Monocle

53rd Venice Art Biennale – Part two

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 30 June 2009 09:00:00 +0100

In our second film from the Venice Art Biennale, Monocle's culture editor Robert Bound goes off piste to explore the curatorial instincts at François Pinault's new Punta Della Dogana.

The Monocle Summer Series

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 24 June 2009 09:00:00 +0100

To ease into the summer Monocle has developed a brand new audio show featuring live music and cultural insights from our favourite cities.

53rd Venice Art Biennale – Part one

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 19 June 2009 09:00:00 +0100

In the first of two films from the 53rd Venice Art Biennale, Monocle culture editor Robert Bound reports on national pavilions as shop windows for contemporary art and national identity.

Full speed ahead

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 18 June 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Until this year, the idea that Americans could enjoy European or Japanese-style train service was dismissed as a boutique cause of cosmopolitan columnists and futurist dreamers.

The Monocle Global Quality of Life Survey

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 15 June 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Where are the top 25 places in the world to call home? Listen to our countdown of the metropolises on the move and cities on the slide. For the survey in full read issue 25 of Monocle - the July-August 09 issue. But a warning: after listening to this report, you may want to move your base.

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Jamie Jay Johnson's warm and witty documentary following four contestants in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, is a sure contender as one of the strongest factual films of 2009. Monocle's Robert Bound met Johnson in London to talk tunes, childhood and bloc-voting.

Q&A with Andrus Ansip

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

In his private offices in Stenbock House in Tallinn, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip talks to editor Andrew Tuck about having Russia as a neighbour, sending troops to Afghanistan and how to save the economy.

Q&A with Alain de Botton

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:00:00 +0100

From the art of travel to the architecture of happiness, author Alain de Botton's writings filter everyday life through a philosophical lens. Monocle Editor-in-Chief Tyler Brûlé met with Alain de Botton at his London home to talk about his latest book, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, a lucid and detailed exploration of the workplace - from office to factory, fishing boat to call centre.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

In The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, Alain de Botton reveals why we need an art that can proclaim the intelligence, peculiarity, beauty and horror of the workplace and, not least, its extraordinary claim to be able to provide us, alongside love, with the principal source of life's meaning.

Craft Punk

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

This year Design Miami staged an installation at Salone del Mobile that created a public atelier for emerging designers to make and show their work. Monocle's design editor Sarah Balmond looks at CRAFT PUNK's celebration of contemporary craftsmanship.

Milan Furniture Fair

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 01 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Sarah Balmond reports from the sprawling Rho exhibition halls and the city's many design hotspots.

The Danish navy on the hunt

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 22 April 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Like latter-day Vikings, the Danish Navy tours the treacherous Gulf of Aden hunting for Somali pirates.

Baselworld Watch Fair

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Sun, 05 April 2009 09:00:00 +0100

With sales of timepieces falling by 20 per cent in the first few months of this year, watchmakers are remaining confident by looking to their archives. Monocle's Ivan Carvalho reports from Baselworld.

Taiwan hit factory

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 27 March 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Despite years of turbulence between Taiwan and China, this island's pop culture leaves the mainland standing.

Geneva Motor Show

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 19 March 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Car sales around the world are in freefall but the global economy is not the only problem - too many vehicles are design disasters.

Stanley, Falkland Islands

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 20 February 2009 09:00:00 +0100

For the first in a new series on outposts of opportunity, Monocle visits Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands.

International Defence Exhibition - IDEX 09

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Sun, 15 March 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Held every couple of years in Abu Dhabi, Idex is one of the world's largest defence, security and arms conventions. For five days it becomes a military Mecca as the global arms industry gather to show off, talk shop and sell their wares. Monocle's Andrew Tuck reports.

Q&A with Anders Fogh Rasmussen

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 16 February 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Save the world is just one of the items on the to do list of Denmark’s prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, this year. In a far-reaching interview he also talks about immigration, Afghanistan and what he thinks of Obama.

Travel Top 50

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 14 January 2009 09:00:00 +0100

For our second annual Travel Top 50 survey, we covered more ground than last year sampling more properties, flat-beds, new terminals, railway stations, lobby bars, inflight snacks and sun loungers.

The Monocle Review 2nd Edition

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 19 December 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé presents the second edition of the Monocle Review.

Christmas Gift Guide

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 19 December 2008 09:00:00 +0100

In the days leading up to Christmas we have compiled a last minute gift list.

The Future of the Workplace

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 09 December 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Monocle throws the spotlight on the future of the workplace.

Accessories

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 25 September 2008 09:00:00 +0100

From luggage to watches to eyewear to mobile phones, this is Monocle's very brief shopping list for some accessories to get you through the coming winter months.

The Perfect Desk

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 01 September 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Whether idly doodling or hastily transcribing interviews in good old shorthand, Monocle recommends the best utensils for your daily tasks.

Lamb's Conduit Street

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 21 August 2008 09:00:00 +0100

In the first of a regular monthly series of international street profiles, we popped down to Lamb's Conduit Street for a stroll and a little retail reconnaissance. Monocle's Saul Taylor reports.

Summer Top 10

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 04 August 2008 09:00:00 +0100

From sun cream to swimming trunks, this is everything you'll need to stuff in your Tomorrowland beach bag.

Things to improve your life

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 18 July 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Our personal pick of some of the best things we've found to improve your life.

Christmas Gift Selection

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:00:00 +0100

A must-listen for the party season, sleek German sleighs, a whiff of spring and a euphonious robot make it into our Christmas wishlist. Here's what we want in our oversized stocking.

Travel Top 50

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:00:00 +0100

What are the global travel brands that will act as a reference over the year ahead? With our first Special Edition Monocle reports on the elements that are ignored by more traditional surveys.

New designs on diplomacy

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 17 November 2008 18:00:00 +0100

Post September 11 every embassy was built as a bunker ready to repel all comers, but now from Kathmandu to Harare architects are reinventing the mission as a national calling card.

Venice Architecture Biennale - Part 2

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 24 October 2008 09:00:00 +0100

In our second film report from the Venice Architecture Biennale, Sarah Balmond visits the curated exhibitions in the Giardini, where national pavilions were transformed into temples to architectural thought.

Venice Architecture Biennale

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 17 October 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Hosted every other year, the Venice Architecture Biennale invites some of the most conceptual thinkers from around the world to flex their creative muscles to interpret a set theme. This year's curator was Cincinnati Art Museum director Aaron Betsky and his topic of choice "Out There - Architecture Beyond Building". In the first of two films Sarah Balmond reports on the laboratory of ideas in the Arsenale exhibition grounds.

Tomorrowland

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 +0100

For the past three decades Japanese fashion brand Tomorrowland has successfully navigated a fiercely competitive and highly sophisticated retail market. Under the helm of Hiroyuki Sasaki it made its name and built its reputation on an ability to modify the western trends of Paris and Milan to the Japanese body shape and taste. Tom Morris reports on the culture of Tomorrowland and its inspired collaboration with Jean Paul Knott in Paris.

Energinet

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Danish Architects Hvidt & Mølgaard have created a state-of-the-art, energy efficient headquarters for Energinet.dk. Thomas Morris reports on a workplace of the future.

Milan Furniture Fair

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:00:00 +0100

This year's Salone Internazionale del Mobile defied the credit crunch with an optimistic mood and a record number of visitors. Sarah Balmond reports on how emerging designers and established brands are responding to turbulent times.

Genbei Yamaguchi

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0100

A decade ago it was rare to see a pair of Tokyo teenage boys out shopping in kimonos. But attitudes to national identity are starting to change. Genbei Yamaguchi's new collection for United Arrows is targeting this shift in mood.

Beijing: Olympic gold rush

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:00:00 +0100

The world will be focused on Beijing this August and, if all goes to the Communist Party's plan, we will be overawed by the glittering lights and maximalist construction of a building boom whose bill runs into tens of billions of yuan. Monocle's Asia Bureau Chief Fiona Wilson visited the city to find out if this is nation-branding folly on a gargantuan scale, or the starting pistol of the Chinese century.

Albam Clothing

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Albam, a British fashion start-up, is keeping costs down without turning to factories in China for help. Founded by entrepreneurial fashion outsiders James Shaw and Alastair Rae, the duo's first shop is a breezy, airy space that shows their collection of menswear and accessories.

Tokyo Designer's Week

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Tokyo Designer's Week has become an annual fixture in the creative calendar, with the city literally taken over by exhibitions, events and parties. Monocle explores the shops and galleries of Aoyama, Harajuku and Shibuya to report on the art, the design and, of course, the impossibly fashionable Tokyo crowd.

Yo Smushi

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The Royal Cafe in Copenhagen has given birth to a new culinary phenomenon: Smushi - traditional Danish smørrebrød with a contemporary sushi twist. The idea was created by "gastronaut" Rud Christiansen, who talks to Monocle about the concept that has Asia's retail groups lining up to get a piece of the action.

Fuji Kindergarten

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Architects Takaharu and Yui Tezuka joined forces with Kashiwa Sato, one of Toyko's most respected creative directors, to build and brand, a novel kind of kindergarten in Tachikawa, a suburban area of Tokyo. Monocle's Asia Bureau Chief Fiona Wilson reports on the Roof House concept.

Arcana Hotel

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The Arcana Hotel is a new favourite for Tokyoites in search of weekend retreats. Located on the Izu Peninsula, this old ryokan has been refurbished with the help of Osaka furniture design company Graf. Monocle's Asia Bureau Chief Fiona Wilson reports on the design philosophy.

City Slickers

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Monocle believes that the measure of a city is more about everyday wonders - pavements, well-designed schools, punctual transport - rather than one-off grand projects. Here's our list of the top 25 urban elements that make a city.

Milan design diary - part two

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

In part two of our Milan Design Diary from the Salone del Mobile, Monocle focuses on the Finnish firm Artek, talking to managing director Mirkku Kullberg and creative director Tom Dixon. We also explore the Artek pavilion, designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

Milan design diary - part one

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Milan's Salone del Mobile ranks as the world's biggest industrial design event. This year we dispatched a team of editors to deliver a series of reports in both print and video. For background, see our preview of the event in the May issue of Monocle magazine. In part one of our video report, editor-in-chief Tyler BrûlBrûlé offers the highlights from the fair.

Designing Sprinkles Cupcakes

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

In Monocle issue 02, we featured Los Angeles-based architect Andrea Lenardin Madden. The Austrian modernist might have seemed an odd choice as the design force behind the fast-expanding Sprinkles cupcake empire, yet as Monocle examines her collaboration with Sprinkles in more depth, we find that Lenardin Madden's influence even extends to the cakes.

H&M's Collection of Style

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:00:00 +0100

H&M launches its new premium line Collection of Style (COS) on Regent Street, March 2007. Monocle talks to Rebekka Bay, head of design for womenswear at H&M, about the changing fashion climate and what COS means for the consumer.

Prix Pictet

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 25 November 2008 18:00:00 +0100

The Prix Pictet award's worthy mission is to promote photographic excellence and environmental sustainability.

Saint Etienne

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 13 October 2008 09:00:00 +0100

A band that share a few of Monocle’s own city-centric obsessions, St Etienne have mined the rainy pavements, smoky cafés and sweaty nightclubs of London to tell cinematic stories of life, love and iconic architecture.

Bangkok Community Radio

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 02 July 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Bangkok's 'quality of life' radio station provides a lifeline in a city where public services are haphazard at best. Monocle's Bangkok correspondent David Fullbrook tuned in for the day.

The Digital News Affairs Conference

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:00:00 +0100

The Digital News Affairs Conference in Brussels featured more than 50 speakers from the media world's leading editorial, marketing and business teams. The subject of this year's event was 'How to survive the digital news age' - a discussion of how news organisations need to change the way they work in order to maintain market share and influence in a rapidly changing media landscape. Monocle's Culture Editor Robert Bound talked to some of the leading lights to get their sides of the argument in the cross-platform media debate.

Bildschöne Bücher

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Less is more is the concept for Bildschöne Bücher, a small bookshop in Berlin that has grown out of the highly successful website 25books.com. Proprietor Bodo von Hodenberg, a former sales director of Taschen, takes a curatorial approach to bookselling, highlighting exceptional books in photography, art and design.

Fuji Rock Festival

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Not all rock festivals involve fans having to live in conditions that the UNHCR would deem unfit for human habitation. Japan's annual Fuji Rock Festival is a pop event with a difference - a mega line-up of international and Japanese talent, excellent food, cleans loos and no rubbish. Our culture editor Robert Bound was front and centre.

e-Sports

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:00:00 +0100

One of the most curious by-products of South Korea's broadband boom has been the creation of an online gaming culture unlike anything seen anywhere in the world. The footage we're presenting here comes from Ongamenet, a dedicated TV-channel that sees gamers doing battle in epic, stadium-style settings.

Tokyo Limousine Bus Lady

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Kaoru Kubo welcomes thousands of travellers to Japan every day. A former announcer for public broadcaster NHK Kubo has, for 23 years, been the voice of the Airport Limousine buses that ferry passengers to and from Narita Airport. Her announcements are said in both Japanese and English, and her no-nonsense delivery has a cult following. It's also a quick introduction to Japanese etiquette. Once she's told you not to, you won't even think about chatting on your mobile phone. (With thanks to Airport Limousine).

Celluloid Skyline

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Monocle visits architect and author James Sanders to discuss his exhibition, Celluloid Skyline, at Grand Central Station, New York. It's the story of how New York City was constructed in the movies, through the imagination of Hollywood-based filmmakers. Sanders tells us how the exhibition design came together, upon the discovery of giant scenic backings from classic movies like North by Northwest and The Clock.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Videos

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Two productions by K+D for video installations in Paris. The first, an extract from the video installation presented at Paris Capitale de la Création, 2004: 'The curse of bears and dolls in Paris sky'. Second, an extract from the video installation presented at Baccarat's showroom for Designer's Days 2004, Paris: 'Beauty and Beast having a fight and breaking dark crystal'.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Cap & Pep

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Caperino & Peperone, or Cap & Pep, are canine creations by Kuntzel+Deygas, which are often seen at the colette concept store in Paris. Here we present four K+D spots featuring Cap & Pep in a variety of situations, alongside a Lacoste croc and work by Edouard Baer for colette's 10th anniversary.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Title sequences

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

With the success of the opening titles for Catch Me If You Can, Kuntzel+Deygas' work received further international acclaim. Here we present an extract from that beautiful sequence, alongside extracts from the alternative titles for The Pink Panther and K+D's sequence for BBC4's The Desk.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Atelier

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

An exclusive look around the K+D studio, shot by the team. We follow K+D into the atelier, checking the Domaine Clos Noir burgundy in detail, the studio, at work, and the division of labour between Kuntzel+Deygas.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Music videos

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Featuring videos for 'Rose Rouge' by St Germain, 'Reaching For The Stars' by Fantastic Plastic Machine, 'The Sssound Of Music' by Bertrand Burgalat, and 'Very Stylish Fille' by Dimitri From Paris.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Com-Pet

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The debut of Com-Pet, a new character in development by Kuntzel+Deygas. The concept? "Communication pet", a cross between a pet and a communication tool.

Kuntzel+Deygas: Whinney

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Animated cow Winney has featured in K+D's work since 1999. Here we see Winney in a contribution to a charity auction organized by Veuve Clicquot, Japan, from October 2006, and an exclusive glimpse of Winney's next performance.

Arman FM, Afghanistan

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:00:00 +0100

In issue 01 of Monocle magazine, Massood Sanjer led us through his working life as Afghanistan's number 1 DJ. Here Massood talks monocle.com through his four-hour show in three clips. An Iranian love poem wishes Arman's 15 million listeners "good luck" at the top of the show every morning. The second hour of the show is dedicated to a phone-in: in this clip a member of parliament is in the hot seat, taking calls from Arman's disgruntled listeners. In the second clip, Massood and his female co-presenter, Sima, play requests before listeners phone in with amusing stories to tell - even if they are about the death of an elderly relative. Finally, the station's top five include home-grown talent, a Bollywood soundtrack and Iranian rock.

The School of Life

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 03 September 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Saul Taylor reports from the heart of Bloomsbury on the enterprise that gives new meaning to the phrase 'retail therapy'.

Hotel Nimb

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 09 July 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Recently reopened in Copenhagen's Tivoli gardens, Nimb has provided the city with a badly needed asset - an outstanding hotel.

The Bookseller of Beirut

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 18 June 2008 09:00:00 +0100

As anywhere, Lebanon's independent bookstores have slowly been eaten up by big, bland chains. But Esquire, set in the once thriving district of Hamra, stands out as a slightly dusty, but proud, pillar of independence.

EBACE

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Smaller, faster, comfier and even cheaper - private aircraft of all shapes, sizes and price points were on offer at the EBACE aviation expo in Geneva. With sales on this side of the Atlantic still brisk, Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé picks his best in show. There's more on the entire aviation sector in the June 2008 issue of the magazine.

Baselworld Watch Fair

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Baselworld, the biggest watch fair on earth, is where aficionados drool over exquisitely made tourbillons, escapements and overcoils, and where luxury watchmakers pick and choose the buyers they believe are worthy of their wares. Monocle visited the 91-year-old expo to see the latest horological must-haves.

Geneva Motor Show

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Green credentials and energy efficiency were the buzzwords at the glitzy annual Geneva Motor Show, now in its 78th year. But the real show-stopper was Nissan's latest project, its luxury sub-brand Infiniti, set to launch in Europe this year. Toyota's Lexus will be watching very closely as Nissan takes the wraps off its new FX, touted as a whole new type of car.

Cracking the market

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Al Rifai – the 'Rolls-Royce of nut companies' – is famous throughout the Middle East for its perfectly roasted pistachios and giant cashews. Now the Lebanese company has opened a Swedish HQ as it attempts to break into the European market with its premium products. Monocle travels to Helsingborg to see how heir apparent Moussa Al Rifai Jr is developing this iconic family business.

Q&A with Jürg Peritz

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:41 +0100

Swiss retailer Coop has opened a supermarket just outside Zürich for the discerning shopper. Not only is the company promoting provenance and sustainability with its products, but it is also building stores that raise the bar for green architecture. Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé talks to Jürg Peritz, Coop's head of marketing and purchasing, about selling Swissness and why it's time to let in the daylight.

Eataly

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:00:00 +0100

"Buy, taste and learn about the best foods all under the same roof." That's the slogan of Oscar Farinetti's super-market Eataly, which opened earlier this year in Turin. Housed in a former vermouth factory, Eataly offers the finest artisanal produce from Italian suppliers, all selected with the assistance of Slow Food Italia and accompanied by lovingly compiled details of its provenance and production. You can even learn how to cook the dishes on offer in the numerous on-site cafés and bars. Monocle sent Ivan Carvalho to sample the fior di latte.

Frankfurt Motor Show

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Frankfurt's biannual motor show is where the big guns roll out their great hopes for the future. While quality and newness are touchstones, global warming was the hot topic and "hybrid" the buzz word. Monocle's Robert Bound reports on the 62nd International Motor Show.

Brand Lexus: Turning up the J-factor

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Rewind to 1980 and the idea of a Japanese luxury car brand would have been unthinkable. Today, Toyota's Lexus division has become a dominant force in the US luxury market and wants to do the same in Europe. Monocle's Editor in chief reckons they need to start exploiting their Japanese roots to make this happen.

Perfect High Street

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Everyone loves an urban village but few cities know quite how to get the mix of retail, services and residents right. Monocle has taken inspiration from its favourite neighbourhoods to engineer the perfect precinct.

Q&A: Matteo di Montezemolo

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Poltrona Frau are one of Italy's most interesting groups, and certainly didn't disappoint at 2007's Salone del Mobile, with a massive stand and strong product range. Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé talks to CEO Matteo di Montezemolo about the importance of the Salone to the group, and their broader ambitions.

Constructing the future

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The Gantenbein Winery, in Fläsch, Switzerland, has been the prototype for an entirely new approach to bricklaying: using modified industrial robots. Traditionally, the promise of industrial robots has been that they would replace the human workforce. But these projects, led by the Architecture and Digital Fabrication laboratory at ETH Zürich, demonstrate a different result: architects are free to create designs and patterns of a precision that simply could not be achieved by hand. Monocle spoke to Professors Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler, who have been collaborating on the project with partners Keller AG and Bearth & Deplazes, about what it means for both building and buildings, and the industry's initial reaction to a prospective army of robot builders.

Q&A: Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO of Lego

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego started life in the wooden toy business. Derived from the Danish words 'leg' (play) and 'godt' (well), the company's play-well concept has turned Lego into one of the most recognised premium toy brands in the world, and one of Denmark's most iconic companies. An assault from the electronic gaming industry and evaporating play time in Lego's key age groups means that both Lego and its competitors are having a tough time on shop shelves. Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé talks to Lego CEO, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, at the company's innovation centre in Billund, Denmark.

Abuja

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 08 October 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Founded 32 years ago, Nigerian capital Abuja was a utopian dream.

Dream Team

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 19 September 2008 09:00:00 +0100

As the US presidential elections draw closer, at Monocle we've been turning our attention to who we'd like to see in the Cabinet. From CEOs to hip hop moguls, we've found a team who could change America's image around the world.

Turkmenistan

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Mon, 25 August 2008 09:00:00 +0100

When Turkmenistan's President Niyazov died in 2006, it was the end of an eccentric personality cult. His successor promised to open the state up but today the gas-rich nation is still an enigma.

Q&A with Alain de Botton

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 13 June 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Author Alain de Botton talks to Monocle's Tyler Brûlé about London's latest shopping mall folly and the cities that are getting urban development right - and wrong.

Q&A with Lady Yvonne Cochrane

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Beirut's Christian quarter of Ashrafieh has weathered civil war, terrorist assassinations and the recent Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. But today the hill-top neighbourhood is once again under threat, this time from developers who are destroying the old palaces to build high-rises for the country's internationally mobile elite. As Lebanon faces yet another uncertain summer, Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé pays a visit to Lady Yvonne Cochrane, doyenne of the Christian East and owner of one of the most alluring palaces in the eastern Mediterranean, to talk urban planning, architecture and the future of her country.

Yubari: Ghost town

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Featuring the haunting photographs of Shinichi Ito, our Asia bureau chief, Fiona Wilson, reports from Yubari, the Japanese coal city that lost 90 per cent of its residents after its mines closed and the city councillors went on a disastrous spending spree.

Zimbabwe: State of despair

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:00:41 +0100

Zimbabwe is a country on the brink of economic collapse. With inflation running out of control, the supply of food, fuel and electricity is dwindling. Posing as tourists, Monocle reports from a country where international journalists are banned.

Istanbul to Van

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:41 +0100

Every night the TransAsya Express departs from Istanbul heading for Tehran. It takes three days and two nights to reach its destination, time enough for you to leave the European lifestyle of western Turkey far behind. Saul Taylor took the train as far as Van in the Kurdish corner of the country. This is the story of Monocle's journey on the slow train east.

The Monocle Review

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé presents the first edition of The Monocle Review. On this programme we highlight Narcotecture in Herat, a cosier version of Davos at Tällberg, a rock festival with a difference in Japan and a high-voltage tour of the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Slovenia: King for a day

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:00:00 +0100

In January, Slovenia will take on the rotating EU presidency. It is a massive challenge for a country of just two million inhabitants. Tobias Grey toured the country on the eve of its grand mission.

Murmansk: Arctic revival

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Many Russian cities might seem like they are at the end of the world, but Murmansk really is. Following the break-up of the USSR, the city and its naval base went into decline, but the riches offered by its Arctic location are now promising a revival. Our correspondent Shaun Walker reports.

Tajikistan: Bridging borders

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The Tajik-Afghan border is one of the most dangerous in the world because of its central role in the heroin trade. EU- and US-backed agencies are stepping in to help control the borders and initiate projects to stimulate legitimate trade. But who will benefit most? Daria Vaisman reports from Nizhny Pyanj, on Tajikistan's southwest border.

Abkhazia: Breakaway state

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Thirteen years after declaring independence from Soviet Georgia, Abkhazia is still not recognised as a legitimate state by other countries. Monocle correspondent Shaun Walker reports from this former tourist paradise, still marked by the scars of war.

Q&A: Paula Scher on Brand America

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The national identity of countries can shift radically and at a speed that leaves their inhabitants gasping. As the United States continues to suffer from low approval ratings all over the world, Paula Scher, one of the world's leading graphic designers and a principal at Pentagram in New York, talks to Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé about how the US needs to overhaul its image, brand promise, name and messaging.

The Tällberg Forum

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Each summer philosophical thinkers in politics, economics, ecology and the arts meet at the Tällberg Forum in Sweden to try and come up with new initiatives to tackle the ecological problems facing the planet. The peaceful lakeshore setting is intended to encourage alternative thought and practical problem solving.

The C40 Climate Summit

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100

The C40 group of the world's leading cities met in New York recently to discuss how cities could address the issues raised by climate change. Led by Bill Clinton and New York Mayor Michael R Bloomberg, city bosses were there in force, perhaps indicating the return of 'city states' as drivers of change. Monocle reports from the event and grabs interviews with some of the key players.

Narcotecture in Afghanistan

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Fri, 18 May 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Monocle looks at the building boom in the western Afghan city of Herat, where gaudy palaces are wiping out the face of the medieval city. Much of the construction is being fuelled by money from drugs, guns or graft, although all of the interiors photographed by Monocle belonged to businessmen importing materials for the country's reconstruction boom. Less savoury characters were not so welcoming. We were turned away from one house after the militia commander who lived next door threatened the owner.

Q&A: HRH Crown Prince Haakon

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Norway currently ranks as one of the world's most energy rich nations and boasts one of the biggest social funds as a result. Estimated to be hovering around the $300 billion mark, it has helped the country create a standard of living that also tops international league tables. To accompany our cover story in issue 02, Monocle was granted an exclusive interiew with the country's Crown Prince Haakon. Editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé spoke to him in his private office at the palace in Oslo.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force

info@monocle.com (Monocle) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Under its post-war constitution, Japan is not allowed a navy, army or air force, only Self Defence Forces. Yet, today, the country has one of the largest, most sophisticated fleets in the world with 47 destroyers and nine frigates. Historical tensions with North Korea and China have also seen the country increasingly debating its military future. Monocle was given unique access to the fleet and asked leading analysts to assess the future of the region. Fiona Wilson reports on how the story was put together, and the changing role of the MSDF in Japan.