Azure Magazine

Toronto’s Mirvish Village was born in the 1960s from a failed attempt to build a parking lot for Honest Ed’s, the discount department store that once stood at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst streets. Seeking more space for his customers’ cars, “Honest” owner Ed Mirvish bought up the block of Victorians next to his sprawling marketplace — only for the city to intervene and block his demolition plans. Mirvish’s wife, Anne, suggested that Ed use his newly acquired real estate to establish a kind o

Completed in 2024, the striking factory by Davood Boroojeni Office has many sides: on one elevation, raw iron sheets convey the industrial nature of the building; on the other, masonry blocks articulate a friendly, almost residential character. A concrete staircase cuts through a corner of the structure, creating a surprising, idiosyncratic entryway. Located in the desert industrial town of Omid Alborz, 10 kilometres from Mahdasht-Ishtahard road, the 2,200-square-metre building serves

Welcome to Design Calendar, a new monthly roundup thoughtfully assembled to help you find the architecture and design events worth knowing about now. While our Events section is always updated with listings from across the industry, this series offers a more curated look at the exhibitions, talks, tours, installations and openings that are on our radar — from museum shows and public art to programming that brings design into conversation with culture, history and civic life. Check back each mont

No longer merely functional spaces, today’s bathrooms have become more like personal wellness sanctuaries that allow us to pause, recharge and rejuvenate. With nature-inspired materials and palettes and sculptural forms, these bathroom sinks, faucets and full-body showers elevate daily rituals to spa-like experiences.  Vanities & Sinks 1 Elevated H20 by Terzofoco Part of the LuneUp furniture collection from Terzofoco, Elevated H20 pairs a tall ceramic vessel

At nearly 258 kilometres, the Mondego River is the largest waterway completely contained within Portugal. Coursing through numerous cities and villages (including the ancient medieval city of Coimbra) and adjacent to destination hiking trails, the river feeds fertile agricultural lands that support the production of rice, corn and wine. While these pantry staples are fundamental to Portuguese cuisine, the process of getting them from field to plate (or goblet) results in a large amount of o

Wood, steel, leather. These are the materials we expect to see when we head to Milan each spring to take in the industry’s novelties. But 2026 had a major surprise in store. Woven wicker, traditionally the domain of coastal grandmother retreats, has recaptured the attention of many major Italian manufacturers. And while rattan statement chairs were having a major moment at both Salone del Mobile and the city’s showrooms, designers were also paying tribute to weaving construction tech

Canada Day falling mid-week this year makes it especially tempting to stretch the holiday into a proper getaway. But before looking beyond the border, consider the case for staying closer to home. For design lovers, there’s plenty to build a trip around: a great public building, a restaurant with a strong point of view, or a hotel that’s a destination in and of itself. That’s the pleasure of a Canadian road trip — the country’s varied design sensibilities reveal themselves region by region, shif

Hardware design typically falls into one of two camps: utilitarian forms that fade into the background, or expressive statement pieces meant to draw attention. The challenge for designers is to bring these ambitions together in a harmonious blend of form and function. With Laconica, Colombo Design America’s latest launch, engineer Alberto Meda has taken exactly that approach, shaping a minimal design that is intentionally “free from excess.” Defined by brevity and restraint, the name gives the c

A flower meadow in a courtyard. It’s a simple idea, but Gucci’s Memoria installation — curated by its creative director, Demna — exulted in the uncanny combination of the ethereal and the urban, of the ephemeral and the timeless. Milan is a city of hidden courtyards, and the Chiostri di San Simpliciano, whose origins date back to the 16th century, is but one of its many religious sanctuaries often closed off to the public. Its courtyard features a central fountain; around it, hedges box in 1

From the first sip of morning coffee to loading the dishwasher at the end of the day, the kitchen is the site of countless daily routines. These moments are mundane by nature, but when shaped through space, materiality and sensory input, they can become rituals that give texture and meaning to domestic life. This was the central idea behind Nature—Ritual, Fisher & Paykel’s exhibition presented at EuroCucina 2026, which expressed the appliance brand’s belief in design’s potential to deepen th

The most immersive installations at the Salone del Mobile and throughout Milan were ones that elevated the elemental to the monumental. They enveloped visitors in sensory experiences that slowed down time and allowed for a deep appreciation of atmosphere, artistry and material experimentation. These were our favourites: “LA CASA DI MARMO” BY HANNES PEER ARCHITECTURELeave it to Hannes Peer to make a basement apartment seem like some of Milan’s most desirable real estate. Worki

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts have announced the recipients of the 2026 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture, the profession’s highest honours. Most are bestowed to private developments — and many go to residential projects: multi-unit and single-family housing that push a formal language (like 900 Saint-Jacques in Montreal and Arbour House in Victoria) or way forward in densifying single-family urban lots (like Ulster House in

As a San Francisco-based industrial designer (with a second office in Lisbon), Yves Béhar has developed a particular knack for creating products that reflect the technological optimism of Silicon Valley. From the Samsung Frame that reimagines TV sets as artworks when not in use to the Doma home platform (a successor of sorts to the August smart lock, which Fuseproject also pioneered), Béhar has no shortage of what he calls “category-defining firsts” under his belt. On many of his pro

Hardware seems to be having a moment as of late. These oft-overlooked design details have attracted attention at design fairs the world over — and rightly so. For years, hardware has been treated as something to minimize, but many recent launches have positioned pulls, knobs and handles as a medium for expression, reflecting a larger shift away from minimalism toward interiors with more personality. Below, we round up five statement hardware collections that caught our eye on the spring design s

It might go without saying that Italian furniture brands should have pride of place in Milan, but sometimes it seems as though the design week’s more whimsical and temporary offerings hog the spotlight. This year, we were especially impressed by the Made in Italy prowess on display. And these brands in particular stood out: B&B ITALIA’S FAIRGROUNDS COMEBACKWhile B&B Italia’s Via Durini showroom staged an exhibition of the manufacturer’s enthralling archives — the ad camp

Many lighting showrooms operate like physical catalogues, presenting hundreds of product offerings side by side. But architect Mark Burkart, principal of the Calgary-, Victoria- and Tofino-based design firm Little Giant Studio, believes that this type of cluttered setup doesn’t make for the best browsing experience. “As designers, when we shop for lighting, we are overwhelmed by the number of options,” he says. “It’s a parallel to the modern world, where there’s a tyranny of choice.” Tapped to d

Long before the first trophy was presented, St. Lawrence Market North was already buzzing: Architects greeted former colleagues, manufacturers caught up with longtime collaborators and finalists scanned the room for familiar faces. For one evening, the newly completed civic landmark traded its everyday role for something more festive, hosting hundreds of members of the architecture and design community as they celebrated the year’s most compelling projects, products and ideas at the AZ Awa

Milan Design Week may have more people attending than ever, but it often seems to be focusing on an ever-narrower slice of society. Yes, it’s open to the public, and anyone willing to wait an hour (and scan a QR code granting access to their birthday, home address and high school report card) can eventually see whatever novelties are waiting behind the city’s giant Fuorisalone queues. Yet increasingly, it is only the elite few who can then go on to actually introduce those luxurious designs into

The AZ Awards issue packs much more than our winners and finalists — though they certainly take pride of place. (And you can read all about them on our dedicated AZ Awards site.) This edition also features our takeaways from Milan Design Week: From the novelties that captured our imagination to the city’s best brand displays, it’s a feast for the eyes. Colour was king: Citrus- and grape-flavoured sports drinks came to mind as we toured the stands of Salone del Mobile and the venue

Milan Design Week isn’t just a chance to admire the year’s novelties — it’s also an opportunity to meet their makers. Sure enough, our whirlwind trip across town brought us face to face with many of our favourite industry figures. Below, we recap all the straight-from-the-source commentary we heard while showroom-hopping back in April as designers unveiled their latest work. 1 THE BED: LieLow by Faye Toogood for Poltrona Frau As big fans of the Squash