Breaking China

The financial spotlight has been shining bright on China’s big eastern cities, but as investors notice the wealth of opportunity and resources in the remote western region, the city of Urumqi is about to take centre stage.
Business Briefing

Living on Wall Street and the rise of theRussian technopark.
Sending out an SAS

Founded in 1925, Copenhagen Airport – or CPH – is one of the best designed and most efficient in Europe. The airport is the largest in Scandinavia and the hub for carrier SAS. Here, we look at all the companies needed to tend to an aircraft and send it on its way.
Top of the flops

Havaianas flip-flops are the unofficial national shoe of Brazil. Since 1962, textile manufacturer São Paulo Alpargatas has made Havaianas that are worn by almost every Brazilian – from school children to celebrities. Last year, the company sold 162 million pairs. This month, the company will open an office and showroom in New York, its first outside Brazil.
In the Pink

Pinkberry yoghurt is one of those American franchise ideas – think soup, coffee and juice bars – that seem so obvious, you want to kick yourself for not having bought in at the beginning. The growth of the franchise has been explosive, from one Los Angeles store in January 2005 to 16 today, plus three in New York (five more by the end of summer) and, soon, six in London.
Maine Event

Portland’s annual Maine Boatbuilders Show attracts an unusual mix of salty dogs, day-tripping families and wealthy customers, who fly in on their private jets to inspect the sloops, schooners, kayaks, ketches and yawls – and possibly put in an order or two.
Let them eat cake

The great patissiers have met their match in Sadaharu Aoki. With three shops in Paris and three in Tokyo, he puts a Japanese twist on classic French pastries. His commitment to craft, design and the best of two cultures, makes his business our perfect company this month.
Road Wage

Two-thirds of US freight is moved by road and the haulage industry is booming. While the truckers may not get to see their families as often as they would like, driving is one industry that offers well-paid jobs with great benefits, even if you haven’t got a college education.

Architecture/Design / Global

Architecture/Design

Briefing

A Swiss gym, a Japanese shop, a German house and a Swedish school.

Good sports

A better class of Swiss gymnasium

PE lessons are more fun since the arrival of this sophisticated new gymnasium at a primary school in Elsau, Switzerland. The wood-frame technologists Erne collaborated with design firm Hornberger Architekten to produce an indulgent, beautifully crafted child-friendly space. The gym opened last year at Primarschule Elsau. School authorities everywhere should take note.
www.erne.net

Train of thought

Novel solutions to noise pollution

Sandwiched between a major road and a railway line, this family residence in Allgäu, southern Germany, overcomes noise pollution with its smart planning. Designed by Kehrbaum Architekten, the building has a cubist form and the southern façade, which faces the railway, is closed off on the first floor, with all bedrooms orientated towards the quieter north-east. It is aptly named House at the Railways.
www.kehrbaum-architekten.de

Lessons in living

Fresh start for a Swedish school

From ABC to urban suite; these former classrooms in Stockholm have been re-imagined as 21 loft apartments by Swedish architects Love Arbén and Andreas Martin-Löf. The schoolhouse, built by Johan Fredrik Åbom in the 19th century, was badly damaged in a fire. This sensitive restoration, finished in February, blends Tom Dixon lighting with original features to create an understated, classic interior.
www.martinlof.se
www.arben.se

Ginza palace

Bals Tokyo’s glamorous new branch is a one-stop design destination

We love a one-stop shop, so we’re pleased to see that the designer-retailer Bals Tokyo is continuing to expand its empire with its latest store launch in Ginza. With an airy interior by designer Yasumichi Morita, this two-storey outlet stocks must-haves such as G Lorenzi grooming kits through to Bill Amberg leatherware accessories. Throw in the latest furniture from MDF Italia, Magis and Established & Sons, as well as Bals Tokyo’s own-design products, and the stock mix is complete.

Morita – one of the most famous and distinctive retail designers currently working in Japan – who also designed the Bals Tokyo store in Fukuoka, uses copper details to create an unusual environment that’s both luxurious and easy to navigate.

Hinting at a fresh direction, Bals Tokyo is also collaborating with UK gallery Apart to sell its one-off art pieces in-store. With up to 40 staff, expect impeccable service.

“This shop is an appropriate location for us to represent Tokyo culture and disseminate our brand concept,” says Bals Tokyo group manager, Yukihiko Nagaya. With an international roll out imminent, this brand is set to explode on to the world stage.
www.bals.co.jp

Drugs, guns and nice sofas

Lessons in Diplomacy

Asia Briefing

Africa/Middle East Briefing

Americas briefing

Europe briefing

Oceania briefing

Missing Persons

The Long Game

Breaking China

Business Briefing

Sending out an SAS

Top of the flops

In the Pink

Maine Event

Let them eat cake

Road Wage

Korea Moves

For the Record

Culture briefing

Sets Appeal

The Inn Crowd

Architecture/Design Briefing

Fashion Briefing

Salone Selectives

Second to none

Cool Operator

Inventory No. 4

Home Office

Abdel Zaher Binding

Las Mimosas

Heart Food

Observation

Expo 04: Invader on the Horizon

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