issue 173

May 2024

Design Awards

AT THE FRONT

CONTRIBUTORS

• • A selection of this issue's creators.

ED'S LETTER

• • Andrew Tuck on what makes for good design and a new chapter for print.

THE OPENER

• • A celebration of Milanese jeweller Buccellati, a conversation with the studio director of Sausalito-based Heath Ceramics and news briefings.

DIDIER FUSILLIER

• • The Grand Palais director on the fragile art of renovation.

ISLAND HOPPING

• • Monocle visits a lesser-known island hideaway in the Venetian Lagoon.

LIVRARIA LELLO

• • Portugal’s most storied bookshop has always been on the right page. How does it continue to stay relevant in the 21st century?

THE AGENDA: GLOBAL BRIEFINGS

THE OPENER

• • How postage stamps can still tell stories about a nation’s brand – and some of our favourites from around the world.

AFFAIRS

• • Manga’s new foreign-ministry role, a row over elephants and the road ahead for the African National Congress.

AFFAIRS

• • On the trail of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s election campaign, we learn how disillusionment is fuelling the prospects of third-party candidates.

BUSINESS

• • Swedish snowmobiles, reimagining London’s high streets and Singapore’s special brew.

CULTURE

• • Brazil’s publishing push, the Venice Biennale at 60 and Hans Zimmer’s world-building.

URBANISM & DESIGN

• • Lisbon Design Week and a mid-century cooking school's new recipe for success.

GLOBAL VIEWS: LONG READS

BENGALURU

• • We visit the city dubbed “India’s Silicon Valley”, where entrepreneurs with progressive ideals are attempting to forge a new India – and paving the way for emerging businesses along the way.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

• • As the EU approaches pivotal parliamentary elections, monocle heads to the European Parliament’s official seat in Strasbourg to find out where the bloc is heading and why its MEP's have been described as a “travelling circus”.

THE QUEUE

• • It’s not just the British who love to queue. The phenomenon of waiting in line has gained traction around the world. But do good things always come to those who wait?

MIPIM

• • Insights from the world’s largest property fair.

FINE PRINT

• • A round-up of 50 books to buy, recommended by people who we admire.

ATHENS

• • We seek out the Greek capital’s top brands and shops as the city enjoys a sartorial retail boom.

MADE IN BARCELONA

• • How a new generation of Catalan creatives is drawing on Barcelona’s innovative design history to create fresh contemporary collections.

TOTEME

• • Scandinavian brands might be known for their subtlety and subdued styles – but here’s a label that combines minimalism with a warm welcome.

FASHION

• • We meet the brands and designers defying expectations and breaking new ground.

SHOOT

• • The pieces putting a spring in our step this month.

MONOCLE DESIGN AWARDS

AND THE WINNER IS...

• • The latest edition of the Monocle Design Awards is here to celebrate the year’s most inspiring and ingenious products, models and structures – and the people who conceive them – as they set the standard in both form and function across private and public spaces.

INVENTORY & EXPO: WHERE TO GO, BUY AND EAT

AZABUDAI HILLS MARKET

• • We explore a bustling Japanese market that serves as a culinary showcase for the country’s quality produce.

NATURAL HIGH

• • Also in Azabudai Hills is the Japanese capital’s newest hotel. Welcome to Janu.

TRAVEL

• • The sleek 122-room Tokyo bolthole that’s elevating hospitality to new heights.

FOOD AND DRINK

• • Monocle’s guide to where to dine and what to cook this month.

HOSPITALITY HOLDOUT

• • A buzzing Lisbon bar and restaurant that holds the secret to longevity.

TRAVEL

• • We stumble upon a vision of a golden age of creativity at a former artist’s residence in Mallorca.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

• • What makes art unique? We take a trip to Zürich to find out.