The Monocle Minute

When the likes of Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas designed buildings in Dubai at the turn of the century, the Emirate faced criticism for importing talent rather than nurturing it. But things have shifted in recent years. The city’s design scene is growing in confidence and nowhere is that more apparent than at Dubai Design Week. This year’s edition, which runs until Sunday, has made local talent the headline act (even the main international drawcards, such as India Mahdavi, have Middle Eastern roots). The likes of Emirati architect Abdalla Almulla, UAE-based craft organisation House of Artisans and Dubai native Omar Al Gurg, who commissioned the UAE Designers Exhibition, are all prominently displaying works.

But what’s most impressive is the way that these local talents have been made stars of the show. Rather than the majority of works on display being commercially ready for production or produced by the designers without support (as is often the case at design events across the globe), Dubai Design Week has commissioned new and experimental structures and installations. There are works made entirely from recycled fridge parts, a shelter built using a newly developed cement made from 90 per cent waste product and unconventional furniture crafted from reeds using ancient techniques. In short, it’s a showcase that is focused on innovation and potential, rather than sales.

“It’s really about the designers who are willing to enter this space of experimentation and prototype, making themselves vulnerable and leaving room for failure,” says Natasha Carella, director of Dubai Design Week. “We try to be the facilitators through our special commissions. We want to embrace experimentation because it’s only by being inventive that we can move forward.” The result? A small design event that is one of the most cutting-edge in the industry.

Nic Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Germany, that robust and steady presence in European politics, is wobbling. Chancellor Olaf Scholz was always going to have a difficult time with a cobbled-together coalition, which includes his centrist Social Democrats, the pro-business Free Democratic Party and the Greens. Tensions came to a head on Wednesday when Scholz fired Christian Linder, his finance minister and leader of the Free Democrats, resulting in the collapse of the coalition.

The fallout came after a disagreement over how to restart Germany’s stalling economy, with Scholz accusing Linder of breaking his trust on numerous occasions. The government now faces the possibility of a no-confidence vote in mid-January (or sooner, if the pressure becomes too intense), while Scholz presides over a minority, with a general election expected to take place in March. At a time of so much global uncertainty and Donald Trump’s imminent return to The White House, a weak and insecure Germany doesn’t bode well.

The World Architecture Festival – the largest such architecture awards – is currently under way in Singapore. The annual three-day affair, which will host its closing gala later this evening, attracts architects and designers from across the globe who vie for prizes in areas ranging from interior design to best sport building (the Parramatta Aquatic Centre in Australia took home that trophy this year) and best school (another Australian project, FJC Studio’s Darlington Public School, snagged that prize).

The rigorous competition requires participants to present the case for their projects and go through multiple rounds of judging. Specific categories, such as masterplanning and creative reuse, might sound a little esoteric but there are also pop-up exhibits, panels and talks that are open to the public. The festival is taking place at Marina Bay Sands, while dinners and sidebar meetings give attendees an opportunity to rub shoulders and exchange ideas with colleagues and rivals alike.

Turkey’s ministry of culture has announced plans to turn two of Istanbul’s historic railway stations into cultural hubs. The ambition is to return these defunct spaces to their former glories by 2026, transforming them into expansive art venues, design studios and museums. The first, Haydarpasa Station, was once the main city terminal for routes to and from the Anatolian side of the country. It closed following a fire in 2010. The building will become the first “art and culture island” on the city’s Asian side and serve as a performing-arts centre complete with a top-floor library and exhibition space.

The second, Sirkeci Station, was the former home of the Orient Express and will be turned into a museum that pays tribute to the journeys of Turkish nationals who migrated to Europe. Both projects are part of a 29-year agreement between the culture and transport ministries that aims to invest in some of the nation’s neglected public spaces, which are under threat from increasing earthquakes and rapid urbanisation.

This week’s photograph is taken from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison, a photobook by French photographer Thomas Rousset, which was released during this week’s Paris Photo festival. The tome is one in a series of limited-edition art books that celebrate luxury group Belmond’s iconic properties. The photograph, as well as Belmond’s photobook series, will be on display at the Grand Palais until Saturday.

Monocle’s Ed Stocker reports from Turin’s annual festival of urbanism, Utopian Hours, where a collection of inspiring speakers discussed everything from meanwhile spaces to climate resilience. Plus: we visit the river Po to see how it interacts with the Piedmontese capital.