 | | The Dispatch | | Nº132, April 2025 | | | In partnership with Home InStyle | | Home InStyle is Asia's premier homewares and textiles sourcing platform that connects the industry, creates business opportunities, sparks new ideas and empowers emerging talents. Visit the upcoming Hong Kong event and explore lifestyle and home products and experiences that emphasise design, functionality, sustainability and cultural nuances. |  | | | From the Editors | | Dear reader, Welcome to another edition of The Dispatch. It's our pleasure to introduce the newest issue of Design Anthology, which marks a milestone for the magazine after more than a decade of publishing: our 40th issue and the second from us as editors-in-chief. Inside the new issue, we explore the enduring merit of human-centred design, championing the designers, makers and thinkers who make meaningful contributions to the world around them. Part of that involves bringing dignity to spaces that don't often receive much of it, such as Walter Brooke's Evergreen Community Precinct in Adelaide, which serves grieving friends and families and whose very design strengthens a sense of community. | | | We also visit collectible design gallery Studio Gardner in Sydney, meet ceramicist Heami Lee in Seoul and go inside the Kyoto studio of lantern producers in Kojima Shoten. We see centuries-old traditions and luxury converge on the Tibetan Plateau with Norlha and learn how Cathay Pacific creates people-first environments in what have traditionally been some of the more utilitarian spaces we inhabit. We also bring you our tips for the best places to see, sleep, shop, eat and more in Seoul for the first iteration of a new section, The City. We go beneath the surface of Pakistan's art scene, visit homes by Signyan Design and Kinjo Design in China, L Architects in Singapore, Melissa Strauch in Australia and Lijo Reny Architects in India, explore historic Chinese opera theatres with photographer Zhefeng Shang, take a ride through Sydney's biggest infrastructure project in decades and finish up with a wander through charming Chiang Mai with our resident flâneur. Order your copy or become a member and never miss an issue. | | | This issue arrives on shelves around the world this month, in members' mailboxes and at key moments in the cultural calendar. If you're wandering the streets of Milan Design Week next week you'll see it on newsstands there, while visitors to Art Basel Hong Kong last week collected their copies from Design Anthology's dedicated booth at the fair. While you have your diary in front of you, we'd also like to invite you to join our friends at Design Anthology UK on the first of their Experiences, this time to Umbria from 28 June to 1 July. In partnership with Design Hotels, the trip will explore Italy's overlooked heartland through a design and culinary lens with the editors of Design Anthology UK. Finally, as we look ahead to the next decade of Design Anthology, we're inviting you to help shape its future. Our reader survey is your opportunity to share your thoughts. We'd be grateful for a few minutes of your time and you'll be in the running for prizes from &Tradition, Frama, Louis Poulsen and more. For now, enjoy the April issue of The Dispatch. Simone Schultz & Jeremy Smart
Editors-in-Chief | | | Wanderlust | | Sea Change | | Miyakojima, Japan | | With reverence for its rugged surroundings, Rosewood Miyakojima delivers high-end hospitality to a remote Okinawan island | | | Vast, verdant fields of sugarcane cover the fourth-largest island in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture. The pale vegetation sways in the subtropical breeze, making for an immensely serene arrival at Rosewood Miyakojima. Until the 55-key resort's opening last month, few luxury travellers ventured to Japan's southernmost archipelago; now a quiet revolution is underway. The Hong Kong-headquartered group's first hotel in Japan has been designed in deference to its surroundings. The resort's architecture, by Dutch firm Studio Piet Boon, embraces the island's natural beauty with a restrained, sand-toned palette of coral-derived Ryukyu limestone that embeds the property into the rugged landscape. Guests are guided to the chocolate-toned, grooved-concrete guestroom facades by a single glass sconce. Before that, however, they must pass mythical Ryukyuan shisa statues — part lion, part dog — that guard the villa entrances. Inside, interiors also by Piet Boon reflect an intention for the property to mature gracefully. 'We try to use materials which age beautifully, so I think in maybe five years, it'll be even more beautiful when everything is grown in,' says Boon. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of calm oceans, with cargo ships drifting across the horizon and the low-rise sprawl of Miyako city glimmering in the distance. | | | Layers of wood, granite and rough-hewn walls echo the landscape of the coral island. Bathrooms are richly appointed with bronze sconces, stone basins and charcoal-toned wooden dressers. Villa terraces spill onto private pools, flanked by daybeds and dining tables. 'We tried to source as locally as possible, such as the stones, the bricks and the concrete,' Boon explains. Expansive native landscaping will slowly enwrap the hotel's built environment, helping Rosewood Miyakojima realise its aspirations of being at one with its locality. At the heart of the resort are four restaurants and bars, including local, seasonally inspired Choma (set to open later this year), all-day poolside Italian diner Nagi, pool bar Yukuu; and casual seafood eatery Maas. Nearby, the hotel's signature Asaya Spa offers six treatment rooms, a yoga studio and a fitness centre, all designed with the same muted material palette. A private pavilion overlooking the ocean offers an idyllic venue for weddings and events, while younger guests are kept entertained — without disrupting the premium environs — at Rosewood Explorers Club. The logistical realities of operating a resource-intensive resort on a relatively remote island underscore Rosewood's lofty ambitions, with almost everything needed to keep the hotel running sourced locally. And on-site power generators can keep the entire property functional for up to three days — enough to outlast most typhoons. Villas are designed for extended stays, too, with many having their own well-appointed kitchens. A delayed departure courtesy of a tropical storm is a somewhat tantalising prospect. Beyond the resort's landscaped grounds, utaki — spiritual sites important to Ryukyuan culture — are dotted throughout the island. Here, guests can glimpse Miyakojima's soul, articulated by salt-laden air and the sound of waves meeting the shore. These moments of spirituality offer a rich connection to the land on which Rosewood Miyakojima, offering a deft balance of ruggedness and refinement and making a compelling case for wholehearted immersion. Text by Jeremy Smart | | | Dossier | | Concrete Idea | | Seoul | | Korean studio Niceworkshop and upcycling brand Format repurpose aluminium formwork to create a starkly modern furniture collection | | | With the Asia Pacific region continuing to build its urban space, one area of waste that's often overlooked is formwork, a type of mould used to shape concrete into its desired shapes for buildings. Designers Oh Hyunseog and Yoo Sangmyeong of Seoul-based Niceworkshop have explored the issue of scrap aluminium by collaborating with upcycling brand Format on a new series that explores the circulation, recycling and reuse of construction materials. Aluminium scrap is generated during the processing of aluminium formwork, used to shape the frames of concrete structures. For this new collection, the moulds are used to combine aluminium scrap with building insulation into a resin, from which modular blocks are created using the same process as that for exposed concrete. The furniture series is built from three bocks: Form-A is the core unit and provides a foundation for different configurations, Form-B connects and extends individual blocks, and Form-C functions as a frame for added structural support. The modular blocks can be arranged in various ways to create the series of benches, sofas and chairs, presenting an innovative way of repurposing waste. Its configurability provides possibilities for many spaces, and its monolithic nature is nothing if not eye-catching. Images by Jung Chulhoon | | | Home | | A Retreat Into Nature | | Hyderabad | | On a quiet farm outside Hyderabad, Naav Studio has created an intimate retreat that blends rustic charm with contemporary comfort | | | When Naav Studio was tasked with creating a sanctuary away from the city hustle, initial discussions between the designers and their client delved into how to create a space that would integrate with its surroundings to encourage mindful living close to nature. 'The brief was to design a small, intimate cottage retreat where every detail fosters a connection to nature,' says principal architect Varsha Reddy. 'The design was envisioned as a seamless extension of the natural surroundings, focusing on open spaces, soft light and earthy materials.' The resulting space unfolds in three parts: at its heart, a serene courtyard in a soft blush pink, flanked on one side by a cosy bedroom suite and on the other by a single open structure that blends a lounge, an open bedroom and an inviting kitchen. An open-air bathroom in the courtyard further enhances the connection to nature. | | | 'This integration with the natural surroundings is one of the project's defining qualities,' says Reddy. 'We retained the original earthen block structure, built nearly fifty years ago, and made only subtle adjustments to enhance its character while improving light and airflow.' Materials reflect the grounded, natural aesthetic. Earthy terracotta floors, muted beige tones and blush pink create a calming contrast, refurbished antique wooden pillars hark back to the original structure and add a rustic charm, and furnishings are a mix of repurposed and modern pieces that complement the natural textures and blend with the space. As Reddy explains, 'the furniture was selected or designed to maintain the minimalist yet comfortable feel.' But for the architect, the standout feature is the way the courtyard is designed to evoke the bougainvillea in full bloom . 'The soft blush pink creates a backdrop that mirrors the vibrant colours of the flowers when they're in bloom, while quietly capturing their essence when they're not.' Text by Philip Annetta
Images by Vivek Eadara | | | Dossier | | Soul Food | | Singapore | | New restaurant Magpie serves 'borderless soul food' in a streetside Tiong Bahru spot designed by local studio Drawn | | | United by their love for reggae and dub tunes, chef Eliot Thomas and designer Dean Chew, founder of Singapore-based spatial design consultancy Drawn, hit it off from the first presentation pitch. 'Our shared musical understanding convinced Eliot that I'd get the vibe he was trying to create,' Chew says. Set on the ground floor of an Art Deco apartment in Tiong Bahru, Magpie is Thomas's first restaurant, where he whips up 'borderless soul food' inspired by his travels across the globe. In the same vein, the interiors reflect Thomas's Polynesian roots and his passion for music. Chew, an established DJ himself, has crafted an acoustically sound space by installing a Pitt & Giblin sound system with distinctive flare loudspeakers, and making room for a single-turntable console within a slender space. Other clever spatial interventions include a slanted textured volume above the open kitchen that conceals a staircase soffit and the banquette backrests that double as privacy screens for al fresco diners along the walkway. | | | Thomas's heritage is reflected in coastal elements: rusted steel surfaces, gauzy green ceramic tiles and driftwood-esque table lamps, and shark tooth-inspired patterns, which represent strength in Polynesian culture, are incorporated in the ceiling panel of the private dining room. The semi-open dining room is an intimate space that distils Thomas's culture through family portraits and a striking river-stone necklace by New Zealand-born jewellery maker and sculptor Chris Charteris. 'Once you enter the restaurant, your eye gravitates to this piece, a clear display of how Thomas's roots anchor the space,' Chew observes. When asked about his design approach, Chew shares about yielding to the space. 'As you respond to the site, I believe the answers will find you,' he says, demonstrating the same fluid, open-ended philosophy that Thomas applies to his food. Text by Joseph Koh
Images by Khoogj | | | Magazine | | | | Issue 40 | | Our Latest Issue | | Our latest issue explores the enduring merit of human-centred design, from compassionate community spaces to modern craftsmanship to the future of our urban centres. We uncover the connections between tradition and innovation, offering a global perspective on design that is thoughtful, empathetic and profoundly human. | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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