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.
Material World
We Asked…
Pointillisme Veneers
Space Invaders • OTHERWORLDLY INSPIRATION IS INFILTRATING ARCHITECTURE, ART AND EVEN FASHION
Five Things We Learned From Matteo Thun • THE MILAN-BASED ARCHITECT MUSES ON EGO, GREEN STANDARDS AND THE MATERIAL OF THE FUTURE
Fjord Focus • SEATTLE CELEBRATES ITS NORDIC HERITAGE WITH A STRIKING NEW MUSEUM BY MITHUN
Above Water • ELEVATED PATHS AND ARTFULLY INSTALLED WETLANDS DEFINE A FLOOD-PROOF PARK IN NEW YORK
Light and Bark • NOVE LIGHTING’S CORK-BASED COLLECTION BLENDS MODERN AESTHETICS WITH TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES
Beyond Book Value • CALGARY’S DAZZLING NEW URBAN HUB REAFFIRMS THE WORTH OF THE MODERN LIBRARY
Plank Heaven • DANISH OAK LINES ALMOST EVERY SURFACE AT CHEF RENÉ REDZEPI’S NEW NOMA LOCATION
Parquet Redux • THE CENTURIES-OLD FLOORING IS HAVING A RENAISSANCE THANKS TO RICH FINISHES AND INLAYS
Finely Tuned • THE OAK-LINED ADDITION TO LONDON’S ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC IS AN ODE TO WOOD AND THE ELEGANCE OF STRING INSTRUMENTS
Artistic Merit • RENOWNED FOR ITS GRAND INSTALLATIONS, MOSS & LAM HAS A NEW VENTURE: BRINGING BIG ART TO A SMALLER AUDIENCE
Blue Notes • AWASH IN WATERY HUES, ROOMS BIG AND SMALL ACQUIRE A SOOTHING DEPTH
Carved in Stone • OFFERING BOTH TEXTURE AND PATTERN, THESE UNIQUE TREATMENTS INTRODUCE A DRAMATIC EFFECT TO SPACES
The Designer’s Guide to Fabricators • Who do you go to when you need an undulating ceiling constructed, a textured metal facade made to order or some bold built-in seating installed? Top architecture and design firms open up their black books to reveal their manufacturing mainstays
Jan Kath’s MAGIC CARPET RIDE • Two decades ago, nobody was buying carpets, recalls the German rug maker. His idea for countering that: turning out designs that appealed to his own modern tastes. Nowadays, his eponymous brand supplies clients worldwide with wildly inventive pieces largely made to order. As it turns out, rugs do have a place in contemporary interiors – if they speak a contemporary language
“We work with a light touch” • Coming off a banner year for their 17-year-old practice, Industrial Facility’s Sam Hecht and Kim Colin talk to Yuki Sumner about what it takes to consistently work with major manufacturers while designing freely and creatively. (Hint: Wear several hats – and don’t sweat the small stuff)
It’s All Material • From unusual natural surfaces to ultra-modern takes on terrazzo, manufacturers are leaving no stone unturned – literally – when it comes to supplying designers
AT FULL TILT • Given creative freedom but a limited budget, Chile’s Alejandro Aravena reconceives the beach house with a pair of primitive monoliths as rugged and austere as their seaside perch
Outdoor Furniture
Translucent Solutions
Boldface
The Original Influencer • DIETER RAMS PLAYS AN UNLIKELY ROLE IN iGEN CONSUMER CULTURE