ICON Design Magazine

In the run-up to the Lake Como Design Festival (12-20 September), ICON meets chief coordinator Francesca Prandelli and Contemporary Design Selection curator Giovanna Massoni Photography by Alessandro Ruffini, featuring chief coordinator Francesca Prandelli (seated) and curator Giovanna Massoni  ICON: This year’s theme is Border. Without giving too much away, how has curating the Contemporary Design Selection expanded your own understanding of what a border can be, and what kinds o

Bas Smets’ Water Garden at the Vitra Campus  in Weil am Rhein features a pond, flower gardens, micro-forests – and three sharks designed by Hella Jongerius Photography by Julien Lanoo Words by Jessica-Christin Hametner Visitors to the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein may notice three striking shark-head sculptures jutting out of a shallow pond alongside the facade of Frank Gehry’s Design Museum. The ceramic fountains, titled The Three Graces and realised by Dutch de

Log in or register for free below to read the digital issue now This autumn, ICON looks at what’s happening in design and architecture around the world, from finding new uses for old buildings in Greece to exploring why materials matter and how industrial sites can become self-sustaining, biodiverse habitats. Running through many of these stories is a spirit of experimentation: testing new ideas, challenging familiar ways of working and taking ideas in unexpected directions. In Berlin,

Contemporary terazzo colours featuring certified recycled content Five HIMACS Terrazzo colours have been honoured with the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2026 in the Product Design category, one of the world’s most respected design distinctions. The award recognises a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional terrazzo aesthetics, combining expressive design with responsible material innovation. Photography courtesy of HIMACS The award-winning colours, Terrazzo Ulivo (Q102), Ter

What happens when we look beyond timber as a finished material and consider the forest it comes from? That is the question at the heart of ‘Wood for the Trees’, an exhibition by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), coming to London this September, 15th to 20th, as part of Shoreditch Design Week Photography by Petr Krejčí First exhibited in Copenhagen as part of 3daysofdesign, and covered by Roddy Clarke for ICON, ‘Wood for the Trees’ comes to London in an extended and enhanced

Ahead of her participation in London’s Food Art Fair, photographer Stefania Zanetti discusses her intensely personal photographic practice, which explores food, desire and the body Photography by Stefania Zanetti featuring Pulse, Hunger, Pleasure For photographer Stefania Zanetti, getting close-up is part of the job. Her work, which spans editorial, lifestyle, hospitality and food photography, beautifully captures texture, light and the small details that can easily go unnoticed. Incre

Pavel Klimczak, founder of Monologue, discusses Paraforma’s new showroom design and the thinking behind its calm, atmospheric approach to curation Photography by AXIIS Studio ICON: You describe the new showroom as ‘architecturally grounded’ and ‘editorially strong’. How did you translate Monologue’s curatorial philosophy into the physical space with Paraforma?  Pavel Klimczak: For us, the showroom was never just about displaying products; it was about creating a spatial exper

From hidden homes and historic landmarks to recording studios, power stations and private archives, London’s popular festival offers nine days of free tours and access, giving visitors a rare glimpse inside some of the capital’s most intriguing and overlooked spaces Photography by Peter Bloomfield, courtesy of Barbican Conservatory Archive London Open House Festival returns for its 35th edition this September, giving access to buildings, spaces and places that are usually off li

This September, ND Selects arrives at Kachette, Shoreditch, from 15 to 17 September as part of Shoreditch Design Week. A new partnership for 2026, the showcase brings together a carefully selected group of emerging designers working across furniture, lighting, product and contemporary design. For the first time, ND Selects moves beyond its July edition, creating a fresh opportunity to discover the next generation of independent talent. Visitors can register for a free visitor badge through t

Drawing on Bruce McLaren’s unrealised vision for the M6GT, the new McL 6GT translates a piece of the brand’s design history through carbon fibre, tactile craftsmanship and a determinedly analogue driving experience. McLaren has unveiled the McL 6GT, a new supercar concept that looks back to one of the earliest chapters in the brand’s history – producing a modern design with strikingly nostalgic echoes. Presented at Monterey Car Week in California, the McL 6GT is a contemporary interpretati

London Design Festival’s largest official district, Shoreditch Design Week brings together a dynamic programme of exhibitions, installations, showroom activations and events across one of the capital’s most creative neighbourhoods Shoreditch Design Triangle 2025 Evolving from the long-established Shoreditch Design Triangle, Shoreditch Design Week builds on the area’s design heritage and defines Shoreditch as one of the UK design industry’s key destinations. This year&#82

Rooted in the Magdalen Islands’ building traditions, Atelier L’Abri creates a modern home that feels inseparable from its coastal surroundings Photography by Alex Lesage The Magdalen Islands, a picturesque, crescent-shaped Canadian archipelago, have a long tradition of practical building. Isolated in the Gulf of St Lawrence and exposed to Atlantic winds, buildings were designed to cope with a demanding maritime climate, resulting in compact designs, pitched roofs and robus

Returning to 3daysofdesign with an exhibition titled ‘Wood for the Trees’, the American Hardwood Export Council partnered with Benchmark and Mitre & Mondays to reaffirm the case for responsible forestry. ICON caught up with AHEC’s European Director David Venables to find out more Photography by Petr Krejčí, Wood for the Trees was an immersive installation at this years 3daysofdesign helping to raise awareness around the challenges facing the American hardwood industry Words by Rod

Built into the hillside, Quinta de Adorigo uses natural systems, renewable energy and regional craft to create a resilient wine destination Photography by Fernando Guerra In Portugal’s Alto Douro Vinhateiro, a region recognised by UNESCO for its natural beauty and centuries-old wine culture, Quinta de Adorigo Winery offers a contemporary interpretation of the traditional quinta, a Portuguese farm or country estate. Designed by Porto-based Atelier Sérgio Rebelo, the build

A former housing estate is reborn as a Copenhagen climate park, combining flood resilience, biodiversity, public art and community life Photography by SLA/Mikkel Eye In Copenhagen’s Nordvest district, a neglected patch of grass has been transformed into one of Europe’s most ambitious examples of climate-conscious public space. Grønningen-Bispeparken, designed by Danish landscape studio SLA, transforms a tired 20,000 sq m housing estate landscape into a park that integrates ecological p

Fashion and furniture intertwine as Sea New York brings bespoke embroidery to Finn Juhl’s iconic Japan Series Photography by Ina Levy What happens when one of Denmark’s most celebrated furniture brands meets a contemporary New York fashion label? At House of Finn Juhl, the result is an unlikely collaboration with Sea New York, which introduces embroidered textiles to Finn Juhl’s minimalist Japan Series in a limited-edition collection unveiled during 3daysofdesign.

In contemporary design discourse, the most enduring objects are often those that resist immediate spectacle. As interior spaces become increasingly architectural in their thinking, the role of fittings has shifted from functional necessity to spatial punctuation – subtle yet decisive elements that contribute to the rhythm, clarity and material language of a room. With Vea, Villeroy & Boch explores this territory through a collection that privileges precision over expression, and permanence o

First conceived during the oil crisis, this ingenious 1974 design returns with renewed relevance for a resource-conscious age Photography courtesy of Normann Copenhagen Some designs arrive at exactly the right moment. Others prove their worth by remaining relevant long after the circumstances that shaped them have passed. The Limit Lounge Chair, originally designed by Danish-Canadian designer Niels Bendtsen in 1974, belongs firmly in the latter category. Now reissued by Normann Cope

Ahead of the festival’s opening, ICON sits down with CEO Signe Byrdal Terenziani to discuss purpose, impact and making this moment matter Photography by Davy Denke, Rytter and Denke featuring Signe Byrdal Terenziani Words by Jessica-Christin Hametner Few cities integrate good design into everyday life as well as Copenhagen. Walk down almost any street and a glimpse through a window is enough to understand the city’s deep-seated relationship with design. Through uncurtai

Curated by TILT, Tarkett explores the possibilities of circular design through new commissions by Yinka Ilori, Laurids Gallée and Christian + Jade Photography courtesy of Tarkett Circularity has become one of design’s most urgent talking points. Yet despite growing awareness, much of the industry remains structured around linear systems of production and consumption. For flooring manufacturer Tarkett, the challenge is how circularity can be meaningfully implemented. That ques