AZURE

Lively, fresh, forward-looking, but also socially relevant — this defines Azure, the leading design publication covering the expanding world of international contemporary architecture and design. Each issue delivers readers inspiring ideas and cutting-edge innovations, from state-of-the-art green building to the latest in furniture and home accessories from around the globe.

AZURE • Vol. 35 - No. 275 OCT 2019

Innovation Now

We Asked…

First + Foremost • People, projects and products you need to know about now

5 Things We Learned From Molo • FOR THE PAPER-FURNITURE GURUS, DESIGN IS INCREMENTAL. WITNESS THEIR LATEST PRODUCT TWEAK: A NEW METAL FINISH

Battery Fuelled • ON THE SITE OF A HISTORIC FORT, A CAPE TOWN PARK BY DHK ADROITLY BLENDS PAST AND PRESENT

Dutch Treatment • STUDIO MODIJEFSKY’S RIFF ON AMSTERDAM’S BROWN CAFÉS BALANCES LAYERS OF WOOD AND TILE WITH LOADS OF COLOUR AND LIGHT

Reduction Formula • ITALY’S RIMADESIO AIMS TO FURTHER DECREASE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BY UPCYCLING ITS PACKAGING WASTE

Mussel Beach • SHOP ARCHITECTS AND KEN SMITH WORKSHOP TRANSFORM MANHATTAN’S PIER 35 INTO AN ECO-PARK FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND BIVALVES

A Palace for Pedallers • CROWNED BY A MONUMENTAL CANOPY, THE WORLD’S LARGEST PARKING STRUCTURE FOR BIKES OCCUPIES THREE STOREYS UNDER CENTRAL UTRECHT

Out of the Park • WHETHER EXPERIENCED AT GROUND LEVEL OR FROM ABOVE, MEXICO CITY’S NEW BASEBALL STADIUM SHINES BRIGHTLY ON THE LOCAL SCENE

Statement Makers • THESE FOUR LIGHTING FIXTURES CREATE A SCENE EVEN WHEN TURNED OFF

Kindling Emotion • ENHANCING HUMAN (AND EVEN NON-HUMAN) EXPERIENCE DRIVES FRANÇOIS ROUPINIAN’S GLOBE-SPANNING LIGHTING WORK

Mastery of Suspension • THREE LIGHTING SYSTEMS BY TOP DESIGNERS TAKE ILLUMINATION TO NEW TECHNICAL AND VISUAL HEIGHTS

Georgian Revival • A WINERY TURNED HOTEL IN THE CAUCASUS COMES OUT OF THE SHADOWS THANKS TO LIGHTING LEGEND INGO MAURER

True to Form • TWO YEARS AFTER AN AUSPICIOUS DEBUT, THE FOUNDERS OF TRUEING PROVE THAT THEY’RE IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN

Healthy Glows • WELL-BEING HAS MOVED TO THE FOREFRONT OF LIGHTING DESIGN AT BOTH THE MACRO AND MICRO LEVEL

The many sides of Sidewalk Toronto • The Alphabet subsidiary tasked with developing a significant chunk of Canada’s biggest city from scratch has released its design and planning details. While the utopian vision of what a 21st-century neighbourhood can be is compelling, will it come at the expense of democratic oversight? ELIZABETH PAGLIACOLO, JOHN LORINC, BIANCA WYLIE and STEFAN NOVAKOVIC weigh in on the promise – and potential pitfalls – of the world’s most ambitious smart-city venture

The design model • From adaptable loft buildings to multi-purpose streets, flexibility is the goal

The governance challenge • Neighbourhood services will be strategically coordinated, but at what cost to civic authority?

The fourth dimension • Although tech companies promise great innovation, they can also privatize cities over time

The optics of it all • Despite considerable outreach and scrutiny, Sidewalk Labs remains mired in controversy. Why?

Aiming for a clean slate • CONTROVERSIES OVER THIS SUMMER’S SERPENTINE PAVILION ASIDE, JUNYA ISHIGAMI’S WORK RAISES AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: HOW CAN ARCHITECTS REDEFINE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE, CREATING BUILDINGS THAT ENHANCE THE WHOLE OF THE EARTH?

THE WORLD OF URBAN-X • Launched nearly three years ago in New York City by BMW Mini, the creative hub A/D/O by Mini and its start-up accelerator Urban-X are the automotive company’s bet on the future: city-focused tech and design incubators that give it first dibs on potentially game-changing ideas. But what kind of real-world innovations have been...