Culture

Past the Post

Development On Higher Ground

Nearly a decade after severe flooding inundated the University of Iowa’s campus, its music department is reunited in a new building by LMN Architects that is both a technological and civic asset.

New Talent Studio Gorm

An appreciation of the beauty in an object’s true function drives the work of Studio Gorm.

T Is For Talent

Metropolis showcased four emerging talents in a vibrant installation at NeoCon 2017.

Is Fashion Modern?

On the eve of the Museum of Modern Art’s landmark exhibition on the past, present, and future of fashion, Metropolis VP of design Paul Makovsky spoke to MoMA’s senior curator Paola Antonelli about why she chose to put on a show about garments, why Bernard Rudofsky (who curated MoMA’s first show on fashion back in 1944) remains as relevant as ever, and the challenges of selecting fashion objects that have had a strong impact on the world.

Float Studio

Adeptly avoiding the clichés so commonly associated with office design for start-ups, Float Studio instead creates spaces that capture each company’s founding essence—all on a tight budget.

Lukas Peet

With an approach that synthesizes pragmatism and whimsy, Lukas Peet’s designs reconsider the complexities of lighting and how it fills a space.

A Floor's Best Friend

A new coating by Armstrong Flooring harnesses the power of diamonds for added protection and beauty.

Outward Facing

In their conversion of a storage facility to high-end residences in New York’s West Village, CookFox Architects paid special attention to the outdoor areas and the neighborhood beyond.

Tower Of Power

Skylab Architecture’s Yard leads Portland’s east side into a taller future—and a citywide conversation.

Eclectic Luxury

Aurélien, a new residential high-rise in Chicago’s upscale Gold Coast neighborhood, hides a lot of gold-inflected drama behind its restrained facade.

Exhibition

Marimekko Moment

A Hand In Tradition

At the Bentley factory in Crewe, England, technology enhances—rather than replaces—the brand’s history of artisanal craftsmanship.

Ichiro Iwasaki

The Tokyo-based design veteran is a keen observer of the ways people work and create.

Ghislaine Viñas

The designer brings her bright outlook to workplace interiors and products.

WORKac

With ties to building and academia, the New York firm is forging a new kind of architectural practice.

Architecture Lobby

All is not perfectly well in the world of architecture, and this advocacy group is looking to improve it.

Jerry Helling

The president and creative director of Bernhardt Design has created multiple platforms to invest in young American and international talent, helping to kick-start the careers of dozens of designers.

Under The Microscope

Under the Microscope Research is at the heart of Haworth, and it plays a crucial role in shaping every facet of the company.

On The Move

Haworth goes global to deliver innovation and inspiration for a mobile workforce.

Care To Listen

With a history of serving leading health-care providers around the world, Haworth continuously draws on its extensive research and integrated technology channels to reimagine how wellness spaces can look and function.

Listening And Learning

Haworth takes pride in being a family company—the kind of family where members, designers, dealers, and clients are closely knit and highly valued. So we reached out to Haworth’s incredible network of people to hear what they had to say about the future of the workplace.

A Politics For Design

Victor Papanek’s critical outlook and uproarious calls to politicize design won him a loyal following.

Beyond The Punch List

Post-occupancy evaluations are still not common practice. What might accelerate their adoption?

A Tough Stance

At 50 years old, Boston City Hall is one of the most polarizing buildings in America. Building upgrades and revitalization plans hope to change that, but they mistake what the architecture stood for.

Don't Fight The Building

Andrew Zobler, CEO of developer Sydell Group, sees value in investing in history.

How The Happiness Industry Has Hijacked Virtually Every Facet Of Contemporary Life

The Architecture of Happiness was a trite book published in the mid-2000s and mercifully forgotten. Our Happy Life: Architecture and Well-Being in the Age of Emotional Capitalism, a new exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal, isn’t nearly as snappily titled, but as an enterprise, it is far more probing and curious. Curated by Francesco Garutti, the show explores how, after the 2008 financial crash, the “happiness industry”—comprising government initiatives, economic indices, and city rankings— hijacked virtually every facet of contemporary life.Metropolis’s Samuel Medina spoke to Garutti about happiness as a social project, the “cold intimacy” of Instagram, and architecture’s new spaces of meaning.

Anatomy - A View From The Switch

The designer of the Noon Smart Lighting System reveals the thinking behind the unit’s streamlined, DIY-friendly design.

Materials Spontaneous Construction

The Bouroullec brothers’ new rug benefits from a special technique that ensures beauty and durability—and a bit of randomness.

Hospitality - Creative Quarters

For its newest property in Chicago’s booming downtown, Ace Hotel makes art central to its design.