https://www.scmp.com/rss/34754/feed Giovanna Dunmall is based in London and writes about architecture, design, travel and culture for publications such as the South China Morning Post, 1843, Guardian, Frame, Azure, Sleeper, Metropolis and Wallpaper*. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com It may have a population of 1.4 billion and the world’s second largest economy, but China’s design scene is still relatively unknown abroad. A showcase at the St Étienne International Design Biennial in France – whose theme is “Me/You/Nous: Designing Common Ground” – aims to change that. “We wanted people to realise that China is not just a country that produces and copies,” says Lisa White, curator of the biennale. “It is now a country that designs and creates.” For France-based artist Fan Zhe,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/3004876/bicycle-high-speed-rail-smart-suitcase-chinese-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/3004876/bicycle-high-speed-rail-smart-suitcase-chinese-design?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2019 05:45:09 +0000 What is it? A new 153-room design hotel in a seven-storey, 19th-century building that has, over the years, been home to the Finnish Literature Society, the printing presses of the first Finnish newspaper, Suometar, and the Helsinki Finnish Club (for men “devoted to the ideology of Finnishness”). Across from pretty Old Church Park, in the centre of Helsinki, the St George has been conceived around the idea of holistic well-being. The insiders’ guide to Helsinki – where to go, eat, sleep and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2170898/helsinkis-new-hotel-st-george-culinary-and-cultural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2170898/helsinkis-new-hotel-st-george-culinary-and-cultural?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Nov 2018 10:01:03 +0000 Daniel Tobin, creative director and co-founder of art and design studio Urban Art Projects (UAP), says: “It was a crazy project to take on.” He’s reminiscing about a piece by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman that UAP helped make. A cheeky wink to the battleship which once occupied the playscape's site, ‘Kraken’, by Florentijn Hofman, provides an inclusive and imaginative space for families to explore. The work is a reference to the legendary giant sea monster of the same name, which has a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2124951/ai-weiwei-zheng-lu-meet-uap-dream-builders-bringing-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2124951/ai-weiwei-zheng-lu-meet-uap-dream-builders-bringing-art?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2017 10:22:29 +0000 A trip to Canada’s vast empty centre is an eye-opening culinary experience. “It’s one of Canada’s best kept secrets,” says Mandel Hitzer, owner of innovative Winnipeg diner deer + almond, of his hometown in the heart of the prairies. “We have an amazing community here, there is so much cultural diversity.” And he isn’t exaggerating. Like many Canadian cities, Winnipeg (population 800,000) is very multicultural. It has big Filipino, Icelandic and Indigenous communities as well as significant... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2120888/hong-kong-family-part-dining-revolution-canadian-prairies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2120888/hong-kong-family-part-dining-revolution-canadian-prairies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:00:45 +0000 It’s a hot September day in Turin, northern Italy and Qi Jiangui, a chef at Beijing restaurant Mei Zhou Dongpo, is making spicy dumplings filled with tender chicken, pork and Sichuan pepper in a busy temporary kitchen. The pop-up restaurant is part of Terra Madre, a food festival organised by the Italy-based Slow Food headquarters. It runs every two years in Turin and its aim is promoting and preserving culinary biodiversity and species facing extinction. In this year’s festival, which took... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2025314/how-chinese-italian-chef-hopes-foster-slow-food-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2025314/how-chinese-italian-chef-hopes-foster-slow-food-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2016 21:17:00 +0000 Modern society is not short of complex social, economic and environmental problems to overcome. Curator and designer Kenya Hara believes “housing is one of the best mediums for exploring the most pressing challenges we face”. That’s why he came up with House Vision, an exhibition in Tokyo this month that brings together some of the nation’s leading companies (Muji, Panasonic and Toto among them) and partners them with some of the country’s best-known young and established architects. Their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/2008581/tokyo-exhibition-presents-vision-future-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/2008581/tokyo-exhibition-presents-vision-future-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:34:46 +0000 What was the main idea behind the Valet collection? "The furniture line [a 14-piece collection, ranging from a bar cart to lounge seating, made in Shanghai by Stellar Works] is about transitions, going from the hustle and bustle of the street to your home. What do you do with your stuff when you get in? What about when you go from home to entertaining? We wanted to combine multiple functions and make the pieces portable so you could pick them up and rearrange them." You kept the materials... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/interiors/article/1962376/architect-david-rockwell-launches-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/interiors/article/1962376/architect-david-rockwell-launches-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2016 02:00:15 +0000 Alamak! That saying, which ricochets around Southeast Asia and Japan accompanied by an exclamation mark, can roughly be translated as “Oh my god”, “What a surprise” or even “Mamma mia”. So says Yoichi Nakamuta, a curator of a show dedicated to design from Asia influenced by that Asian feeling or emotion. “The designers were selected for their ability to represent the spirit of this expression,” he says. “It’s an exhibition of pieces you don’t see every day.” Ostensibly the Singaporean national... https://www.scmp.com/property/article/1938326/asian-designers-star-exhibition-pieces-you-dont-see-every-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/article/1938326/asian-designers-star-exhibition-pieces-you-dont-see-every-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2016 04:25:41 +0000 “When I came here this was not a good area. People passed but nobody stopped, there was nothing, not even a cafe.” Argentinian developer and cultural entrepreneur Alan Faena is talking about a stretch of Miami beach (running from 32nd to 36th streets in the city’s Mid-Beach neighbourhood) that had, despite its prime beachfront location, become run down and somewhat of a no-go area by the mid-2000s. All that changed when Faena and business partner Len Blavatnik took it on about four years ago and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1909801/faena-hotel-breathes-new-life-neglected-miami-beach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/1909801/faena-hotel-breathes-new-life-neglected-miami-beach?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:00:00 +0000 What is it? An elegant, urbane hotel opened in 2014 by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the duo who breathed new life into legendary London dining hot spots The Ivy and J Sheekey and opened success stories The Wolseley, Fischer's and The Delaunay. Located steps from central London's shopping and theatre district, the Beaumont's exterior features a weird and wonderful inhabitable sculpture (above) by Antony Gormley (the British artist behind those naked figures on Hong Kong rooftops... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1898523/beaumont-weird-wonderful-central-london-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1898523/beaumont-weird-wonderful-central-london-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jan 2016 15:00:00 +0000 What was your big break? "Our first product was a series of concrete lights, which we designed for Decode London [a furniture and lighting manufacturer] in 2009. They got a lot of media attention, sold OK, won some awards and allowed us to speak to more companies." What made you change the name of your studio from Benjamin Hubert to Layer? "When you have your name above the door it's very difficult to do projects that are about more than just your personal taste or style. We wanted to express... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1875673/interview-benjamin-hubert-layer-design-studio-talks-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1875673/interview-benjamin-hubert-layer-design-studio-talks-about?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Nov 2015 13:00:15 +0000 Christopher Jenner thinks the word "luxury" has lost all meaning. "With globalisation and a rise in the amount of wealthy people in the world, it has become purely a commercial concept," he says. The London-based designer prefers the word "sophistication", which for him conjures up thoughts of "consideration, care, knowledge and experience" - all ingredients necessary to take a dusty or stagnant heritage brand or craft into the world of contemporary design - and this is something Jenner has done... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1873792/award-winning-designer-christopher-jenner-merges-local-culture-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1873792/award-winning-designer-christopher-jenner-merges-local-culture-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:30:30 +0000 National showcases for design are often hit and miss. Institutional support or money, however well-meaning, can stifle creativity and result in objects that are beautiful or well presented but not always memorable. That was, thankfully, not the case with Hi Design Shanghai's first British celebration of Chinese design at this year's 100% Design (as part of the annual London Design Festival, which ended on Sunday). A collaboration between London-based design magazine Icon and a panoply of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1862439/london-design-festival-reveals-new-wave-chinese-designers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1862439/london-design-festival-reveals-new-wave-chinese-designers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:00:00 +0000 It shot to international fame after appearing on Pink Floyd's Animals album cover in 1977 but its imposing hulk and elegant chimneys were an indelible part of the London skyline long before that. For 30 years, however, Battersea power station - Europe's largest brick building - stood abandoned as developer after developer took flight, mostly because of the cost of bringing a colossal decommissioned power station back to life. But the 1930s Grade II listed coal-fired power station's fortunes seem... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1844274/londons-abandoned-battersea-power-station-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1844274/londons-abandoned-battersea-power-station-set?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2015 12:00:15 +0000 On May 1, the gargantuan travelling exhibition that is the World Expo landed in Milan, Italy, attracting the first of what organisers hope will be 20 million visitors in the next six months. Despite widely reported delays and controversies that had resulted in some of the pavilions not being ready by the event's opening, the 1.1 million square metre site northwest of the city has become a "temporary town", with a panoply of national and themed pavilions all clamouring for attention. The designs... https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/1794464/china-pavilions-shine-milan-world-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/1794464/china-pavilions-shine-milan-world-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2015 17:45:15 +0000 What is it? Park Hyatt's ultra-swanky flagship occupies the first 25 of the 90 floors in a new midtown Manhattan skyscraper. Located across the street from the Russian Tea Room, steps from Carnegie Hall and a skip and a hop from Central Park, the building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc. The hotel interiors are by hospitality gurus Yabu Pushelberg and the women's uniforms by minima-list fashion god Narciso Rodriguez (the men's outfits are immaculately... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1700429/park-hyatt-new-york-shines-bright-midtown-manhattan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1700429/park-hyatt-new-york-shines-bright-midtown-manhattan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2015 14:31:56 +0000 It's a big week for the city of Wuhan. Tomorrow sees the capital of Hubei province inaugurate two of the most spectacular entertainment venues ever built: the Wanda Movie Park - the world's first entirely indoor theme park - and the Han Show Theatre, featuring a permanent show by artistic director Franco Dragone, of Cirque du Soleil fame. The first of five major entertainment venues being developed for the city by the Dalian Wanda Group, the buildings are also the anchoring projects of a new 2km... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/664676/wuhan-unveils-spectacular-statement-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/664676/wuhan-unveils-spectacular-statement-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2014 09:30:45 +0000 What's the big deal? It's the first Mondrian property outside the United States, the first hotel with head-to-toe interiors by British design supremo Tom Dixon and, at 359 rooms, it ain't small. Located in a 1970s office block formerly called the Sea Containers Building, after a previous tenant, it brings fun, frolics and cocktails to a hitherto forlorn and faceless section of London's South Bank. Tell me about the design. It's not subtle but, for the most part, it works (the giant electric-blue... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1654633/londons-mondrian-hotel-nautical-nice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1654633/londons-mondrian-hotel-nautical-nice?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:30:15 +0000 The twelve-year-old London Design Festival gets bigger and better every year. With more than 300 events to visit in 2014, it presented an exciting challenge to both the design aficionado and uninitiated visitor, who had to work out how best to enjoy the conceptual ideas and ingenious design that made up the terrain of the event. Asian creativity was scattered all over town this year and South Korean designers, high on the Hallyu cultural wave, made their mark at events such as 100% Design and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1600201/asian-brands-bring-fresh-style-and-function-london-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1600201/asian-brands-bring-fresh-style-and-function-london-design?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2014 08:00:15 +0000 What is it? Constructed around a previously dilapidated, inaccessible square in the heart of buzzy Soho, the new-build property is part hotel, part residential block. The square is now tree-lined, open to the public and filled with tables, benches and independent boutiques. Sounds sort of different. It really is. The hotel, which opened in June, is a crazy melange of colours, textures, materials and art. Thick marble windows imported from India line one of the restaurant walls; a mesmerising... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581068/hot-spots-ham-yard-hotel-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581068/hot-spots-ham-yard-hotel-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:30:45 +0000 One of the best food trends to make its way across the Atlantic to London is the resurgence of breakfast. Restaurants open earlier and menus are a panoply of eggs, granola and porridges. Breakfast in the city has come into its own, with a slew of international restaurants now offering their own take on this quintessential English meal.   Dishoom dishoom.com This Indian diner draws its inspiration from the "Irani" cafes of Mumbai that sprung up in the early 20th century and attracted people from... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1563517/breakfast-dining-goes-international-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1563517/breakfast-dining-goes-international-london?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:10:35 +0000 At this month's annual Milan furniture extravaganza, known as the Salone del Mobile, all roads seemed to lead to Chi Wing Lo. The Hong Kong-born architect and designer has spent the past 30 years living in the United States, Greece and Italy, including 20 years as art director of luxury Italian brand Giorgetti. Now he has launched his own collection, Dimensione Chi Wing Lo (or "the world of Chi Wing Lo"), in collaboration with Italy's Maroni. The results are some of the most elegant pieces of... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1483019/hong-kong-born-chi-wing-lo-makes-name-himself-italy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1483019/hong-kong-born-chi-wing-lo-makes-name-himself-italy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2014 21:39:59 +0000 What is it? A quirky budget hotel in the East End with a unique design concept. What does Qbic refer to? The Cubi, a "cube-shaped living box" (top) that stands in each bedroom and includes bathroom, bed, lighting, electricity sockets and even a television in one compact structure. The free-standing pods were invented for the first Qbic, in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Made in China, they arrive flat-packed and each can be assembled in five hours. What is the point of them? The Cubi brings down... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1405369/hot-spots-qbic-hotel-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1405369/hot-spots-qbic-hotel-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:45:45 +0000 For one of the fastest-rising stars of modern hospitality design, architect and designer Andre Fu is surprisingly unassuming and reserved. He speaks slowly, softly and distinctly, and often takes a few moments to answer questions, making it difficult to gauge what he is thinking. We met before and after the completion of his new supersuite for London's sumptuous Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge and, both times, he is friendly but inscrutable, yet clearly keen to make sure the ideas behind his... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1393886/andre-fu-new-asian-design-offers-refuge-hectic-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1393886/andre-fu-new-asian-design-offers-refuge-hectic-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2014 14:15:45 +0000 Since its launch in 2009, the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau has baffled and infuriated local food-lovers, chefs and critics alike because of its eccentric choices. The guide was initially charged with focusing too much on high-end places (not an entirely fair accusation, as this is a Michelin guide after all). But it soon started giving stars to dim sum restaurants, and an Indian restaurant whose owner freely admits he has never been to the subcontinent and adapts the food to local tastes.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1373754/food-critic-andy-hayler-says-local-michelin-guide-gets-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1373754/food-critic-andy-hayler-says-local-michelin-guide-gets-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2013 21:39:00 +0000 The typical star- and barrel-shaped vaulted stone ceilings of traditional Apulian architecture are a sight to behold. Each piece of the pale and soft local pietra leccese and tufo (limestone and sandstone respectively) required to make it are cut by hand and placed so the ceilings can stay in place without the use of mortar. "Until about 20 years ago there used to be lots of stonemasons who had the ability to do this type of thing," said Francesco Carlucci, who builds luxury contemporary... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1354423/italian-firm-essentis-breathes-life-dying-art-traditional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1354423/italian-firm-essentis-breathes-life-dying-art-traditional?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2013 20:00:30 +0000 The London Design Festival, which took place last month, is not a commercial beast like the Milan Furniture Fair. It's a place to see conceptual designs and one-off installations, such as Canadian designer Omer Arbel's spectacular 30-metre cascading copper-and-glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's also fun to attend the countless talks at events such as the Global Design Forum, where speakers this year included Jaime Hayon, Ross Lovegrove and Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1333715/asian-designers-make-splash-london-design-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1333715/asian-designers-make-splash-london-design-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:37:35 +0000 What is it? One of the Roman hotel scene's grand dames, the Waldorf Astoria property is perched atop a hill and boasts spectacular views, a priceless art collection and top-notch facilities. What makes this luxury hotel different? Housed in a striking 1960s building, its interiors, magnificent spiralling chandelier and circular staircase were designed by international starchitects Pier Luigi Nervi and Franco Albini. The 1,100-piece strong art collection has to be seen to be believed - a Tiepolo... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1302610/hot-spots-rome-cavalieri?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1302610/hot-spots-rome-cavalieri?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Tell someone you are going on a trip to sample the food specialities of Benelux and you will most likely get a series of blank expressions (and not only because many people don't know Benelux means Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). This reaction is understandable. At best, the area's cuisine is an extension of French cooking, at worst it is dull and uninspiring (I am looking at you, Netherlands, land of mashed potato and stews). Of course, this sweeping statement doesn't take into... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1296906/benelux-cuisine-food-scene-unseen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1296906/benelux-cuisine-food-scene-unseen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Designing a bar and restaurant that stands 150 metres above the ground isn't the most straightforward of tasks. If you overdo the design you risk minimising or obstructing the views; if you under-design the space, the emphasis will be solely on the view. "The trick is finding a balance," says James Dilley, of London-based design and architecture firm Jestico + Whiles. "It's a question of enhancing the view while not negating the interior space. This was new to us, and it's been guided by David... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1296900/david-yeos-aqua-bar-flaunts-london-skyline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1296900/david-yeos-aqua-bar-flaunts-london-skyline?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 "If you are eating a mild cheese, you should have a beer with low taste intensity. If you go for a very strong cheese, you need to go for a very strong beer." So says Nicolas Soenen, the beer ambassador for Duvel, a Belgian brewer, and our guide for a memorable beer and cheese pairing in the basement of Antwerp restaurant Grand Cafe De Rooden Hoed. Soenen believes a good pairing is "when the flavours are not fighting in your mouth". Most importantly, a good pairing is when "you taste a little... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1296905/making-strong-case-pairing-beer-and-cheese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1296905/making-strong-case-pairing-beer-and-cheese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 "I grew up believing I would die at 35," says British entrepreneur Mark Weingard, whose father was killed in a car crash nine days before his 36th birthday. This keen sense of mortality drove Weingard to work hard, and by the time he was 29 he was the top trader at a bank in the City of London. By his early 30s he had amassed what he calls "a small fortune". Since then, death has reared its head many more times. Weingard narrowly missed a meeting in the World Trade Centre on the morning of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1280350/personal-tragedy-led-entrepreneur-mark-weingard-found?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1280350/personal-tragedy-led-entrepreneur-mark-weingard-found?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 What is it? A just-opened state-of-the-art museum in southern England housing the remains of King Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, and thousands of artefacts found on the seabed where she sank. The 16th-century ship was lost to the world for more than 400 years but raised from the sea in the early 1980s, in the world's largest underwater excavation (more than 60 million people watched the event live on television). It now has a permanent home. It sounds a bit dry. Why should I go? For the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1273203/hot-spots-mary-rose-museum-portsmouth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1273203/hot-spots-mary-rose-museum-portsmouth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 What is it? Luxury lodgings in a grand, 18th-century building in France's sun-drenched second city, Marseille. The hotel boasts spectacular views of the old port and the iconic Notre-Dame de la Garde church. The sloping site of Hotel Dieu became a refuge for pilgrims in the 12th century and later a hospital and hospice for the poor and elderly. The current building has undergone a major revamp involving hotel designer of the moment Jean-Philippe Nuel. The property's sweeping staircases, arched... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1242686/hot-spots-intercontinental-marseille-hotel-dieu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1242686/hot-spots-intercontinental-marseille-hotel-dieu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Bennetts Associates is a London-based architecture practice known for its highly sustainable approach to construction and a portfolio that includes theatres, offices, universities, hotels and historic conservation. The practice recently completed two new buildings for St Antony's College in Oxford that use green design features, while its 2010 restoration of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon has been lauded for its intelligent and sensitive repurposing of a disparate and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1233786/intelligent-designs-greener-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1233786/intelligent-designs-greener-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 It felt like the quietest Milan furniture fair in years. Press previews were half-empty, previously impenetrable design districts were a breeze to walk through and many cocktail parties were shockingly under-patronised. Perhaps it was the advent of a new president (Claudio Luti, the owner of successful Italian acrylic furniture company Kartell), but the one venue that felt more purposeful, business-as-usual and buzzing than any other last week was the sprawling trade fair on the outskirts of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1216136/asias-fusion-furniture-show-milan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/1216136/asias-fusion-furniture-show-milan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 What is it? A just opened "design-led, lifestyle hotel" in London's buzzing West End. It's the first British hotel by world-renowned architects Foster + Partners and the first for which the firm has designed both interiors and exteriors. What's different about it? The architecture and design, which is monochrome, sleek and sophisticated. The centrepiece is a nine-storey pyramid-shaped white marble atrium, with the reception at the bottom. The dramatic, slanting geometry found here is repeated... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1200317/hot-spots-me-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1200317/hot-spots-me-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 When designer Maggie Keswick Jencks found out that her cancer had spread to her bones, liver and bone marrow, she was sitting in a harshly lit room with her husband, landscape architect and writer Charles Jencks. She sat in a windowless corridor of the hospital contemplating "having two to three months to live". This dismal episode was a catalyst for Jencks. In the short time she had left - experimental and complementary treatment would extend her life for another two years - she devised a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1166675/maggies-centres-offer-beauty-and-dignity-terminally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1166675/maggies-centres-offer-beauty-and-dignity-terminally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Holiday homes may often be more of a burden and responsibility than a source of joy. Owners fear break-ins or burst pipes in winter, and if you don't have a friendly relative or neighbour prepared to check on your home from time to time, you can feel compelled to go and stay even when it's not convenient. That's just one of the reasons the 223-hectare Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds is such an ingenious idea. Located less than two hours from central London, the estate offers buyers the chance... https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/1138709/estate-cotswolds-uk-offers-holiday-homes-difference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/1138709/estate-cotswolds-uk-offers-holiday-homes-difference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Arriving in Marseille, southern France, from the air is an awe-inspiring experience. As you sweep over scenic mountains on one side and crystal blue sea on the other, you can understand why the Phoenicians chose to stay in 600BC. Once I land, the exhilaration continues: I take a motorbike taxi into town. "It's much quicker and convenient," says my chauffeur-to-be, Didier. I am not convinced but am won over by his warm smile and massive Honda Goldwing 1800, which looks unbreakable. It turns out... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1135214/marseille-chic-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1135214/marseille-chic-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Compared to the gabled 17th century canal houses that surround it on either side of the Prinsengracht canal, the solid 1970s brick exterior of the Andaz hotel in Amsterdam is, frankly, disappointing. Step inside, however, through an ornately stuccoed low-ceilinged corridor lined with Alice in Wonderland-style small black doors, and it's a different story. Your first sight is a series of giant white and gold bell lights hanging over three circular tables (around which you can check in) and an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1124785/travel-review-andaz-amsterdam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1124785/travel-review-andaz-amsterdam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The tourist brochures often call it Europe's best-kept secret. That may be a little over the top, but they have a point, as Luxembourg does rather hide its light under a bushel. The landlocked nation is known for its banks and finance, and for being the second-richest country in the world. But there is more to it than that. Luxembourg may be one of the world's smallest countries, but it's also one of the most international. A surprising 43 per cent of its population was born abroad, and locals... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1113580/luxembourg-luxe-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1113580/luxembourg-luxe-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 With hundreds of university college buildings dating as far back as the 13th century, walking around Oxford can feel like stepping back in time. "Oxford is one of the most beautiful historic cities in the world, with some of the best-maintained buildings," says Clare Wright, founding partner at London-based architects Wright & Wright. "Unusually for this type of environment, new buildings keep being added, mainly of good quality and sensitive to their context. Oxford provides the best example of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1058725/oxford-university-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1058725/oxford-university-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 YOU'VE PROBABLY heard of vinotherapy - beauty products made from winemaking by-products such as grape seeds, skin and stems. But have you heard of "fruititherapy"? Enter Burgundian anti-ageing specialist and nutritionist Jean Garnier, a man so impressed with the antioxidant and vitamin-rich properties of fruit like blackcurrants, strawberries, cherries, elderberries, grapes and raspberries, he created a spa concept and cosmetics line based around them. Together with his wife Corinne, he has... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1048637/beauty-and-berry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1048637/beauty-and-berry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Brussels is frequently written off as a grey and stuffy city. But for interior designer Michel Penneman, who rose to international fame after designing the Hotel Pantone in his hometown, the Belgian capital's appeal lies in the fact that it eludes classification. 'Brussels is interesting because it's a very eclectic city,' he says. While Paris is magnificent and coherent, Brussels is uneven, he admits, but it's a city of small jewels that pop up where you least expect them. Penneman has also... https://www.scmp.com/article/1014435/silver-lining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1014435/silver-lining?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The new Bulgari Hotel in London's Knightsbridge area is a polished, opulent affair. The lobby has glossy mahogany walls, granite floors and black leather counters surrounded by sharp grey-suited receptionists and handsome silver Bulgari products behind display cases. My room has plenty of polished chrome and mahogany, and the bathroom is in white veined marble, with Frette towels and Bulgari toiletries. Luxurious stand-up Bulgari travel trunks house the mini-bars, and super-tall leaning mirrors... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007800/profit-and-gloss-welcome-rich-mans-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007800/profit-and-gloss-welcome-rich-mans-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Buyers from around the world are bidding to become owners of French vineyards - but the most significant new market for the sales of French chateaux in the future will be China, according to vineyard experts Maxwell-Storrie-Baynes. 'The nationalities that we sell to are not in the same proportion as the nationalities that we are seeing the greatest interest from,' said Michael Baynes, who sells country houses, estates and vineyards in the southwest of France for Maxwell-Storrie-Baynes. 'The... https://www.scmp.com/article/1006435/chinese-look-buy-slice-heaven?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1006435/chinese-look-buy-slice-heaven?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 'This house has been in my head for 20 years,' says Angad Paul as he takes us on a tour of his new London home. 'I wanted to create a Case Study House in an urban context,' he says referring to the pioneering mid-20th century hilltop American Case Study Houses that sought to bring modernism and functionality to the masses. Paul is chief executive of Caparo manufacturing group, and also chairman and co-founder of British design company Established & Sons; his new three-storey penthouse conversion... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002584/happy-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002584/happy-together?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The annual Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan in April was a more subdued affair than previous, as the poor economic climate took a toll. But streamlined budgets did not translate into less interesting or less boundary-pushing products. On the contrary, it looked like emerging designers and established companies had spent time, money and energy on research and development, particularly in the kitchens and bathrooms sector, which is always looking to find new ways to make us use these... https://www.scmp.com/article/1002620/force-nature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1002620/force-nature?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Anyone walking into the showroom of Italian furniture maker Moroso in the centre of Milan, Italy, during this year's furniture fair that ended on Sunday, was greeted by a monolithic red sofa in the centre of the space surrounded by a series of folding screen partitions adorned with simple and black abstract calligraphy work. The long, sinuous sofa was the work of Chinese architect Zhang Ke and bore the poetic name of 'hidden dragon' while the whole installation was called 'The Way of the Water... https://www.scmp.com/article/999164/milan-fair-sets-scene-design-dragon-roar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/999164/milan-fair-sets-scene-design-dragon-roar?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000