20 October 2016
05 minutes
Photo: Luis Diaz Diaz
We explore the life and career of Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. During six decades of work Siza’s style has come to encompass the optimism of the post-Salazar years and speaks volumes about Portugal’s soft-power pull today.
20 October 2016
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle's email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Monocle on Design - latest episodes
Manifestos: architecture of the future
Can a manifesto change the world? In truth there are probably quicker ways but that didn’t stop the London Festival of Architecture and the Design Museum commissioning 10 young London-based practices to compose one each.…
Extra: Design on the Rhine
As the mercury rises, we shine a spotlight on the growing urban-river movement and head to Swim City, a new exhibition at Basel’s Swiss Architecture Museum, to see how the residents of Basel unwind by the river.
What’s next for Notre Dame?
Tears fell as the spire of Paris’s most famous cathedral crumbled – but should Notre Dame be rebuilt as it was? Josh Fehnert asks professor Alan Dunlop whether it’s best to reuse or redo. Plus: our verdict on the TWA hotel…
Extra: In with the old
From the redevelopment of King’s Cross to breathing new life into old industrial buildings in Hackney Wick, London is a city that’s hitting its stride when it comes to reviving its old buildings. Here’s what Monocle’s…
Restoring Cuba
Havana celebrates its 500th birthday this year and some of its buildings are beginning to show their age. Restoration and reuse are proving challenging – but also rewarding, as Lucinda Elliott reports. Plus a word with the…
Extra: Pick a pocket
A new book released this week called ‘The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives 1660 – 1900’, traces the history of pockets and what they reveal about women’s role in society.
Book covers: turning the page
We find out from our favourite designers what makes a book fly off the shelves and Josh Fehnert and Chiara Rimella ask if it’s okay to judge books by their covers. Plus: EU election logos and how design influences the…
Extra: Warsaw’s graphic past
Can you understand a country by looking at its graphic-design industry? Warsaw underwent a dramatic swing from communism in the 1980s to a fascination with capitalism in the 1990s. Today the city’s identity is striking more…
Cities of the future
What will our cities look like in 2050? We ask an architect and urban planner to answer just that. Plus: a listed building comes of age in London, and part one of our series on office furniture and the changing world of the…
Extra: Modernist Metroland
London’s grade II-listed Arnos Grove underground station is a classic example of modernist influences in the UK capital’s Metroland.
Drawing conclusions
We look at the unusual history of architectural drawings and debate the advantages of putting pencil to paper with architect Sam Jacob. Plus: architect Piero Lissoni on his new showroom for De Padova and a postcard from…
Extra: Straight to the moon
The idea of settling on the moon was once considered science fiction – but could it become a reality? Given the radical difference in atmosphere and vast lack of resources, we find out what materials could be used for…
Making a mark in Hong Kong: Henry Steiner
We talk graphic design with the Viennese émigré behind some of Hong Kong’s best-known corporate logos. Plus: we’re up early to explore London’s best furniture market.
Extra: The problem with concrete
Each year we make enough concrete to build a wall 30 metres high, and 30 metres wide all the way round the equator. That staggering sum can’t be sustainable, so what kind of impact is it having and why aren’t we embracing…
Looking tasty: food-packaging special
What makes food and drink packaging stand out? To answer the question we speak to London-based Here Design, who share their thoughts on pattern, typography and why we need to stop saying the word “artisan”. Plus: Banglad…
