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Monocle is a global briefing covering international affairs, business, culture and design.
- 109articles · 30d
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- Aug 14, 2026earliest in window
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News
Diplomatic design 101: The UN’s newest visitor centre is a study in architectural monotony
1+ week, 4+ day ago (203+ words) If minimalism has become the visual language of institutional reassurance, then the Portail des Nations speaks it fluently. Diplomatic architecture need not be sanitised within an inch of its life. Geneva’s own Hôtel de Ville has stood in the heart…...
A new chapter for Berlin’s Stabi, as a decade-long overhaul seeks to restore Scharoun’s civic landmark
3+ week, 3+ day ago (348+ words) We settle down in the spacious reading room of Berlin’s Stabi public library, as it undergoes a renovation that will finally deliver on its 1960s ideals. Because it grants people from all walks of life access to knowledge, a public library…...
Lisbon’s abandoned commercial spaces are offering creative solutions to the housing crisis
3+ week, 3+ day ago (171+ words) In a city centre that’s short on space, architect José Guimarães is betting that the answer isn’t to build more but to revamp what already exists. In the Lisbon neighbourhood of Campo de Ourique, you’ll find traditional knitting shops pressed…...
Room to grow: Impressive educational architecture in Finland, Austria and beyond
3+ week, 3+ day ago (162+ words) monocle.com Built learning environments can be transformative, inspiring students to look after their surroundings while nurturing creativity. We talk to architects shaping outcomes for the better by eschewing screens and embracing natural light and greenery. “Schools have a culture…...
Munich’s Arabellahaus could become a model for saving Germany’s ageing housing blocks
4+ week, 1+ day ago (457+ words) Monocle When the owner of Munich’s Arabellahaus announced in 2018 that the building would have to come down, residents were furious. Completed in 1969, the enormous, skinny, rectangular structure long functioned as a miniature city, earning comparisons with Le Corbusier’s L’Unité d’Habitation…...
Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Museum reopens after renovation, with its original vision restored
3+ week, 3+ day ago (402+ words) The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum’s architecture is almost as celebrated as the artworks held within. A recently completed major renovation has restored the museum to its original glory. As staff line up to welcome the first visitors, Salomon stands by the…...
Lisbon’s Beato and Marvila neighbourhoods are finding new life as cultural hubs
3+ week, 1+ day ago (697+ words) After decades of neglect, Lisbon’s Beato and Marvila neighbourhoods have been reimagined with galleries, cafés and arts complexes that have revived the city’s manufacturing heartland. CTL’s move mirrors a wider shift. Adjacent neighbourhoods Beato and Marvila were once Lisbon’s industrial…...
What can you expect from an all-women-designed building? Architecture that prioritises community
1+ week, 12+ hour ago (234+ words) Conversations with the community led to the creation of Toronto’s Reina condominium complex, complete with multi-generational units, ample stroller parking and child play areas visible from the communal gym. What would happen if the developers, architects, engineers and electricians building…...
Laying the ground work: How a tiny group of artisans keeps Portugal’s stone pavements intact
3+ week, 3+ day ago (217+ words) Maintaining Portugal’s traditional stone pavements requires skill, patience and a deep appreciation for heritage. We meet one of the country’s few remaining ‘calçeteiros’ paving the way. It’s summer and sweat is dripping down Graça’s forehead. Immersed in his art, he…...
How the reconstruction of Lisbon’s Baixa district became a model for modern urban planning
2+ week, 1+ day ago (536+ words) Lisbon’s Baixa neighbourhood, ravaged by natural disasters in the 18th century, is a design lesson in reconstruction that breathes harmony and order. Monocle touches down in Lisbon early next month for our annual Quality of Life Conference. For some, the design…...