Design Directory

How Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius built modernist Baghdad – and what remains today

“The government of Iraq was the first to show a practical interest [in my ideas],” wrote Le Corbusier in 1960. Walking along the car-choked streets of eastern Baghdad, Monocle passes hookah cafés and dukans (compact convenience shops) before encountering the soaring, curvilinear roof of the Swiss-French architect’s Baghdad Gymnasium. It’s a building that recalls a bygone age of design ambition in the Iraqi capital. The modernist was invited here by King Faisal II as the city was preparing a bid to host the 1960 Olympic Games. The UK-backed Hashemite regent had established the Iraqi Development Board as part of a nation-building programme and was using revenue from the British-controlled Iraq Petroleum Company to bring the best architects from across the globe to the country. Over the course of several decades – and despite revolutions – the programme enlisted Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, Gio Ponti and Josep Lluís Sert, alongside Le Corbusier. The goal was to make Baghdad the envy of the world.

“Baghdad belonged to the Ottoman Empire for centuries but the city didn’t really have a specific architecture,” says academic Pedro Azara Nicolás, who has extensively studied Baghdad’s modernist masters (his exhibition, City of Mirages: Baghdad 1952-1982, toured cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Boston and Baghdad between 2008 and 2023). “Ottoman architecture wasn’t necessarily suited to Iraq’s geographical and climatic conditions. King Faisal II decided to transform Baghdad into a major Western-style capital to distinguish it from other Arab cities that were looking to the Soviet Union for inspiration.”

To distance his country from Soviet aesthetics, the regent developed plans for a capital with an opera house, new universities and museums, as well as public, cultural and political institutions. Faisal II was the third ruler of the independent Arab state that is now modern-day Iraq, a nation formed after a revolt against the Ottomans in the provinces of Basra, Baghdad and Mosul. He was continuing a legacy established by his grandfather, Faisal I, who had devoted the early years of his reign to building roads and oil pipelines in order to finance development projects.

Faisal II had toured the world following the Second World War and, working with architects and engineers led by Nizar Jawdat – the Harvard-educated son of Ali Jawdat al-Ayyubi, Iraq’s former prime minister and ambassador to Washington from 1942 to 1947 – the king was committed to reinventing the nation’s capital at pace, project by project. Chief among these was Le Corbusier’s Gymnasium and plans for a 50,000-seat stadium complex, including a swimming pool with stands holding 5,000 seats and open-air amphitheatre. The Swiss-French architect would explore themes also seen in his design for Stade Firminy near Saint-Étienne, a lightly curved athletics grandstand built in a former sandstone quarry.

Around the same time, Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement, was reimagining an institute of higher learning in Baghdad. The German architect had first visited the city in 1954 on his way home from Japan. A First World War hero, he had gone into exile following Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, heading first to London and eventually arriving at Harvard University, where he joined some of the most important architects of the 20th century, pushing for social reform. One of his students there was Jawdat, who lobbied his politically influential family to bring Gropius to Iraq. This set of experiences enabled his firm, The Architects Collaborative, to secure prime position when it came to designing the Baghdad University campus.

“It’s hard to imagine now but Baghdad during the 1950s was a hub of modern arts and literary movements,” says Ali Shakir, an Iraqi-born architect who has written extensively on the country’s architectural past. “Young Iraqi alumni of prestigious European and US universities returned to their country of origin pulsing with potential and new ideas that they aspired to marry with their rich heritage.” Jawdat and his American-born wife, Ellen, were part of this cultural movement in which the educated diaspora returned to the fledgling modern nation.

The work on the campus was carried out with an understanding that the project was as much about good architecture as it was about providing a space to train a generation of Iraqi architects and engineers, so the country would no longer need to import Western expertise for every project. “We felt as though a large window had opened with such a wealth of new ideas, wise advice and calm optimism that we had to find some way of continuing the experience,” wrote Ellen at the time.

With the Iraqi Development Board’s blessing, Gropius and his advisers chose a piece of land in the southern part of Baghdad surrounded on three sides by the Tigris. The team believed that this site would remain secluded and unaffected by the city’s development. By 1959, Gropius and his office had a workable design of 273 buildings on 200 hectares encompassing three academic faculties: sciences, letters and humanities. Among the buildings that Gropius prioritised were those for architecture and engineering, as well as athletic and recreational facilities, an infirmary, student dormitories and staff housing, all surrounded by a ring road.

Outside this core campus, clusters of date-palm groves, open areas and artificial topography offsetting the otherwise flat terrain helped to counteract the excessive heat from May to September, with daily highs regularly climbing above 40C. Gropius’s design positioned the buildings close enough to overshadow one another, cooling the architecture. The shade and proximity also provided students with a sense of closeness and connection, regardless of the discipline that they were studying.

But the region was changing fast. Pan-Arab nationalism, fuelled in part by Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Egypt and resentment of the pro-UK monarchy’s Baghdad Pact alliance, was sweeping Iraq and Faisal II was assassinated in July 1958, marking the end of the Hashemite monarchy in the country. Led by Abdul Karim Kassem, a socialist son of a carpenter from Baghdad, the new regime reassured Gropius’s team that they wanted the project finished, though Kassem had his own ideas about it. The general wanted to add a small skyscraper to the campus plan that could be seen from his office in the defence ministry. The result was the 20-storey Faculty Office Tower, alongside Gropius’s symbolic, 25-metre-high entrance arch known as the Open Mind.

The construction of Le Corbusier’s athletics venues also continued. The sheer number of projects in which he was involved caused the process to drag. By the time the Gymnasium was completed in 1980 (23 years after the project commenced and 15 years since its architect’s death), Saddam Hussein had ascended to the presidency. He named the Le Corbusier Gymnasium complex after himself. The accompanying Al Sha’ab stadium that the architect had planned was never built. Instead, next to it, a 35,700-seat design by Portuguese architect Francisco Keil do Amaral went up in 1966.

It was in the shadow of these projects that Iraq’s own modernist master would emerge. Rifat Chadirji trained at the Hammersmith School of Arts and Crafts in London, returning in 1952 to Iraq, where he absorbed Gropius and Le Corbusier’s ideas by watching their Baghdad projects rise around him. Born into an influential Baghdad family, he opened his own architecture practice, Iraq Consult, with the aim of putting a regional spin on the international templates sweeping the globe in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Chadirji’s first major commission came in 1959, when he was 33 years old. He was asked to create the Unknown Soldier Monument in Baghdad. A modernist statue modelled on the ancient Arch of Ctesiphon, it celebrated the wars of independence fought against the British monarchy. Chadirji soon hit a streak, creating the platform for Tahrir Square’s Freedom Monument, also in 1959; the Iraqi Scientific Academy in 1965; the Tobacco Monopoly Company building in 1966; the School for Veterinary Medicine in 1967; and the Central Post Telegraph and Telephone Administration offices in 1975. He also designed several homes for wealthy, ruling Ba’ath party members and supporters, including the Mahmoud Othman Residence. This project cemented the young brutalist’s style: it featured yellow brick for arched windows and wooden shutters in the traditional manner of old Iraqi markets. “From the very outset of my practice, I thought it imperative that, sooner or later, Iraq create for itself an architecture that is regional in character,” he wrote. “Yet, simultaneously, it needed to be modern, part of the current international avant garde style.” By 1978, at the pinnacle of his career at Iraq Consult, Chadirji was the country’s most renowned contemporary architect.

That year, however, Chadirji was sent to Abu Ghraib prison after refusing president Ahmed Hassan Al-Bakr’s request to use his international office for intelligence-gathering purposes (Iraq Consult had an additional studio in Bahrain). Al-Bakr had led Iraq since 1968 before his vice-president, Saddam, overthrew him in July 1979. The latter granted Chadirji freedom shortly after taking office but demanded that the architect lead Baghdad’s beautification plan – a brief, cosmetic yet deliberate echo of the Hashemites’ architectural courtship of the West decades earlier. It was a forced commission that led to the next great period of construction in the Iraqi capital.

“Saddam came to power and he wanted to prepare Baghdad for the conference of non-aligned countries that was to happen in 1982,” Chadirji recounted to the press years later. “He wanted somebody to replan the city and he was told that I was the one who could do it. A car took me to the palace, still in my prison clothes, and a secretary of the Revolutionary Council said, ‘The president wants to immortalise your name in history.’ So, I said, ‘Thank you very much.’”

With unlimited resources, Chadirji brought in design consultants from across the globe, including Robert Venturi from the US and Richard England from Malta. The team built pedestrian bridges and carried out planning for a cultural construction programme, which included new theatres. Tensions, however, eventually arose. The memory of his 20 months in prison became the catalyst for the architect to flee Iraq in 1983. A resentful Saddam subsequently tore down Chadirji’s Unknown Soldier Monument and replaced it with an enormous statue of himself. Chadirji considered returning on one occasion: in 2009, when the US invited him to reconstruct his Unknown Soldier Monument, following the overthrow of Saddam. This never materialised but it prompted him to share his thoughts on the city with the architectural media.

“I cannot believe what has happened to the buildings in Baghdad; everything has been almost completely destroyed,” said Chadirji. “The proper rebuilding is only half of the project; the other half, which is more important, is to keep it and take care of it, because it is part of the memory of the people and the society.” That challenge of keeping and taking care of these architectural memory banks has been put to the test continually. Chadirji’s Central Post Office withstood the Iran-Iraq War (1980 to 1988), the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 US invasion, though postwar crews did rebuild and reinforce parts of its foyer. Similarly, Le Corbusier’s Gymnasium has, over the years, undergone a conversion from a 3,500-seat indoor arena – part of a wider athletics complex also including a stadium – to a US army barracks used during the occupation from 2003 to 2005. The arch and other prominent features of the university survived the invasion too and young students still gather underneath it to this day, reviewing notes, gossiping and waiting for a ride home. It’s an appropriate reflection of Gropius’s ambition, disseminating architectural modernism in the Middle East and inspiring many designers.

The future of much of this legacy, however, hangs in the balance. Recent conflicts have left many buildings destroyed or in a state of disrepair, including Chadirji’s Tobacco Monopoly Company, where the US-led forces undid the progress of dynasties and dictators. It is damage that hasn’t been helped by shifts in attitudes, as Baghdadis now look to the rapid development elsewhere in the Gulf for city-making benchmarks. “The United Arab Emirates is fascinating for young Iraqis and therefore young architects,” says Azara Nicolás. “That country projects an image of luxury, splendour, novelty and modernity that Iraq doesn’t have. Architects are holding conferences to try to save heritage but developers – and many residents as well – prefer to build a new city that resembles those in the Emirates.”

Glimmers of hope do exist. The governments of former president Abdul Latif Rashid and incumbent Nizar Amidi have been aware of the need for, well… something. There is a construction boom in Baghdad (Zaha Hadid’s Central Bank of Iraq is due for completion this year) and the executive office has tried to maintain some standards, overseeing the removal of hastily placed Chinese-made panels from some “new and gleaming” buildings due to the urban heat-island effect they have exacerbated. A few main streets have also been given a facelift and young people can again be seen sitting outside the 1979 National Theatre (constructed during Saddam’s building boom), discussing politics, business and the state of Iraqi society. In recent years, Le Corbusier’s Gymnasium has also been repaired, with his namesake foundation contributing to the renovation by adding hanging ceilings, traditional Iraqi coloured glass and multicoloured seats, as well as marble to replace outdated metal parts. Two international football matches have been held at the adjacent stadium. It’s a demonstration that Baghdad remains an avant garde architectural capital, albeit a dusty one.

Japanese craftsmanship finds a new stage in Kyoto’s Nishijin neighbourhood

For almost 20 years, a former barbershop on Kuramaguchi-dori has been home to Kamisoe, the studio and shop of karakami (decorative-paper) artisan Ko Kado. The Nishijin neighbourhood in the city’s northwest has been synonymous with silk textile production for more than 1,200 years. Kado was drawn to the area for its craftspeople and down-to-earth atmosphere, as well as its proximity to the Daitokuji temple complex. “There was nothing here at first, just a soba noodle shop on one side and a now demolished traditional confectionery shop on the other,” he says. “But these places drew a certain kind of person. Little by little, people became interested in my work.”

Kado was part of a vanguard that paved the way for other creatives. When Monocle visits, he has just completed artworks inspired by the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto. The musician and composer, who died in 2023, was one of Kado’s collaborators; the likes of artist Hiroshi Sugimoto and the founder of clothing brand Arts & Science, Sonya Park, have also sought out Kado. As his practice has developed, Kamisoe and Nishijin have become increasingly intertwined. “There are so many people here with a deep knowledge of Japanese culture, from dyeing artisans to tea-ceremony teachers, whose sharp eyes only make me feel more focused,” he says.

Nishijin continues to play a key role in the production of high-quality silk textiles. The industry still has some 275 manufacturers, many of them small, family-run enterprises, and 3,000 craftspeople. Building on this legacy, is the goal of Natsuki Okamoto, the 15th-generation head of textile manufacturer Rokumonjiya. The 42-year-old took over the family business after working in finance and consulting, then swiftly invested in a high-speed Italian rapier loom as well as traditional hand-operated models. “Presenting textiles made with different techniques, both automated and manual, reinforces each one’s unique characteristics,” says Okamoto.

Traditional crafts such as Kyoto-style yuzen dyeing, embroidery and kumihimo (braided cord) have also found a home here. After 25 years in the fashion industry, Masakazu Kuroda gave new life to a former kumihimo factory. With architect Souma Mori, Kuroda transformed the century-old building into Stactile, one of the city’s leading clothing shops. “I feel that retailers and fashion brands will look to escape to this area,” he says.

The shop, which opened in March, stocks Japanese menswear from Rainmaker, Soshi Otsuki, Bed JW Ford and more. The residential setting, where making and living have long co-existed, has also provided a chance to engage with the community. Kuroda inherited furniture from a beloved kissaten (coffee shop) for his in-store café.

Nearby, Masahiro Kinoshita and Yuka Tsukano of Kino Architects are forging new connections through Nishijin Townhouse, their family home, architectural office and café, which was completed in 2024. Located on one of Kyoto’s classic narrow “eel’s bed” plots, the new building conforms to the city’s landscape regulations for the area. “Compared with Tokyo, there’s much more interaction with our neighbours here,” says Tsukano. “The neighbourhood association and bulletin boards are always active, while senior citizens and community members help out at the school. As some of our older customers say, Nishijin is a village.”

Mikiko Kayama has also found a community. After moving to Kyoto to learn about tea and traditional culture, she found her way to Nishijin. “It was a relief to meet so many people working independently,” says the 39-year-old calligrapher. Its calmness also aids her creativity. “As you leave the city centre behind and head north, the noise and crowds are gradually stripped away,” she says. “The peaceful atmosphere feels just right.”

Meet the artisans fighting to save Florence’s historic craft economy against the tide of mass tourism

Florence’s medieval guilds made the city famous for its craft excellence, from woodwork and goldsmithing to leather and textiles. Workshops of every kind filled its neighbourhoods, particularly Oltrarno. Today this district on the city’s narrow-laned left bank remains synonymous with artisans. “When I was growing up in Florence, craft was always close at hand and fascinated me,” says Duccio Maria Gambi, a designer who makes his own objects and furnishings in Oltrarno. His studio is housed in an old warehouse that he shares with six other creatives. Maria Gambi explains how the popularity of the district can also be a burden. “It’s hard to tell how many artists and designers Florence has because tourism is eating up the city,” he says. “But we have established a small community.”

At the new Vicolo Via Mameli boutique on the elegant Via Maggio, owners Nicola Pozzi and Ryan Weimer are optimistic. They felt immediately at ease with the idea of making this area the Florence base of their brand, which opened its first shop in Milan. “We chose to set up in Oltrarno because there are still workshops here and locals remain interested in craftsmanship,” says Pozzi. “We represent functional, traditional and artisanal Italian design. We felt that we belonged in Oltrarno.” The new space’s shelves are lined with handmade perfumed beeswax candles, handwoven fabrics, handpainted plates and other homewares from the brand’s line made by Italian artisans.

Vicolo Via Mameli is just one example of an outside venture drawn here alongside Fiorentini such as Filippo Mannucci who have returned to set up shop in the district. Just below Ponte Vecchio in Oltrarno, Mannucci has opened a showroom for his carved furnishings. The Florence native previously built boats on the Tuscan coast before launching his line of one-of-a-kind chairs, benches and stools. “Spending time here, surrounded by so many beautiful monuments, naturally influences you,” says Mannucci.

“But Florence could move beyond its historical canons, preserving them but creating newness unique to the city as well.”

Part of Oltrarno’s appeal is a can-do attitude, driven in part by a lack of civic support. When jeweller Margherita de Martino Norante was looking for a space to share with fellow designers and makers, she encountered many difficulties. A shared workshop space for artisans wasn’t permitted because it didn’t fit into pre-established categories but she persisted. Today, Officine Nora, by Piazza Santo Spirito, hosts a handful of resident members, alongside visiting designers.

De Martino Norante studied at Alchimia, an Oltrarno jewellery school that has trained numerous designers and goldsmiths. But even jewellery faces a tough market in Florence. “Tourists want cheap souvenirs,” she says. “But when they enter a workshop it helps them see that there’s no machine spitting out identical pieces every five seconds and there’s value in the handmade.”

Several skilled workshops are bridging this divide between traditional crafts and new design by collaborating with contemporary designers. “So many workshops have closed but if you want something handmade, Oltrarno is still the neighbourhood,” says Bronzetto’s Alessandra Schiavi. “Young people are opening new craft ventures here.”

Schola Academy opened in 2020 to impart a multidisciplinary range of craft skills. Students from across the globe enrol on courses that include shoemaking, leatherworking, sewing and perfumery. All are taught by local practitioners. “Schola is the counterpoint to social media and AI,” says co-founder Alessandro Colombo. “We’re for people searching for the extremely real: a spirit of artisanship, which Florence still retains.”

Rotor is on a mission to rescue the building industry from its throwaway habit

“For most of history, you had to be mad not to reuse,” says Tom Schoonjans, a project manager at Brussels-based design firm Rotor. Today, however, this seems to be a minority position. The construction industry is the world’s biggest environmental polluter, responsible for almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. Amid the constant churn of demolitions and renovations, only a small amount of materials is rescued from landfill sites. For more than 20 years, Rotor has been practising and advocating a more sensible way of building.

Founded in 2005, Rotor is a non-profit that conducts publicly funded research into reuse projects and helps other architects to incorporate circularity into their work. Soon after its launch, the founders realised that the most direct way to promote reuse was for the company to dismantle buildings itself. Rotor DC, a spin-off salvage business with a warehouse in Evere, was founded in 2016. “One of the issues that we face today is that our economy is very white collar,” says Schoonjans. “People have lost the ability to work with materials, so they’re trying to solve the circular-economy equation with digital tools.” But we can’t rely on computers to fix this problem.

Implementing circularity is easier said than done, says Schoonjans. The existing building – or “the mine”, in industry lingo – first has to be inventoried in a time-consuming process that Rotor calls a “reclamation audit”. Working with developers, engineers and contractors, the architects must figure out what parts of the structure can be reused. Then comes the stage of slicing through floorboards or solid stone, plus cleaning, transporting and storing tonnes of material.

Reuse was historically the norm. Most of the solid stone columns that you see in Italian churches once belonged to earlier buildings. Aristocrats in medieval Rome stripped the marble off the Colosseum and repurposed it for their palace façades. In Istanbul, sixth-century builders used stone Medusa heads sourced from a Roman temple to build water cisterns. Stones repurposed in this way are called spolia – a word that comes from the Latin for “spoils” taken in war. Until the 1930s, demolition rubble wasn’t considered waste. Contractors paid for the right to take apart an old building, then turned a profit by selling the materials, from wooden staircases to floor tiles, to the public.

It was only with the expansion of industrially produced materials after the Second World War and the usurping of stone and brick by concrete that new became cheaper than old. Entire buildings started to end up in landfills. Rotor DC is bucking this trend. In its warehouse, there are long corridors lined with doors and crates of granite cobblestones; an outdoor shed is dedicated to sinks. There’s plenty of office furniture and enough school desks to fill dozens of classrooms. The company’s speciality is tiles. “We are obsessed,” says Margot Saulnier, Rotor DC’s commercial director and co-manager. Thanks to a proprietary machine that cuts off old mortar, Rotor DC can offer vintage Winckelmans tiles that once covered the floor of a school or a municipal building but now look as good as new.

The business’s focus is on postwar buildings, which most salvage yards would consider unworthy of their time. “The aesthetic barriers to reuse can be hard to overcome,” says Schoonjans. He gives the example of granite, which had a spell of popularity in 1990s countertops but now looks dated. The team tries to give the material a fresh appeal through the way that it’s cleaned and presented.

One of the well-worn adages of modernism is that a designer should be able to work from the scale of a spoon to that of a city. Rotor approaches reuse with the same philosophy – or, at least, from the scale of a bathroom tile to that of an office park.

For the past decade, the non-profit has worked on integrating reclaimed materials into the renovations of two modernist office buildings in Brussels, Multi and Oxy. The architects catalogued the contents of the existing structures and figured out what could be reclaimed, repaired and replaced with pre-used pieces.

Since both buildings were renovations, almost 90 per cent of the original materials were preserved. For Oxy alone, however, the remaining 10 per cent amounted to more than 30,000 tonnes of new materials. Rotor sourced about 600 tonnes of reclaimed materials – mostly natural stone for panelling and pavements – from other office renovations around Europe. This amounts to about 2 per cent of the new materials used in the building. That might not sound like much but it’s equivalent to the entire annual turnover of Rotor DC’s warehouse in Evere.

“With reuse, there’s no way to meet existing demand,” says Schoonjans. In other words, quality salvage is unable to keep up with a global construction industry built to, well, build. “We need to question the demand first and foremost.” Fortunately, though, Rotor is growing. Next year it begins a major renovation of its site in Evere. The expansion will triple the amount of storage space that the company has access to, easing one of the main problems facing reuse companies – that there’s insufficient room to store everything. The space has become increasingly necessary as Rotor’s fame has grown. Rotor DC’s materials used to come from salvage operations run by the non-profit Rotor; now they’re from its own dismantling work and from contractors and individuals bringing items to Evere.

Rotor has become one of Europe’s most established salvage experts. The firm’s practical know-how is presumably appreciated by bureaucrats racking their brains for ways to clean up the continent’s construction sector. There are many policies that could help reuse to become more common: creating strong tax incentives for developments that adopt it, levying a heftier carbon tax on the industry’s biggest polluters or loosening rules around the standardisation of building components. Project by project, Rotor shows that working with old materials is compatible with modern architecture. “Proving something by making is really powerful,” says Saulnier.
rotordb.org; rotordc.com

A tour of Saint-Étienne, a French city betting that design can succeed where industry failed

Business was going well for French architect and designer Guillaume Crédoz. He had built a successful practice in Beirut and was overseeing a team of 36. In 2014 he started to construct 3D printers, a technology with which he had been experimenting for decades. Then, in 2019, the country’s financial crisis began. Crédoz’s money was invested in Lebanese banks and he lost everything. After the Port of Beirut explosion in 2020, which destroyed part of his home, he decided to move back to France.

He ruled out places such as Paris and Lyon, deeming them unaffordable. Then he remembered Saint-Étienne, a metropolitan area of some 400,000 people where he had exhibited in the past. “People said that the creative industry would save this city and I took them at their word,” he says. “I came with nothing, saying, ‘Please give me something.’”

Crédoz presented his work to the leadership of Saint-Étienne’s Cité du Design, a design quarter largely funded by the metropolitan government and earmarked as a future economic driver. Known for its historic red-brick-and-stone buildings, it’s home to the Saint-Étienne Higher School of Art and Design (Ésad Saint-Étienne), which moved here in 2009 and has served as a springboard for development. The quarter now houses the National Gallery of Design, the first venue in France that is dedicated to public design collections, as well as several exhibition halls, office space for creative companies and a restaurant. Two more phases are mooted, with the aim of adding retail, more restaurants and a hotel.

Crédoz came armed with a proposal: he would give students at the university access to his 3D printers in return for affordable workshop space. Larger, more market-driven cities might have rejected the idea but Saint-Étienne took up his offer and he was able to establish a new start-up, Post Industrial Crafts. After incubating it for two years in the Cité du Design, he moved the company headquarters to a large 1940s warehouse – a former foundry with a concrete, barrel-vaulted ceiling.

It’s safe to say that Crédoz is back on his feet. In the new digs, towering robot arms attached to extruders are linked with proprietary software. One of them moves slowly around a circular object as it adds a fresh layer onto an object’s surface. Post Industrial Crafts focuses on large-scale printed design pieces, from lamps to benches, using colourful, recycled plastic. Crédoz has raised €1.2m and is inundated with work; he is building a play castle for a park in Lyon and bidding for an airport-wall project in California.

Saint-Étienne’s design ecosystem has played a significant part in his success. To many in France, however, the idea that the city has a design scene at all might come as a surprise, in part because of its industrial reputation. Often compared to Manchester or Pittsburgh, Saint-Étienne was once an arms-manufacturing hub with a history of making weapons that can be traced back to the 14th century. France’s national arms factory, the Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne, was established here in the 18th century, bringing plenty of factory jobs and helping to forge the city’s blue-collar identity. It operated on a newer site from 1866 until 2001; a few years after it was shuttered, its buildings were redeveloped as the Cité du Design.

Coal mining also left a huge mental and physical imprint on the city. The industry provided raw materials for Saint-Étienne’s metallurgy and textile factories. Today, if you gaze up from the Grand’Rue, a thoroughfare that stretches from north to south, you will notice a series of hillocks. Many of these were originally deposits from excavation. The city’s largest mine, Couriot, closed in 1973. Crédoz’s 3D-printing warehouse now stands on this site.

With the end of coal production, Saint-Étienne suffered an economic slump and entered a prolonged period of soul searching. Even today, shuttered shops in its centre point to tough times. But it has something that many wealthier metropolises do not. Crédoz recalls the lifts that he used to receive when he couldn’t afford to buy his own car and the way that people rallied round him. “It’s not competitive here,” he says. “I received a lot of help from everyone.” In this football-mad city, community still matters and it’s a quality that Saint-Étienne can leverage as it seeks to build up its design scene.

“We are a very horizontal city where everybody has a chance to engage and make a change at their own level,” says Yannis Bekhti over lunch at the Cité du Design’s La Fabuleuse Cantine, a business with a mission to combat food waste. A former policy and economic adviser in the Middle East and North Africa, Bekhti is now the president of the entity that oversees the design neighbourhood and its school. He is also the deputy mayor in charge of managing the city’s image. Like many people involved in developing Saint-Étienne, he says that the focus on design is based on the city’s pre-existing skills and the sector’s strong links to the past.

Some of the industries that have historically thrived in Saint-Étienne – including ribbon-making, particularly for chocolate boxes – have given it a transferable savoir-faire, says Bekhti. Even arms manufacture required designers, which was a key factor behind the creation of one of France’s first drawing schools in the city in 1803. The establishment was renamed several times before becoming Ésad Saint-Étienne in 2006. “This is where the link is, between our industrial heritage and our contemporary relationship to design,” he says.

The metropolitan government also has a track record of serving as a patron of architecture. In the 20th century Eugène Claudius-Petit, the mayor Ferminy, a town just outside the city limits, commissioned modernist master Le Corbusier to design several buildings in the city, though only one of these was completed during the French-Swiss architect’s lifetime: the Unesco-recognised Firminy cultural centre. The futurist Église Saint-Pierre was built in fits and starts, and finally completed in 2006. Le Corbusier laid the foundation stone for Unité d’Habitation, a huge housing block that he called a “vertical town”, but died shortly afterwards, leaving the work to be finished by his former assistant André Wogenscky.

This past helps to explain why Saint-Étienne already punches above its weight. Since 1998 it has held the successful International Design Biennial, with each edition attended by tens of thousands of visitors. In 2010, Unesco recognised Saint-Étienne as France’s only Creative City of Design.

Its creative history features heavily in Design en Main: Du Langage à l’Objet (“Design in Hand: From Language to Object”), the inaugural exhibition at the National Gallery of Design. The wood-panelled exhibition space is split into six sections that explore the hand’s relationship to design. “With Bare Hands” looks at the city’s ribbon-making, arms and mining industries; “Lending a Hand” focuses on the eye-catching graphics and products of Manufrance, a Saint-Étienne-based mail-order business that was popular in the 1970s; and “Losing a Steady Hand” showcases a fun collection of postwar domestic appliances, arranged on a mirrored surface.

The gallery’s director, Aurélie Voltz, says that the space has a responsibility to capture the “history of society”. The idea behind what she calls “this special venue for design” is simple: making exhibitions accessible and reminding audiences that design is a part of daily life. Related to the latter is the way that design can trickle down to other parts of the economy. “Saint-Étienne is the right place to talk about this,” says Voltz. “In formerly industrial cities, culture is the most important vehicle for helping a city to move on.” The exhibition borrows from the permanent collections of institutions such as Bordeaux’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design and Paris’s Centre Pompidou.

The building’s layout was conceived to entice visitors to physically engage with design. They first encounter Le Seuil, a space to chat, read and sit on chairs by the likes of Enzo Mari and Marcel Breuer. Upstairs, a mezzanine viewing gallery features modular furniture from French design studio Marie et Alexandre.

Éric Jourdan, the director general of the EPCC Cité du Design Ésad-Saint-Étienne – the body that oversees the city’s design ecosystem – recognises that there’s still plenty of work to do to convince people that design has a central role to play. While it might not have the funding of the major Paris-based institutions, Ésad Saint-Étienne is renowned for its hands-on workshops that span everything from woodwork to printing. Its graduates have the potential to stay on and play an important part in Saint-Étienne’s future.

Sticking around in the city has worked out for design studio Numéro 111, founded by Ésad Saint-Étienne alumni Sophie Françon and Jennifer Julien, alongside architect Grégory Peyrache. The trio first started working together 15 years ago at the International Design Biennial. Their project portfolio includes the Cité du Design shop, street furniture for the biennial and recently completed interiors for a café called Dussap, where Monocle meets the Numéro 111 team for coffee. The practice is proof that being outside design’s traditional echo chambers isn’t a problem – and can even be a creative advantage. “We are near Lyon, the Alps and Paris,” says Julien. Peyrache adds that being based in a postindustrial city means that there are plenty of skilled craftspeople with whom they can collaborate. Alongside designing pieces for luxury furniture company Ligne Roset, Numéro 111 is also working on projects such as a hotel in Provence and a riad in Morocco.

Numéro 111 is being joined in Saint-Étienne by many other designers who are either moving back home or settling from other parts of the country. They are motivated not just by the city’s efforts to make design part of its economic future but also by the simple fact that things remain affordable here. Ésad Saint-Étienne’s former home, where it was based before its move to the Cité du Design in 2009, has been converted into 30 studios for early-career designers. Every year, the city funds four graduates’ annual rent. We visit the large studio that Louis Chevalier and Mathilde Garcia share in the building. They have space for facilities including a showroom and a metal-welding area, where Chevalier can work on his architectural pieces, manipulating industrial forms. “We pay €250 rent a month,” says Garcia, who makes decorative pieces. “As we start our professional careers, it’s the best place.”

A five-minute walk from the Cité du Design, Anaïs Borie, another former Ésad Saint-Étienne’s student, is hand-cutting stained-glass pieces for a new commission. Borie spent a decade living in Eindhoven but she recently felt the urge to come home. In Saint-Étienne, she was able to buy a ground-floor studio that was previously a long-shuttered shop for less than a garage would cost in many cities. “I didn’t want to worry about moving from workshop to workshop,” she says. “Here, I can have a more settled practice.”

Borie, whose influences include art nouveau and science fiction, currently has an exhibition called Brèches Fertiles at the Cité du Design’s La Platine, a space dedicated to the work of emerging creatives. As well as the main objects on display – several of which were made in collaboration with nearby metal workshop Tôlerie Forézienne – she designed everything else, including the sets and the sound. It’s already paying off. The piece that she is currently working on in her studio was commissioned by a visitor to the show.

Stories such as Borie’s are encouraging – and evidence that Saint-Étienne’s punt on design is reaping rewards. Still, for all the encouraging green shoots, the city doesn’t claim to have its future entirely mapped out. But plenty of the necessary pieces are now in place. Some might suspect that Saint-Étienne is taking on too much risk, giving grants to businesses seeking to hire designers to improve products and talks about how design can improve public services. For Bekhti, though, it’s about making the city more resilient – and he’s in little doubt about the value that all of these efforts are bringing. “I believe that creative industries such as design will be viable tomorrow,” he says. “At a time when AI is challenging our perceptions of the world, we need to go back to what makes us human.”

Jeanne Autran-Edorh is making the case for a West African architecture rooted in craft, not imports

French-Togolese designer Jeanne Autran-Edorh worked for Pritzker Architecture Prize winners Francis Kéré, Jean Nouvel and Herzog & de Meuron, before co-founding interdisciplinary practice Studio Neida. Based between Brussels and Lomé, its portfolio spans architecture, design and research, with a focus on locally sourced materials and regenerative craftsmanship. Autran-Edorh co-curated Togo’s first Venice Architecture Biennale pavilion for the event’s 19th edition in 2025, as well as its presentation at the Triennale in Milan.

Rooted in craft and context, Studio Neida’s work is a celebration of West Africa’s architectural roots. “They’re a rich foundation that we have to preserve,” Autran-Edorh tells Monocle, as she welcomes us into her home in Lomé. “And they’re at risk of disappearing because we live in an age when many crafts are being replaced by industrially made imports.” She tells us about what she plans to do about this and her ambitions for the studio.

How does a young practice such as Studio Neida win clients?
We started it three years ago after working at several other offices. What matters isn’t just the relationship with the client but with everyone that the architecture will affect. It’s about how your work changes life in a city or the community around it and how to ensure that those who will build it or live near it can have a say in the design process. The client isn’t one person – the word encompasses the people walking past a project too. It’s about asking not just whether a building is aesthetically pleasing or functional but also how it supports daily life.

What roles do place and context play?
Our goal is to create architecture that belongs to its place and reflects its people. In West Africa, this involves unlearning ways of designing imposed from elsewhere and restarting with a more collaborative practice. It’s about local knowledge and working together. Often, a project develops in collaboration with an artisan.

Does your process differ in Africa and Europe?
I have practised in European, African and US contexts on projects such as the National Assembly of Benin, which was heavily influenced by politics, and then at smaller scales, where you have much more freedom. There’s a kind of reversal of value: in Europe, craft has become a luxury and manufactured materials are the default. In West Africa, imported materials raise the cost, so making things locally is cheaper. The design process ends up far more tied to craft and drawing everything by hand. That, for me, is more stimulating and creative. If you need a new dress, you seek out a tailor and design it yourself; if you need a table, you go to a carpenter and make a custom one. Everyone becomes a designer because you must think about the dimensions, the shape and the materials.

One of your projects, a guesthouse in Lomé, makes a point of working with the site’s conditions. What can be learnt from taking such an approach?
It’s about making use of the available resources. That might sound like a constraint but it can also be an opportunity. The clay bricks for this guesthouse were made from soil dug up on site, pressed and sun-dried. We produced them as we built.

What’s your experience of working with big institutions and governments?
We started our practice with initiatives of our own: documenting abandoned buildings in Lomé and proposing adaptive reuse. That drew interest from institutions, which eventually led to us doing the Togo Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. It wasn’t a commission that came to us; we initiated the dialogue ourselves.

Tell us about some of the buildings in Lomé that you explored as part of this curatorial programme.
The exhibition looked at both post-independence and precolonial architecture. We wanted to put the two in dialogue and deliberately skip the colonial period to celebrate the architecture commissioned by the Togolese state. Post-independence architecture shows the building of a nation’s identity. There’s a strong language in those buildings. They express the pride and the history of a country.

Where is Togolese and Lomé’s architecture heading? And how can this be a springboard for your practice?
What’s sometimes difficult is a feeling of going backwards. Contemporary architecture is often less contextual and has less finesse than in the modernist era. We’re starting to see towers in Lomé that could be in London or New York. These are not adapted to the context, the climate. There’s a lot that we can learn from older architecture.

What can the rest of the world take from contemporary West African architecture?
Young architects in Africa are valuing traditional materials and existing knowledge. There’s a need to give value to these traditions of making and craftsmanship. It’s about not trying to follow existing models but trying to develop an architecture that belongs to its context.

‘Most have lost touch with the reality of the built world.’ Australian designer Henry Wilson on why working with independent makers matters

“I grew up with an architect mother who would cart me along to her studio and sample rooms, where I would collect little bits of material,” says Henry Wilson. The Sydney-based industrial designer is recounting how he became one of Australia’s top contemporary talents. “There was endless stuff that I was making and playing with: my radio-controlled car, for example, or a trailer to tow round the garden behind the dog.”

Today he produces furniture, lighting, homewares and more from his Paddington studio and showroom – housed in a low-rise 1926 brick building tucked beneath an old scout hall, finished with stainless-steel plinths and panels. His client list includes Aesop and Sydney’s Ace Hotel, with works shown at Maison & Objet in Paris and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney. Wilson’s practice remains rooted in craftsmanship and his early interest in materiality. Here, he tells us about sand-casting, small foundries and why he would rather live with an object than simply admire it.

What is your earliest design memory?
As a kid, I was obsessed with how things went together, though there wasn’t an aesthetic angle to it yet. In hindsight, my parents were feeding that appetite – my mother especially. She’s also an art collector and used to drag me around museums. I probably went reluctantly at the time but it planted something in me that evolved.

What drew you to the idea of making things?
Initially, it was very practical. I was obsessed with utilitarian things, which is how I became interested in sand-casting, a method that uses packed sand to shape molten metal into custom parts. I loved the practicality of cast pieces that solved a problem and could be replicated. I found an extraordinary beauty and rawness in this centuries-old process.

Does the process dictate what you produce?
Totally. We’ll propose a casting or polishing process and get pushback from the foundry – “This is too thin; we’re getting holes here” – and we’ll rethink the form. It’s a constant back and forth. I also don’t want to make something that’s a pain to produce. You must consider the person making the object, the person who will use it and the person who will eventually be left with it. You have to ask: will they repurpose it, sell it or get rid of it? I try to keep an object’s uses abstract enough that it can find its way into different parts of your life. Take my little key tray: I have seen it holding coins, buttons and someone’s phone, as well as keys. I don’t want these things to be too prescriptive.

You collaborate with smaller, local foundries. Why is it important to keep working with such makers?
In Australia, it’s a real issue. The foundry that I have been working with for more than 10 years is now overseen by the son, who took it over from his father. It’s tricky business because a lot of the componentry is now moving to China. There has been a brain drain and we simply don’t make things any more. I see this in manufacturing generally and even among architects. If you want to do anything special, there’s only a handful of places left that can help you. That’s a real shame because it limits your thinking. It surprises me how impractical people have become. Try explaining how a wall plug works to someone and you’ll get blank stares. Most have lost touch with the reality of the built world. It has become something that they just walk through.

How has working and studying around the world shaped your practice?
I studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven and, honestly, the biggest part of my education there came from visiting flea markets across the Netherlands and Germany. In Berlin 15 years ago, you would find postwar artefacts. You couldn’t imagine these beautifully made objects being produced in bulk today – penknives with folding mechanisms, scissors for cutting candlewicks, knives and forks for specific fish. We don’t necessarily use these things any more but they’re worth looking back to – sometimes out of pure curiosity; sometimes because their ideas might find their way into a new product. Industrial designers are drawn to that kind of observation, building on what’s gone before.

Does the passage of time also help us to appreciate our objects and furniture more?
A lot of the resonance that our products have comes from the fact that they change. Take our hardware line: we initially started making these door pulls as one-off pieces because manufacturing had become so roboticised that you could barely tell an Ikea kitchen from the work of the fanciest Italian cabinetmakers. So we wanted to make hardware rooted in mid-century proportions but left unwaxed and untreated. This means that the dishwasher pull wears differently to the pantry pull, because one is grabbed with wet hands. People love the way that such details give their home a little more life. You see this in older European houses, with solid brass hardware worn bright. You wouldn’t come in and rip off those handles. That’s what we’re trying to put into homes: a sense of timelessness that grows with people. We joke in the office that if you don’t like the finish on your bronze lamp, just wait a week.

Editor’s letter: Monocle’s inaugural Design Directory

Why the Monocle Design Directory? And why now? To answer these questions, we need to rewind to the launch of Monocle in 2007. Since our first issue, politics, business, fashion and culture have been filtered through the lens of design. Diplomatic residences have been scrutinised, national economies assessed in terms of their industrial-design output and social cohesion in cities measured in terms of newly built galleries, museums and institutions. It’s an approach to journalism that recognises that the work of architects, graphic designers, furniture makers and design brands is far-reaching – beyond simply making beautiful things, these creatives have the power to shape our lives and build communities. It’s what drew me to Monocle in 2010 as a designer on the lookout for benchmark projects and then – after a slight career pivot – as a design journalist in 2018. And it’s why we’re pressing play on our first stand-alone magazine dedicated solely to design.

The world today needs good design and architecture more than ever. Across our pages, you’ll find homes with substance, businesses with heft and some gorgeous products too. For example, one can look at the reporting of this publication’s deputy editor, Grace Charlton, who took a tour through the Balkans, visiting Cold War-era memorials. Originally built to recognise conflict and postwar development, these monuments tell a story that is as much about reconciling the past and the present as it is about recognising striking architecture. The report might just inspire your next roadtrip.

Complementing this is a story from Edmund and Yuki Sumner, a photographer-and-journalist super team, who examined how contemporary Mexican architects are building inspiring homes. Meanwhile, our editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, paid a visit to the father-and-son duo behind Fenix Originals. This Barcelona-based outfit is drawing attention to forgotten mid-century Spanish designers through the restoration of vintage furniture. It’s a cause that tugs at the heartstrings and provides buyers with unique furniture with which to kit out their homes and offices.

Naturally, some broader themes have emerged.

Immersing ourselves in design communities in Tokyo, Paris and São Paulo, we report on how traditional craftsmanship lays the foundations for innovation. In our visits to projects across the globe – from Bidadari Park in Singapore to a repurposed flyover space in Surat, India – we examine how design can help to build communities. These stories will hopefully inspire you to use design to improve your life and wellbeing, while delivering on our promise to spotlight uplifting projects and beautiful wares for your home.

Monocle’s Global Design Directory 2025: Where to find designers around the world

Need an architect in Athens or collectable furniture in Copenhagen? Our new Design Directory connects you with vetted creatives on every continent. From emerging studios to market leaders, skilled craftspeople to cutting-edge brands, this guide delivers contacts for transforming any space – an address book for navigating the world of design.

Amsterdam

The Dutch capital plays host to some of design’s brightest minds, from the Amsterdam School’s community-minded architecture to its savvy housing scheme.

Inside Outside
The name says it all: this design studio specialises in both landscape and interior design.
Schakelstraat 4, Amsterdam
+31 20 681 0801, insideoutside.nl

UNStudio
Architecture practice renowned for large-scale infrastructure projects imbued with a sculptural sensibility.
Stadhouderskade 113, Amsterdam
+31 20 570 2040, unstudio.com

Nicemakers
Looking for cinematic interiors? This is the studio to turn to.
Stadhouderskade 160, Amsterdam
+31 20 354 7228, nicemakers.com

Antwerp

Belgium’s diamond capital layers cutting-edge contemporary structures on art nouveau mansions. Meanwhile, the city’s famed fashion academy plays an outsized role in shaping its creative scene.

Studio Helder
Buy outstanding collectable pieces ranging from furniture to jewellery or turn to the studio of this multifaceted business for advice on design.
Provinciestraat 100, Antwerp
+32 3 289 43 18, studiohelder.be

Espoo
Searching for a piece of Scandinavia in Belgium? Drop by this shop that stocks the best in Nordic furniture and homeware.
Kloosterstraat 75-77, Antwerp
+32 3 237 57 97, espoo.be

Going East
Interiors practice specialising in design-build, ensuring that projects are delivered accurately and impeccably.
Ridder van Parijsstraat 18, Antwerp
+32 3 226 81 59, goingeast.be

Athens

Ancient craft traditions meet a contemporary design renaissance in the Greek capital, with marble and ceramic workshops influencing modern furniture makers.

Hyper Hypo
Colourful bookshop selling the best print titles. It’s also an informal community hub for the city’s creative scene.
Voreou 10, Athens
+30 21 1735 9628, hyperhypo.gr

Antiqua
Gallery established in 1954 that specialises in 20th-century design masterpieces – drop by for the best collection in Athens.
Irodotou 7, Athens
+30 21 0323 2220, antiqua.gr

Point Supreme
Masters of blending simple geometries with complex colour palettes, this architecture studio is the go-to for inspiring Mediterranean interiors.
Genneou Kolokotroni 68B, Athens
pointsupreme.com

Barcelona

Gaudí’s fairy-tale modernisme might be Barcelona’s calling card but the Catalonian city has never coasted on past glories, with a host of contemporary firms creating illuminating architecture, furniture and objects.

Isern Serra
Versatile design studio creating beautiful objects with a focus on materiality and craftsmanship.
Carrer Llull 47-49, Barcelona
+34 650 293 485, isernserra.com

Santa & Cole
One of Catalonia’s leading lights, this design firm adds atmosphere and character to any space.
Carretera, C-251 Km 5,6, Parc de Belloch, Barcelona
+34 938 619 100, santacole.com

Mesura
Studio creating beautiful architecture with a deep understanding that aesthetics is linked to durability and sustainability.
Carrer de Gomis 34, Barcelona
+34 934 672 190, mesura.eu

Marset
Family-run firm continuing to produce innovative, cutting-edge lighting designs.
Carretera de Rubí 284, Barcelona
+34 934 602 067, marset.com

Sandra Tarruella Interioristas
Looking for a timeless, atmospheric interior? Turn to these experts who specialise in restaurants, hotels and commercial spaces.
Madrazo 83, Barcelona
+34 933 622 264, tarruellainterioristas.com

BD Barcelona
Design pioneers since 1972, this newly revived firm brings to life iconic furniture pieces by Gaudí, Dalí and contemporary masters.
C/Ramon Turró 126, Barcelona
+34 934 570 052, bdbarcelona.com

Basel

Despite the city’s compact size, celebrated international designers including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando have worked in Basel. Swiss engineering prowess is also evident in the precision of the construction of its skyline.

Tiny Küche
Looking for a space-saving mini kitchen? Turn to this company for interior and exterior fit-outs.
St. Alban-Vorstadt 15, Basel
+41 61 272 18 18, tinykueche.ch

Christ & Gantenbein
Architecture firm that has delivered significant infrastructure and cultural landmarks with efficient design concepts.
Spitalstrasse 12, Basel
+41 61 260 90 20, christgantenbein.com

Glassworks Matteo Gonet
Bespoke glassworker that specialises in everything from large-scale sculptural works to made-to-order chandeliers.
Tramstrasse 66, Münchenstein
+41614114121, matteogonet.allyou.net

Vitra
Firm dedicated to improving homes, offices and public spaces through quality furniture design.
Charles-Eames-Strasse 2, Weil am Rhein
+49 76 21 702 32 40, vitra.com

Berlin

The German capital’s architectural layers tell stories of kingdoms, republics, division and reunification. It’s a mix that attracts creatives of all stripes – from architects and designers to musicians and couturiers.

DOM Publishers
Print specialists producing high-quality design-minded publications.
Caroline-von-Humboldt-Weg 20, Berlin
+49 30 206 96930, dom-publishers.com

Hacking Gutenberg
Workshop redefining the letterpress in the 21st century through research, printing and experimentation.
Potsdamer Strasse 98A, Berlin
+49 30 832 19070, hackinggutenberg.berlin

Holder
Editorial platform, retailer and gallerist showcasing contemporary and collectable design from Latin America.
Rosenheimer Strasse 7, Berlin
+49 152 078 77192, holder-objects.com

Süper Store
Curated design shop specialising in glass, ceramics, jewellery and objects from Japan.
Prinzenstrasse 85C, Berlin
sueper-store.de

Copenhagen

Far from resting on the laurels of its mid-century designers, Copenhagen continues to export outstanding creative talent worldwide, thanks in no small part to its respected design schools.

NormArchitects
Design studio that creates architecture, interiors and products with a focus on minimalist forms and calming spaces.
Amaliegade 21D, Copenhagen
+45 28 87 93 09, normcph.com

SLA
Studio with a focus on landscape architecture, with projects that range from nature-inspired spaces and drawing up city master plans to biodiversity strategies.
Njalsgade 17B, Pakhus 2, Copenhagen
+45 33 91 13 16, sla.dk

Tom Rossau
Independent lighting designer with a shop-front workshop and studio where distinctive sculptural pendant lights and lamps are created.
Frederiksberg Allé 5,Copenhagen
+45 71 94 00 00, tomrossau.com

AtelierAxo
Cross-disciplinary studio specialising in small-scale architecture, interior design and bespoke furniture.
Bredgade 66, Copenhagen
+45 40 88 63 38, atelier-axo.com

Moebe
Danish furniture brand doing more with less, producing furniture and objects reduced to their simplest, most efficient forms.
Strandlodsvej 42a, Copenhagen
+45 71 74 74 96, moebe.dk

Fritz Hansen
Established in 1872, this storied international design house continues to create world-class furniture, lighting and homeware.
Valkendorfsgade4, Copenhagen
+45 39 20 20 31, fritzhansen.com

Geneva

A lakeside city where French and German architectural traditions merge with Italian influences, Geneva also has a watchmaking heritage that brings mechanical flair to the city’s creative scene.

Lacroix Chessex
Architecture studio specialising in residential, educational and public buildings, often defined by impressive geometric forms.
Ruedes Cordiers 4, Geneva
+41 22 300 54 07, lacroixchessex.ch

Les Illuminés Design XXème
Gallery specialising in 20th-century design classics from masters such as Le Corbusier, Charles and Ray Eames and Poul Kjaerholm.
Rue Vignier 3, Geneva
+4179 725 33 75, lesilluminesdesign.ch

Bonhôte Zapata
Architecture firm with a masterful grasp of light and natural materiality, working on everything from civic to residential projects.
Rue du Levant 3, Geneva
+41 22 786 37 83, bonhotezapata.ch

Helsinki

Finnish design’s reputation was built on the backs of companies such as Iittala and Artek, which embraced the country’s glassmaking and timber heritage – a trend that continues to evolve today.

Studio Joanna Laajisto
Functionality, quality and beauty converge in this interior studio’s work across retail, hospitality and commercial spaces.
Kalevankatu 18 B, Helsinki
+358 44 214 5937, joannalaajisto.com

Vaarni
Pine is the material of choice for this firm that creates brutal yet sleek objects in partnership with Finnish craftspeople and factories.
Sorvaajankatu 15, Helsinki
+358 10 319 9670, vaarnii.com

Hakola
Colourful family-run firm creating responsibly-made, joy-inducing furniture.
Annankatu 5, Helsinki
+358 50 358 2739, hakola.fi

Istanbul

Radical design has flourished on the Bosphorus for centuries, creating a patchwork where 1950s international style sits alongside 16th-century mosques. Its craft scene, defined by carpet weaving and kilim making, adds texture to interiors and the fabric of the city.

Autoban
Architecture studio delivering sensitively conceived projects, ranging from underground transport terminals and vast airports to tropical resorts.
Dibek Sokak No 48 Galata, Istanbul
+90 212 243 8641, autoban.com

Sanayi313
Design, furniture, art and food come together at this lifestyle brand’s industrial workshop.
10 Sokak No 313 Maslak, Istanbul
+90 212 286 3857, sanayi313.com

Uniqka
Design brand reviving handcrafted leather traditions in partnership with contemporary designers.
Aktarlar Sokak No 27/A Besiktas, Istanbul
+90 532 427 1383, uniqka.com

Lisbon

Portugal has a rich design heritage defined by a deep appreciation for craft and a recent influx of expats in the capital is enlivening the city’s artistic milieu.

Corticeira Amorim
Leading cork producer that is transforming the natural material into innovative architectural products and design solutions.
Rua de Meladas 380, Mozelos
+351 22 747 5400, amorim.com

Garcé Dimofski
Design studio known for interiors and furniture with a pared-back look that maintains a sculptural quality.
Rua dos Anjos 16, Lisbon
garce-dimofski.com

P-06
Storytelling is at the core of this studio specialising in environmental graphic design, from wayfinding to place branding.
Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes 28A, Paço de Arcos
+351 21 446 7367, p06.studio

Monade
Publishing house with a focus on research books and monographs on architecture, photography and art.
Rua Rodrigues Sampaio, 19 5B, Lisbon
+351 96 654 7982, monadebooks.com

London

The UK capital continues to attract global talent thanks to its world-class educational facilities and the diversity of its creative communities. The result is innovation in fashion, graphics, architecture and furniture.

Michael Anastassiades
Cypriot-born designer known for cinematic ambient lighting and high-quality objects.
50 Rochester Place, London
+44 20 7928 7527, michaelanastassiades.com

Industrial Facility
Beauty and utility seamlessly combine in this studio’s furniture- and product-design output.
20 Britton Street, London
+44 20 7253 3234, industrialfacility.co.uk

Studio Frith
This design studio is an expert in using colour and typography to create inspiring branding and graphic work.
18 Club Row, London
studiofrith.com

Goldfinger
Community-minded organisation that designs everything from bespoke furniture pieces to outreach programmes aimed at training the next generation of craftspeople.
66A Turnmill Street, London
goldfinger.design

Modular By Mensah
Furniture-design studio that promotes social connection and community through its work.
Unit 221B, Peckham Levels, Moncrieff Street, London
modularbymensah.com

William Smalley
Architecture studio creating spaces informed by a deep understanding of context and memory, as well as material and craft.
13 Great James Street, London
+44 20 7242 0028, williamsmalley.com

SCP
Leading furniture retailer of contemporary and iconic interior pieces that also commissions and produces new British design.
135-139 Curtain Road, London
+44 20 7739 1869, scp.co.uk

Madrid

Grand boulevards and ornate fountains sit alongside village-like plazas and narrow streets in this city of contrasts. This varied inspiration shapes the work of its creatives.

Langarita-Navarro
Architecture studio blurring boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, public and private spheres, as well as nature and the manmade.
Grijalba 8, Madrid
+34 915 645 984, langarita-navarro.com

Office for Political Innovation
Multidisciplinary agency dedicated to architecture and exhibitions, operating at the intersection of design, research and environmental activism.
Calle Arriaza, 6, Madrid
+34 910 572 163, officeforpoliticalinnovation.com

Penadés
Research-driven studio developing new materials and objects while curating architectural experiences.
Rondade Toledo 16, Local 304, Madrid
+34915524270, penades.xyz

Espacio Brut
Design outpost for 20th- and 21st-century objects, art, books and collectable design.
Calle Pelayo 68, Madrid
+34 910 258 963, espaciobrut.com

Milan

Home to the famed Salone del Mobile, Milan continues to have far-reaching influence on global design trends and industries. Against this business backdrop is a city of impressively varied architecture, spanning from the gothic spires of the Duomo to Liberty decoration and Gio Ponti’s modernism.

ACPV Architects
Architecture studio delivering city-defining projects, from high-rise towers to urban plazas, grand hotels and commercial headquarters.
Via Cerva, 4, Milan
+39 02 763 8801, acpvarchitects.com

Vero International
Next-generation furniture and homeware brand using Italian know-how to produce simple and elegant wares.
verointernational.com

6:AM Glassworks
Studio that is redefining Italy’s glassmaking heritage by combining traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics.
Via Privata Felice Romani 2, Milan
+39 02 8410 6869, 6am.glass

Formafantasma
Leading design studio working across architecture, branding, product and exhibition design, with an approach defined by a deep respect for cultural, social and environmental context.
Via Privata Assab 1, Milan
formafantasma.com

Objects Are By
Homeware brand connecting creatives and artisans in the production of unique, environmentally low-impact pieces.
objectsareby.com

Munich

From Olympiapark’s landscape-embedded stadiums to corporate headquarters, function precedes aesthetics in the Bavarian capital. The result? Practical industrial design and smart, contemporary architecture.

Holzrausch
An interior-design studio with production facilities for the creation of bespoke furniture and architecture.
Blumenstrasse17, Munich
+49 89 1893 2880, holzrausch.de

Bureau Borsche
Graphic-design studio specialising in editorial design, creating distinct visual identities and typographic work.
Paul-Heyse-Strasse17, Munich
+49 89 6214 6672, bureauborsche.com

J*Gast
Innovative brand challenging notions of what traditional unit kitchens can be through the use of modular, customisable solutions.
Blumenstrasse 17, Munich
+49 89 8776 5575, jgast.com

Occhio
Systems-based lighting brand that manufactures its own luminaries and fixtures.
Wiener Platz 7, Munich
+49 89 4477 8630, occhio.com

Oslo

Sustainable timber construction and landscape-integrated buildings reflect the Nordics’ love for nature. It’s an outlook embraced by Oslo’s leading furniture makers.

Shapes by Hydro
The research and furniture-production arm of aluminium specialists Norsk Hydro.
Drammensveien 264, Oslo
+47 22 53 81 00, shapesbyhydro.com

Fjord Arkitekter
Architecture firm delivering structures with a respect for local ecologies, economies and cultures.
Bjerregaardsgate 1A, Oslo
+47 40 41 61 61, fjordarkitekter.no

Edvin Klasson
Independent designer creating objects and furniture, radically combining materials and forms.
+47 97 14 66 39, edvinklasson.com

Paris

An appreciation for beauty and craft shapes Paris’s outlook on design, whether in the work of haute-couture ateliers or the magnificent rooftops lining Haussmannian boulevards.

Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier
Renowned interior designer producing elegant furniture collections with high-quality French craftsmanship.
4 Passage Sainte-Avoye, Paris
+33 1 84 74 77 90, pierreyovanovitch.com

Yorgo & Co
Creative studio specialising in savvy solutions across branding, interiors and product development projects.
51 Rue des Vinaigriers, Paris
+33 1 40 38 81 85, yorgo.co

Garnier & Linker
Lighting, furniture and object design studio producing work for a range of environments, from residences to hotels and galleries.
22 Rue de l’Echiquier, Paris
+33 6 73 51 76 18, garnieretlinker.com

The Invisible Collection
Curators of exceptional contemporary furniture and decorative objects, sourced from a global cohort of designers and artisans.
20 Rue Amélie, Paris
+33 1 84 88 04 66, theinvisiblecollection.com

Festen Architecture
Makers of elegant interiors defined by rich textures and robust materials.
14 Rue Commines, Paris
+33 9 86 41 30 26, festenarchitecture.com

Kann Design
French-Lebanese studio designing, manufacturing and kitting out interiors with bespoke furniture and architectural solutions.
30 Rue des Trois Bornes, Paris
+33 9 62 54 42 03, kanndesign.com

Tiptoe
Savvy design meets sleek industrial machining to produce smart seating, tables and homeware.
49 Rue Étienne Marcel, Paris
+33 1 80 50 05 13, tiptoe.fr

Prague

A post-communism creative renaissance saw a design boom in the Czech capital, where Bohemian glass traditions and heritage woodworking and ceramic practices have been adapted to suit modern needs.

Chybik + Kristof
This Czech-founded global office carries out projects with strong cultural and community ambitions.
Vodickova 736/17, Prague
+420 775 727 488, chybik-kristof.com

Camp
The Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (Camp) is a hub for discussion, encouraging discourse on the development and construction of Czech cities.
Vyšehradská 51, Prague
+420 770 141 547, praha.camp

Master & Master
Czech-made furniture marrying functionality and playfulness across a range that spans from sofas to magazine holders.
Na Zátorách 7, Prague
+420 725 258 289, masterandmaster.eu

Rome

The Italian capital has a long history: Roman ruins and Renaissance churches join baroque basilicas. But new constructions in the city prove that its design know-how extends far beyond its ancient foundations.

Rhinoceros
Seventeenth-century palazzo combining hospitality with exhibition spaces showcasing work by contemporary creatives and deep dives into design history.
Via delVelabro 9, Rome
+39 6 679 7434, rhinocerosroma.com

Secondome
Design gallery championing Italian designers and promoting handcrafted contemporary objects.
Via Portuense 201, Rome
+39 34 7634 4053, secondome.biz

Giustini / Stagetti
On the lookout for 20th-century Italian design? This gallery stocks a variety of pieces from design masters.
Via Gregoriana 41, Rome
+39 06 8765 2093, giustinistagetti.com

Rotterdam

The Dutch city owes its reputation to the post-Second World War construction boom in which the city became an architectural playground filled with bold, experimental design.

Studio Sabine Marcelis
Few designers are shaping the contemporary design landscape quite like Sabine Marcelis. The Dutch designer has collaborated with the likes of Ikea, Hem and Cc-Tapis.
Vlaardingweg 28, Rotterdam
+31 6 3421 0798, sabinemarcelis.com

Cloud
Multidisciplinary practice working across architecture, interiors and product design, delivering work defined by a masterful command of sculptural forms.
Delftseplein 36, Rotterdam
+31 6 8627 9603, cloud-ism.com

MVRDV
Global architecture firm working on projects that function as “city doctors” connecting people with each other and the environment.
Achterklooster7,Rotterdam
+31 1 0477 2860, mvrdv.com

Stockholm

Thriving creative neighbourhoods are scattered across the Swedish capital, defined by rusty townhouses, sky-splitting spires, baroque palaces and Nordic classicism.

Note Design Studio
Interiors and architecture studio redefining the contemporary Nordic aesthetic through the use of playful forms and colour combined with natural light and materials.
Nytorgsgatan 23, Stockholm
+46 8 656 88 04, notedesignstudio.se

Massproductions
Contemporary furniture company building on the clean, functional elegance of modernism.
Katarinavägen 11C, Stockholm
+46 8 789 03 90, massproductions.se

Hem
Independent design brand delivering imaginative, functional contemporary furniture of exceptional quality.
Torsgatan 16, Stockholm
+46 8 408 067 40, hem.com

Jacksons
Gallery specialising in 20th-century Scandinavian design, with a focus on Swedish classics.
Sibyllegatan 53, Stockholm
+46 70 545 40 49, jacksons.se

Venice

A global standout in terms of urban design and architecture, the city is also home to the Venice Biennale’s famed International Architecture Exhibition, while its glassmaking scene on the island of Murano continues to inspire.

Nason Moretti
Family-run Murano glassworks creating distinctive pieces finished in a range of hues and textures.
Calle Dietro Gli Orti 12, Venice
+39 041 739 020, nasonmoretti.com

Bruno
Graphic-design studio, exhibition space, specialist bookshop and publishing house focusing on visual communication.
Dorsoduro 2729, Venice
+39 041 523 0379, b-r-u-n-o.it

Laguna B
Firm creating contemporary Murano glassware, reinterpreting traditional goti de fornasa into collectable pieces.
Dorsoduro 3276, Venice
+39 041 098 6405, lagunab.com

Vienna

The legacy of the city’s golden age at the turn of the 20th century laid the foundations for the Austrian capital to remain full of vibrant creativity.

Eoos
Product and furniture studio designing for global brands, while also working on humanitarian projects for disadvantaged communities.
Zelinkagasse 2/6, Vienna
+43 1 4053987, eoos.com

Studio Es
Graphics and branding studio specialising in print and visual identity design.
Siebenbrunnengasse 21/5, Vienna
+43 664 8498717, studio-es.at

Jarosinski & Vaugoin
Celebrated silversmith creating pieces that range from cutlery to ornamental urns.
Zieglergasse 24, Vienna
+43 1 5233388, vaugoin.com

Warsaw

A hub of Eastern European talent, Warsaw’s modernist architectural heritage, informed by postwar reconstruction, continues to influence its contemporary design.

366 Concept
Brand specialising in reissuing classic mid-century Polish furniture using environmentally minded production methods.
Nowogrodzka 10/Apt 2, Warsaw
+48 57 760 73 66, eu.366concept.com

Tylko
Furniture label known for its bespoke and readily customisable shelving and storage systems.
Czerska 8/10, Warsaw
tylko.com

Maja Ganszyniec Studio
Design studio with a global roster of clients, creating products rooted in material honesty and refined forms.
Odynca 9/4, Warsaw
studioganszyniec.com

Zürich

The international typographic style – a graphic movement that prioritised clarity, order and legibility – had a significant influence on Zürich. Today, those effects on its foundational home can still be seen, from architecture to print.

MACH Architektur
Architecture practice creating elegant and robust buildings with a focus on precise details and materials.
Hardturmstrasse 76, Zürich
+41 44 248 36 50, macharch.ch

Lars Müller
Publisher of award-winning books on architecture, design and photography, renowned for its intellectual and aesthetic rigour.
Pfingstweidstrasse 6, Zürich
+41 44 274 37 40, lars-mueller-publishers.com

Charles O Job
Designer known for furniture and product design emphasising simple forms, rich colours and a multicultural sensibility.
Ottikerstrasse 53, Zürich
+41 44 361 14 20, charlesjob.com

Kodai and Associates
Architecture studio blending Japanese, Italian and Swiss influences to create detail-rich, intentional spaces.
Lavaterstrasse 45, Zürich
+41 44 536 39 83, kodaiandassociates.com

Edition VFO
Publishing house behind a wide range of editioned prints and artworks, promoting graphic art to a wider public.
Limmatstrasse 268, Zürich
+41 44 241 53 00, edition-vfo.ch

Milan Rohrer Studio
Industrial-design studio with a specialisation in transport, from autonomous aircraft-towing vehicles to modular fire engines.
AmWasser 55, Zürich
+41 78 677 42 73, milanrohrer.com

Abu Dhabi

Emirati traditions meet ultra-modern aspirations as contemporary designers reimagine the city’s cultural heritage, using everything from traditional Islamic geometries to mashrabiya latticework.

Agata Kurzela Studio
Architecture, interiors and furniture-design studio producing sleek works that play with form, light and shadow.
kurzela.com

Fount
Design-minded concept shop celebrating good design with a world-class selection of objects, books and collectables.
Erth, Khor Al Maqta, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road, Abu Dhabi
+971 58 540 5698, fountconcept.ae

Slash
Part of the Ripple Collective of Abu Dhabi-based creative businesses, this multidisciplinary studio works across strategy, branding, visual identity and spatial design.
Level 3, Erth, Khor Al Maqta, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road, Abu Dhabi
+971 2 679 8800, ripplecollective.ae

Accra

Ghana’s capital embraces both traditional craft and Africa’s best new design. Vibrant textile traditions and local hardwoods, such as mahogany, shape the furniture industry.

Dot Ateliers
Creative residency and hub providing resources for artists and designers to deepen their practice.
254a Third Kaadjano St, Accra
dotateliers.space

Limbo Accra
Spatial-design practice working across public art, design and architectural production to challenge perceptions about the way we use buildings and develop cities.
limboaccra.online

Nav_S Baerbel Mueller
Architecture and design studio specialising in contemporary projects across western Africa.
nav-s.net

Beirut

At the crossroads of Mediterranean culture with a proud emphasis on Middle Eastern traditions, the Lebanese capital plays host to a design scene that is constantly rebuilding and reinventing itself.

Blatt Chaya
Family-owned tile producer reviving 19th-century artisanal tile-making practices with contemporary patterns.
POBox 5685 663, Al Midane Street, Dekweneh, Beirut
+961 1 695 222, blattchaya.com

Fabraca
Specialists in the design and making of bespoke lighting, this studio combines spatial design with in-house manufacturing expertise.
3rd Floor, Obeid Building, Bauchrieh Industrial City
+961 3 917 501, fabracastudios.com

Cairo

Five millennia of design heritage converge in Cairo, where specialist schools foster new talent while artisans in workshops across the city adapt ancient techniques for contemporary markets.

Dar Arafa Architecture
Contemporary architecture firm known for residential and commercial projects across the Middle East and North Africa.
New Cairo1, Cairo
+20 10 26000669, dararafa.com

Matter
Colourful brand-design and communications agency working in creative strategy and visual identity.
2ElMalekElAfdal, Zamalek, Cairo
+20 10 33960972, matterbranding.com

Timm Henger
Based in Cairo but with roots in Leipzig, Germany, this visual-communication studio produces striking, contemporary graphic works.
timmhenger.com

Cape Town

South Africa’s design capital has a creative scene full of manufacturing know-how and resourcefulness that produces architecture and furniture rooted in craft.

Lemon Furniture
Contemporary furniture-design studio creating distinctive pieces for residential and commercial spaces.
24 Waterkant Street, Cape Town
+27 66 035 3183, lemonfurniture.co

Monday Design
Graphic design and branding studio specialising in packaging and visual identity.
160 Sir Lowry Road, Cape Town
+27 82 454 5827, mondaydesign.co.za

James Mudge
Product and furniture designer creating sculptural pieces that blur the lines between art and function.
1 Calcutta Street, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town
+27 79 448 1683, jamesmudge.com

Anatomy Design
Leading retail outpost for furniture, lighting and homeware, working in close partnership with interiors studio Hesse Kleinloog.
7 HudsonStreet, DeWaterkant, CapeTown
+27 21 300 6071, anatomydesign.co.za

Dakar

Creativity blossoms in Senegal’s coastal capital, where designers are increasingly looking to work with local and indigenous materials, reducing reliance on imported goods.

Q08 Design Store
Curated design shop, connected to art and design centre Studio Quatorzerohuit, showcasing contemporary African design.
12 Avenue Georges Pompidou, Dakar
+221 78 100 14 08

Aissa Dione Tissus
Traditional and contemporary textile studio specialising in West African fabrics and patterns.
Parcel 104B Sodida, Dakar 1221 33 825 66 60, aissadionetissus.com

Atelier Kalm
Architecture studio focusing on sustainable and culturally responsive design solutions.
Fenêtre Mermoz 118, Immeuble D Mermoz, Dakar
kalm-architecture.com

Doha

The Qatari capital’s rapid transformation from fishing village to global creative hub is remarkable, with the city home to an international design festival and grand works of architecture by the likes of Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas.

Sameh Elnahas
Graphic-design studio specialising in comestibles, applying striking visual identities to equally eye-catching packaging designs.
+974 3367 4742, samehelnahas.com

Albaker Architects
Architecture firm known for large-scale works, blending contemporary Middle Eastern design with international expertise.
Level 4, Ghanem Business Center, Ramada Signal, Doha
+974 4442 3963, albakerarchitects.com

Dubai

The UAE’s creative centre is a dynamic city where global starchitects inspire a new generation of design talent and regional manufacturing expertise is combined with an international outlook.

Mula Studio
Award-winning design studio creating architecture, interiors and installations inspired by the Emirati climate and traditional building methods.
5b 15A Street, Al Quoz, Dubai
mula.ae

Modu
Furniture and homeware brandslash-design consultancy focusing on furnishing spaces and cultivating distinct interior atmospheres.
+971 58 525 6638, modumethod.com

Waiwai
Research-based design studio creating innovative architecture, interior, product and material solutions.
Office 906, Emirates NBD Gold Building, Al Sabkha, Dubai
+971 4 298 5663, waiwaidesign.com

The Line Concept
Contemporary Emirati furniture brand with a Dubai facility producing handcrafted wares from solid wood, marble and metal.
Al Quoz Industrial, Dubai
+971 52 620 1160, thelineconcept.com

Studio Dua Abukhalaf
Interior-design studio known for elegant, light-filled residential and hospitality projects.
duaabukhalaf.com

Lagos

Nigeria’s megacity is home to one of West Africa’s strongest creative scenes. Here, rapid urbanisation and development work hand in hand with innovation.

Nmbello Studio
Award-winning contemporary furniture and product-design practice, specialising in collectable and handcrafted wares.
nmbello.com

Studio Lani
Design studio producing wares inspired by West African maker traditions and forms.
studio-lani.com

Oshinowo Studio
Architecture firm known for innovative contemporary design and research-led projects, spanning high-end residences, major cultural commissions and community-minded housing projects.
5th Floor, CBC Tower, Lagos
+234 201 293 0622, oshinowostudio.com

Marrakech

Berber, Arabic and French design traditions collide to shape Marrakech’s design scene. Artisans can be found adapting ancient woodcarving and metalworking skills for contemporary furniture markets, while architects embrace traditional building techniques.

Beni
Contemporary rug specialists showcasing Moroccan craftsmanship while also building the capacity of local communities.
benirugs.com

E-H Atelier d’Architectures
Design studio known for its boxy, light-filled, high-end residential work.
Manar Residence, El Bahja No 69, Marrakech
eharchitectes.com

Bouchra Boudoua
Ceramic brand also working from Casablanca, combining ancestral pottery-making techniques with a modern Moroccan aesthetic.
bouchraboudoua.com

Nairobi

Nairobi’s creatives are resourcefully responding to its rapid development in this East African design hub. Local hardwoods and traditional basketweaving techniques inspire contemporary furniture making.

Cave Bureau
Architecture and research practice exploring the interconnected relationship between architecture, urbanism, nature and culture.
PO Box 50565 00200, Kilimani, Nairobi
+254 793 804 463, cave.co.ke

Studio Mehta Architecture
Contemporary architecture firm creating residential, commercial and cultural projects that blur the lines between interior and exterior.
+254 110 008 397, studiomehta.com

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s capital is on track to achieve its goal of becoming a global creative contender. Design schools and an emerging design week are nurturing a new crop of talent.

Lucas Barceló
Design studio creating contemporary furniture and product design, with joyful forms inspired by Middle Eastern cultures.
2568 7118 Muhammad Ibn Rashid Al Uraini, Al Diriyah Al Jadidah, Riyadh 1966 53 241 6754, lucasbarcelo.com

Hobal
Culturally driven product, homeware and furniture brand dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Saudi Arabia.
1966 53 905 5015, hobal.sa

Muntj Studio
Craft-led brand creating meaningful, Saudi-inspired products in the centre of Riyadh.
1966 53 116 1173, muntjstudio.replit.app

Chicago

Birthplace of the skyscraper and some of the world’s finest modernist architects, Chicago remains an architectural leader thanks to firms such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Studio Gang.

Converge Architecture
Design firm focused on sustainable design and urban development through community-minded projects.
1100 West Cermak Road, Suite 522, Chicago 11 815 535 1071, convergearchitecture.com

Mobile Makers
Non-profit focused on tech and creative skills development.
1757 North Kimball Avenue, Suite 107, Chicago
+1 773 900 2540, mobilemakers.org

Norman Teague Design Studio
Light forms, clean lines, honest materials and a respect for function define the work of this furniture-focused design-build practice.
4429 West Division Street, Chicago
normanteaguedesignstudios.com

Navillus Woodworks
Custom woodworking studio creating bespoke furniture and architectural millwork.
2100 North Major Avenue, Chicago
+1 312 375 2680, navilluswoodworks.com

Los Angeles

Abundant natural light and a balmy climate combine with car culture and the entertainment industry to inform southern California’s airy design aesthetic.

Kalon
Furniture-design company creating refined pieces with US craftspeople from responsibly sourced materials.
3559 1/2 West CasitasAvenue, LosAngeles
+1 323 928 2161, kalonstudios.com

AD Miller
Architecture firm making furniture and residential and hospitality projects defined by clean lines and honest materials.
5801Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles
+1 310 490 8673, ad-miller.com

Commune Shop
Retail arm of its namesake design studio, offering curated furniture, objects and home accessories.
2504West 7th Street, Suite A, Los Angeles
+1 310 855 9080, communedesign.shop

OWIU Design
Only Way Is Up (OWIU) is an interior-design and architecture practice creating spaces defined by considered craftsmanship and a dash of Southeast Asian aesthetics.
1850 Industrial Street,107, Los Angeles
+1 213 590 5251, owiu-design.com

Nuova Group
Nuova – an acronym for New Understanding of Various Artifacts – is a multidisciplinary design practice, working across product and spatial design, drawing inspiration from the tech and luxury industries.
nuova.us

Mexico City

Home to arguably North America’s most vibrant design scene, Mexico City is where colourful mid-century modernism meets sustainable contemporary architecture. There’s a focus on local craft too, with furniture makers working hand in hand with manufacturers.

Fernanda Canales
Architecture meets academia at this studio known for innovative residential and institutional design that responds to cultural context and enhances social fabric.
fernandacanales.com

BlancasMorán
Architecture studio working across office, residential and leisure spaces, with projects defined by savvy conceptual layouts and fine details.
SierraVentana 700, LomasdeChapultepec, MexicoCity
blancasmoran.com

La Metropolitana
Based in a former textile factory, this is a furniture maker with a social cause – its workshops place an emphasis on upskilling craftspeople.
Dr Lucio 181, Doctores, Mexico City
+52 55 8791 7182, lametropolitana.com

Sofia Elias
This Guadalajara-born, Mexico City-based sculptor, draughtsperson, designer and architect is defined by experimentation across materials and typologies.
sofiaelias.mx

Alejandra Perini
Colombia-born product designer with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and materiality, with wares defined by pops of colour and curving forms.
alejandraperini.com

New York

The grid system and vertical ambition drive this regional design capital, with skyscraper innovation, small-space solutions and cultural diversity.

Galerie Was
Contemporary gallery and design space showcasing collectable design and homeware from emerging and established creatives.
301 Broome Street, NewYork
galeriewas.com

Roman and Williams Guild
Modern-day studio creating furniture, lighting and home accessories presented alongside curated handcrafted goods from global artisans.
53 Howard Street, NewYork
+1 212 852 9099, rwguild.com

Solid Objectives Idenburg Liu
Architecture studio working on new constructions and adaptive reuse projects, with an ambition to shape a stronger civic realm and interface between public and private spaces.
42 Adelphi Street, NewYork
+1 718 624 6666, solidobjectives.com

Studio Zewde
Leading landscape-architecture practice, creating everything from gardens to civic spaces that respond to place and local culture through form, function, materiality and physical connections to wider landscapes.
218 Lenox Avenue, NewYork
+1 212 518 1548, studio-zewde.com

Civilian
Design studio guided by hospitality principles, creating welcoming interiors that pay respect to the architecture and its users.
141 Flushing Avenue, NewYork
civilianprojects.com

Seitz
Swiss-American furniture brand, creating made-in-Switzerland furniture that champions craft and slow living.
11 347 599 1403, studioseitz.com

San Francisco

The Bay Area’s technology industry pushes innovations in fields from furniture to architecture. It’s a drive to rethink the future that is supported by some of the country’s top design schools in Berkeley and Stanford.

Hood Design Studio
Landscape-architecture firm specialising in community-centred design and projects concerned with environmental justice.
3001 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland 11 510 595 0688, hooddesignstudio.com

Fuseproject
Innovative design consultancy creating low- and high-tech consumer products, from simple timber stools and ceramics to robotic bassinets and electric trucks.
1401 16th Street, San Francisco
fuseproject.com

Heath Ceramics
Small-scale pottery studio established in 1948 that has evolved into a much-loved contemporary ceramics company creating handcrafted tiles, dinnerware and architectural products.
2900 18th Street, San Francisco
11 415 361 5552, heathceramics.com

Toronto

Canada’s best creatives converge in its biggest city, thanks to a strong manufacturing base and abundance of design-minded events and festivals.

Coolican & Company
Small-batch furniture design and fabrication studio producing solid wood furniture with heirloom-quality construction and timeless appeal.
368 Mill Street, Dundas, Ontario
coolicanandcompany.com

Mary Ratcliffe Studio
Studio whose output is driven by a small group of talented craftspeople producing handmade furniture defined by gentle curves and sculptural masses.
+1 416 616 1942, maryratcliffe.studio

Yabu Pushelberg
International design firm known for furniture design and luxury hospitality, residential and retail projects.
55 Booth Avenue, Toronto
+1 416 778 9779, yabupushelberg.com

Odami
Spanish and Canadian influences combine at this design agency, which creates soulful and functional spaces and objects that blend the pragmatic with the expressive.
174 Spadina Avenue Unit 502, Toronto
+1 416 218 1101, odami.ca

Vancouver

The Pacific Northwest influences Vancouver’s nature-inspired design aesthetic. Strong environmental consciousness drives everything from sustainable furniture manufacturing to architecture.

A-N-D
Contemporary lighting design company creating minimalist fixtures with a focus on craftsmanship.
1951 Franklin Street, Vancouver
+1 604 563 6938, a-n-d.com

Bocci
Glassmaking specialists creating sculptural contemporary lighting fixtures with innovative glass techniques.
495 Railway Street, Vancouver
+1 604 639 5195, bocci.com

Medellín

The Colombian city’s 21st-century transformation demonstrates how building socially minded architecture, embracing greenery and car-free transport can heal communities and foster hope.

Fango
Led by Francisco Jaramillo, this studio works at the intersection of art and design, creating collectable pieces using local materials and craftsmanship to address social and environmental challenges.
[email protected]

Tu Taller
Colombian furniture and homeware brand that blends advanced digital manufacturing with traditional craftsmanship to create affordable and original products and spaces.
Calle 10, 43C-81, El Poblado, Medellín
tutallerdesign.com

ALH Arquitectura
Led by two brothers, this architecture firm is known for its meticulous attention to detail and projects that consider environmental impact.
Carrera 30, 4-45, Forever W&L Building, Medellín
+57 407 7891, alhtaller.com

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has been shaped by European immigration, with Spanish, French and Italian architectural influences prominent throughout the Argentinian capital. Genius loci is embraced in the form of indigenous materials, prominently used in the local furniture-making scene.

Cupla Arquitectura
Emerging architecture studio that prioritises fine detailing and craftsmanship, creating projects with harmonious physical identities.
Paroissien 3849, Saavedra, Buenos Aires
+549 11 5134 0152, cuplaarquitectura.com

Pedro Ignacio Yañez
Architecture studio that focuses on residential projects whose forms often examine the relationship between solid and void, indoors and out.
Virrey del Pino 2446 6i, Los Eucaliptos Building, Buenos Aires
+549 11 6978 4184, pedroyanez.com.ar

Sur del Cruz
This furniture studio and workshop operates at the intersection of design and art, creating works driven by expertise with wood and a commitment to artisanal knowledge.
surdelcruz.com

Santiago

Mountainous landscapes and seismic activity inform Chile’s design culture, where earthquake-resistant construction meets European-influenced architectural aesthetics.

Bravo
Working across object, interior and furniture design, this studio blends local manufacturing with new technologies, prioritising simple, thoughtful making processes and design solutions.
EliodoroYáñez 2187, Office 11, Providencia, Santiago
bravo.io

NueveDesignStudio
Industrial-design studio known for developing objects and furniture that are characterful and respond to the needs of contemporary lifestyles.
+569 9978 2810, nuevedesignstudio.com

CristiánRomeroValente
Residential-architecture firm whose work is defined by an ability to strip down forms to their most essential, seamlessly integrating clean lines, natural light and the surrounding environment.
+569 9345 3252, romerovalente.cl

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro’s design culture embraces indoor-outdoor living. Carnival culture influences the city’s colourful, celebratory interior designs, while favela innovations inspire adaptive housing solutions.

Studio Leandro Neves
Design studio focusing on residential projects, emphasising minimalist forms and drawing influence from rationalist architecture.
Avenida Nossa Senhorade Copacabana, 195–Sala1415, Rio de Janeiro
+55 21 3259 5883, studioleandroneves.com

Ecomimesis
Landscape studio that integrates a scientific understanding of natural processes in its work, helping to foster relationships between people and the environment.
Rua Jardim Botânico, 468, Rio de Janeiro
+55 21 3495 2302, ecomimesis.com.br

São Paulo

A modernist architectural heritage and a strong manufacturing base inform contemporary practice, cementing São Paulo as one of Latin America’s leading creative scenes.

Palma
This studio combines the fields of art and architecture in projects across a multitude of scales and typologies, from building to set design.
palmapalma.com.br

Isabel Duprat Arquitetura Paisagística
Landscape-architecture studio known for residential projects that integrate with and promote the value of the existing environment.
+55 11 3088 1826, isabelduprat.com

Metro Arquitetos Associados
This architecture studio brings a high level of technical rigour to projects from master planning to urban interventions and renovations of historic buildings.
Avenida Ipiranga 344, Room 251A, São Paulo
+55 11 3255 1221, metroarquitetos.com.br

Etel
Gallery specialising in furniture created by Brazil’s greatest designers and artists since the turn of the 20th century.
Alameda Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 1834, São Paulo
+55 11 3064 1266, etel.design

Auckland

New Zealand’s biggest city trades on multicultural influences, with a strong embrace of local materials and microclimates, thanks to its spectacular waterfront setting and Indigenous history.

Monk Mackenzie
Multidisciplinary studio creating elegant, sculptural and poetic architecture, from residential to civic projects.
106-108 Quay Street, Auckland
+64 9 600 3335, monkmackenzie.com

Resident
Design house merging Kiwi manufacturing excellence with design concepts defined by pure forms to create sleek furniture and lighting.
9C Exmouth Street Eden Terrace, Auckland
+64 21 207 9213, resident.co.nz

Studio South
Creative agency working across brand development, packaging design and wayfinding strategy, building cohesive visual identities.
27 Hargreaves Street, Saint Marys Bay, Auckland
+64 09 379 6434, studiosouth.co.nz

Bangkok

Complex urban waterways and a tropical climate have influenced Bangkok’s design evolution, where traditional teak architecture meets sleek contemporary malls and high-rise towers.

Landprocess
Landscape-architecture firm committed to tackling the climate crisis by creating carbon-sequestering and resilient urban landscapes.
+66 2 641 8483, landprocess.co.th

Studio Make
Located near Bangkok, this studio works on everything from architecture and interiors to furniture design and prefabricated construction, all created by its hands-on team of designers and makers.
44/4 Soi Baan Sai Ma, Rattanathibet Road, Nonthaburi
+66 2 528 6212, studiomake.com

Hong Kong

East meets West in Hong Kong, creating a distinctive fusion of style, evidenced in everything from the city’s architecture to works by local creative studios.

One Bite Design
Multidisciplinary design company looking to create better emotional connections between people and physical spaces through placemaking and urban interventions.
50-54 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan
+852 2803 0202, onebitedesign.com

Joyce Wang Studio
Interior-architecture studio known for luxury hospitality and residential design projects.
12 Kennedy Street, Wan Chai
+852 2804 1138, joycewangstudio.com

Design Eight Five Two
Interdisciplinary design studio working across architecture, identity design and interiors, creating places and spaces deeply rooted in local vernaculars.
1F Arran Tower, 7 Arran, Kowloon
+852 2385 2228, designeightfivetwo.com

Jakarta

Indonesia’s capital has smartly built neighbourhoods embracing greenery, with traditional batik textiles and carved furniture techniques informing the contemporary design of everything from furniture to graphics.

Bitte
This design firm takes a holistic approach to creating architectural and interior environments across hospitality and residential projects.
Jalan Jurang Mangu Barat No 8, Tangerang Selatan
+62 811 8581 773, bitte-design.com

Andra Matin
Celebrated architect integrating tropical modernism with Indonesian vernacular traditions, with an emphasis on natural ventilation, local materials and a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces.
Jalan Manyar III Blok O-3 Kavling 29-30 No 4-6, Bintaro Jaya Sektor I, Jakarta Selatan
+62 21 735 3338, andramatin.com

Thinking Room Inc
Branding and design company that combines graphic work with strategic thinking, creating clear narratives.
Citylofts Sudirman, Suite 919, Jalan Kyai Haji Mas Mansyur, Kavling 121, Jakarta
+62 21 2555 8596, thinkingroominc.com

Kyoto

Japan’s former imperial capital retains links to its storied past through the numerous furniture firms working in the city, building on its legacy of craft.

Koyori
Furniture brand working with creatives from across the globe, blending Japanese craftsmanship with high-end international design.
+81 075 241 3783, koyori-jp.com

Endo Shojiro Design
Architecture and design studio creating refined spaces with a traditional Japanese sensibility.
83 Nishishichijo Minaminishinocho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
+81 075 201 7086, endo-design.jp

Kohseki
Design firm with divisions for Japanese-style lighting fixtures and Danish-inspired furniture, glass and objects, bringing together two manufacturing cultures.
15 Nishi Goshoden-cho, Murasakino, Kita-Ku, Kyoto
+81 075 415 2818, kohseki.com

Melbourne

Design seemingly permeates every corner of Australia’s cultural capital. There’s a strong understanding of branding, splashed across café windows and coffee packaging, with design-minded retailers and some of the country’s best architects.

Tuckbox Design
Custom cabinetry specialists using technology and meticulous craftsmanship to produce high-quality, ready-to-assemble shelves, cupboards and more.
2/87 MerolaWay, Campbellfield
+61 432 156 077, tuckbox.com.au

The Company You Keep
Branding agency creating powerful but understated work, spanning digital, print, architecture, content and visual-identity campaigns.
15 Bedford Street, Collingwood
+61 03 8578 3548, tcyk.com.au

Breathe
A pioneering architecture firm, renowned for developing beautiful, community-focused urban housing that is socially and financially sustainable.
7 Alfred Place, Melbourne
+61 03 9381 2007, breathe.com.au

Brud Studia
Furniture- and object-design studio combining brutalist and primitive design methods with contemporary production methods.
122 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
brudstudia.com

Volker Haug
Decorative lighting practice creating pared-back, elegant and finely detailed pieces informed by a sense of discovery and experimentation.
2-12 St Phillip Street, Brunswick East
+61 03 9387 1803, volkerhaug.com

Mumbai

India’s financial capital has an equally bustling creative scene, where art deco buildings provide the backdrop for contemporary design innovation.

Casegoods
Furniture line of architecture studio Case Design that creates products rooted in ancient craft traditions and contemporary aesthetics.
A-49, Nandjyot Industrial Estate Andheri Kurla Road, Mumbai
+91 80972 70837, casegoods.in

Aequo
Design gallery dedicated to advancing Indian craftsmanship by connecting global creatives with local artisans to produce innovative, collectable furniture.
Unit 11, 1st Floor, Devidas Mansion Boman Behram Marg, Mumbai
aequo.in

Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Architecture studio creating spaces informed by local culture and history to foster relationships between people and their surroundings.
420-421, Unique Industrial Estate, TwinTowerLane, SVSRoad, Mumbai
+91 22 24327249, srda.co

Seoul

A regional powerhouse, Seoul has a strong manufacturing tradition thanks to a postwar production boom. It’s a legacy that translates to strong product design today.

Studio FNT
Graphic-design studio and visual-identity specialists bringing clarity and coherence to corporate brands and cultural clients.
32 Noksapyeong-daero 40na-gil, Yongsan District,Seoul
studiofnt.com

Mass Studies
Award-winning design firm creating designs that draw inspiration from traditional Korean architecture while meeting contemporary needs.
46 Hoenamu-ro 44ga-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul
+82 2-790-6528, massstudies.com

Singapore

A distinctive blend of multicultural influences and a pragmatic approach to urban challenges results in a particularly innovative design scene in the Lion City.

Supermama
Design brand and museum shop blending contemporary Singaporean design with Japanese craftsmanship to create fine porcelain homeware.
213 Henderson Road,01-01, Singapore
+65 9615 7473, supermamastore.com

Practice Theory
Branding and creative agency using strategic storytelling to create distinct and lasting brand identities.
4B Lorong 32 Geylang, Singapore
practicetheory.com.sg

Right Angle Studio
Interior-design firm creating residential and commercial spaces defined by rich materiality, an efficient use of space and timeless appeal.
280 Woodlands Industrial Park E5, 08-19, Singapore
+65 8087 1552, rightanglestudio.com.sg

Sydney

Sydney’s creative scene is shaped by its spectacular harbour setting, balmy climate and strong culture of outdoor living, producing optimistic and environmentally minded design work.

Arent & Pyke
Architecture studio making colourful, material-rich environments that engage the senses and uplift the spirit.
7 Nickson Street
+61 02 9331 2802, arentpyke.com

The Letters
Type foundry creating contemporary and expressive fonts with progressive, inventive and high-quality typographic solutions.
+61 02 9517 4871, theletters.co

Studio Henry Wilson
Design firm producing furniture, lighting and accessories with a focus on utilitarianism and honouring the imperfect beauty of handcrafted objects.
87 Paddington Street
+61 02 9159 3963, studiohenrywilson.com

Actuel Studio
Multidisciplinary design studio specialising in brand-identity development and expression, working with clients across fashion, retail and publishing.
3/82 Myrtle Street, actuel.studio

Dangar Barin Smith
Landscape-design practice combining horticultural expertise with in-house construction to create lush gardens for residential and hospitality projects.
19 Rochester Street
+61 02 9316 9044, dangarbarinsmith.com.au

Taipei

The Taiwanese capital’s thriving design scene draws on the East Asian city’s historic resilience and a forward-thinking spirit that brings together tradition and innovation.

Waterfrom Design
This firm’s name explains its design ethos, which is grounded in the belief that interior design and architecture should be like water – fluid and malleable.
5F, 35, Alley 20, Lane 407, Tiding Boulevard, Neihu District, Taipei City
+886 2 2700 5007, waterfrom.com

Motif Planning & Design Consultants
Landscape-design firm working to create aesthetically original and environmentally responsive parks and urban plans.
4F, 278, Section 1, Xiyuan Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City
motifla.com.tw

Tokyo

Fire, earthquakes and rapid economic development laid the foundations for Tokyo’s dynamic architecture and its design scene, which plays host to numerous bubbly branding studios and sleek architecture outfits.

Keiji Ashizawa Design
Design firm that is renowned for creating finely detailed spaces, overseeing everything from architecture and interiors to furniture.
5-6-13 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo
keijidesign.com

Design Studio S
Industrial-design studio producing a diverse range of products, from electronic goods to furniture, defined by a joyful aesthetic and intuitive use.
1-12-24-MT3-2F, Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
design-ss.com

Karimoku Commons
Gallery-like space that is dedicated to its namesake furniture group, which oversees design research, production and the development of architectural case studies, rooted in a deep appreciation for Japanese timber.
2-22-5 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
commons.karimoku.com

MMA Inc
Architecture firm that draws inspiration from nature to create buildings made from traditional materials at a human scale.
3-5-33 1F Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
m-m-architecture.com

Tank
Construction company and design studio delivering well-crafted spaces, from retail and hospitality to commercial sectors.
2-29-11 Sakurashinmachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
+81 3 5799 6684, tank-tokyo.jp

Wellington

New Zealand’s cultural hub has a creative scene that is shaped by its waterfront setting and seismic conditions, which drive creative architectural solutions and flexible planning.

KlimType Foundry
Typography studio creating contemporary typefaces and font families for global use.
23-B Totara Road, Miramar
klim.co.nz

Seear-Budd Ross
Architecture firm creating atmospheric residential, commercial and public buildings.
+64 27 715 7990, seearbuddross.com

Good design starts in bed, and everything we use should serve for a better life

“You were conceived in a bed that was designed – and probably born in one too,” Marva Griffin cheekily reminded me when I met the founder of SaloneSatellite, one of the world’s most significant showcases of emerging design talent, over lunch in Milan. “Design is really the oldest industry in the world because everything has been designed. I always say that [the purpose of] good design is simple: it’s for a better life. That is all.”

Her saucy reminder of my start to life has been a helpful jumping-off point for my own assessments of the quality of design. It’s easy to be distracted by beautiful materials and flashy forms without truly interrogating whether a design does more than simply look good. Examining things through Griffin’s lens, I have been inspired to seek out products and design approaches that might, indeed, encourage a better life.

Projects that have jumped out at me in recent months include a sleek, new camera by Japanese brand Sigma, aimed at making it easier to document the world around us. Fellow Japanese retailer Muji created an inspiring pop-up home using upcycled furniture and homeware that highlight potential ways to reduce environmental impacts, without the “hippy” look so often associated with repurposed furniture. UK-born Lulu Harrison has created beautiful glasses from waste products, cleaning up the local ecosystem and making smart pieces in the process. Meanwhile, Milan-based designer Keiji Takeuchi has curated a collection of walking sticks that, rather than taking the usual clinical or medical forms, are crafted from high-quality materials and feature distinct details that give dignity to the user – from hand grips made from woven rope to in-built baskets for carrying objects.

These works show that products that encourage a good life are rooted in serving users and making them more comfortable. It’s a vision that sums up what designers, from developers to architects, should be attempting to achieve in their work – and what everyday punters should be looking for. The best works of design – whether a sofa, a home or even the bed in which you were conceived – are uncompromising in their quality while putting service at their core.

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