls. It’s not the only building in the city with a heavy history: the Pyramid of Tirana was built in 1988 as a museum devoted to Hoxha. Since the fall of the regime it has undergone several renovations and is now a cultural hub. Today you can climb the stairs to the top and peer in through the glass roof. Buildings don’t have to be static relics. Some can step up and be repurposed positively. —
Seasonal spotlight
It has been a productive winter for pop-ups and partnerships in the Monocle family. Highlights past and present include an Alpine emporium and a sweet city retreat.
The Monocle Shop at Hotel Steffani
St Moritz, Switzerland
Offering a curated selection of the clothing, accessories and reading material that can be found in The Monocle Shop, our seasonal outlet in the Swiss Alps has been in full swing this winter. Make sure you drop by before we wrap it all up on 31 March.
Monocle X Luca
London, UK
In January, Clerkenwell-based Italian restaurant Luca transformed its bar into a reading room where guests could stop by in the mornings and flick through monocle magazines and newspapers over coffee and a sweet treat.
luca.restaurant
GLOBAL
Coming attractions
Here are some events that we’ll be keeping an eye on in March.
Paris Fashion Week and Matter & Shape
Natalie Theodosi, monocle’s fashion director, will be reporting on the key developments in the fashion industry, while our design editor, Nic Monisse, and associate editor, Grace Charlton, will provide updates from Matter & Shape, one of the design world’s buzziest salons.
Paris Fashion Week runs from 3 to 11 March, while Matter & Shape runs from 7 to 10 March
Arco Madrid and Art Madrid
While Arco Madrid is celebrating its 44th edition, Art Madrid turns 20 this year. Sophie Monaghan-Coombs, our associate editor, will be on the ground.
Both run from 5 to 9 March
Mipim, Cannes
At the world’s leading property extravaganza, leaders from the industry will explore smarter and better ways to build. monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, will be reporting from the scene.
Runs from 10 to 14 March
