 | | The Dispatch | | Nº135, July 2025 | | | In Partnership with Axor | | Introducing AXOR ShowerSphere by Antonio Citterio, a new benchmark in modern shower design. With its striking elliptical form, the ShowerSphere delivers a generous yet water-efficient spray, offering an elevated range of indulgent experiences. Sleek, refined and thoughtfully engineered, it brings together elegance and efficiency for a new era of compact, comfort-driven bathrooms. AXOR Citterio C redefines the washbasin faucet with the same precision, blending minimalist sophistication with everyday functionality. |  | | | From the Editors | | Dear reader, We're fresh from a glorious week in Copenhagen, where under particularly sunny skies, designers, brands, press and curious enthusiasts from near and far gathered for 3 Days of Design. One question that cropped up rather frequently was whether the nexus of flagship design events seems to be, in a remarkably short time, shifting north — something that matters to the significant Asia Pacific contingent making the long journey. Unlike its peers, the event remains both fun and focused, and so far free of the commercial overreach that's come to define other fairs. Danes and visitors alike voiced hopes that the three-day event resists the pressures of 'Milanisation' and holds on to the intimacy, clarity and purpose that make it such a pleasure to attend. It helps, of course, that the city is cosy and compact, with little time wasted in traffic and more time spent on two feet or two wheels between appointments. | | | While on the road over the past few weeks we've had the pleasure of meeting many of our readers and members. If you're not already one, there's never been a better time to join Design Anthology. Membership means every issue delivered to your door, access to our archive and invitations to events. Speaking of time with likeminded company, we've been working on something particularly special lately. We'll be hosting a series of Sensory Retreats developed in partnership with our friends at Aesop. We'll be sharing more details soon, but in the meantime, you can apply to join us in Tokyo, Taipei or Hong Kong in November and December. Small, intimate and with carefully planned itineraries in each city, the trips are focused on the intersection of design and wellbeing. Spaces are available by application only, so act quick — we hope to see you there. | | | In the July issue of The Dispatch, you'll find a compelling mix of stories from Asia and beyond. We visit a new textile museum in China; step inside a warm and welcoming home in Kuala Lumpur by Wuuu Studio; and explore Shinsegae's new retail destination in Seoul by A Work of Substance. And finally, just as you put the finishing touches on your summer itinerary, we check in at The Emory in London, which has been shaped by a global roster of designers, including the late Richard Rogers, Patricia Urquiola and André Fu. As always, thank you for reading and for being part of our growing global community. Simone Schultz & Jeremy Smart
Editors-in-Chief | | | Architectonics | | Weaving Narratives | | Zhejiang | | In a remote mountain village, Team_Bldg has transformed a 1990s structure into a textile museum whose woven facade echoes the art collection within | | | Nestled in the mountains of Zhejiang Province, Songzhuang Village is a place even many residents of its own county have never visited. As a result, the village has largely preserved its 600-year-old character, including its traditional housing and historical spatial fabric. In early 2024, Shanghai architecture firm Team_Bldg was invited to transform one of the village's few newer structures, a brick and concrete house built in the 1990s, along with a traditional rammed-earth house into Z Museum, the first contemporary rural art museum in China dedicated to textiles and weaving. 'The village consists mostly of low-rise, rammed-earth houses,' says firm partner Xiao Lei. 'Some stand alone, while others are grouped in clusters of three or four around a central courtyard. The narrow alleys between the houses have largely preserved the original fabric. The three-storey building stands noticeably taller than the surrounding houses, so it's visible from nearly every corner.' Given the building's incongruity with the village context, the design team decided to enhance the contrast while aiming for it to resonate with the spirit of an art museum and with the character of the village. The building is divided vertically into four volumes, with inner courtyards between. These volumes were then connected vertically and horizontally, and varying rooftop terraces and semi-transparent shading canopies introduced, creating a dynamic composition of staggered heights. | | | The architects then lightened the mass by drawing on traditional weaving concepts. Red and white aluminium square tubes are arranged in a fine lattice that wraps the entire facade, with structural elements evoking the shuttles of a loom, introducing 'warp' and 'weft' into the building's skin. As morning sunlight filters into the village, light and shadow appear to weave across the facade, with the building taking on subtle and shifting hues throughout the day. 'We also prioritised locally sourced materials and traditional craft, such as the rammed-earth wall coating inspired by the village's age-old construction techniques — mixing soil, straw and rice husks before applying it to the walls,' adds Lei. Original window openings were reconfigured as a type of 'secondary framing' and create views of the village to dialogue with the artworks. Large openings were also carved into the stairwell's exterior wall, transforming the third floor into a semi-outdoor space to further connect with the village. A rooftop terrace offers unobstructed views of the village. The architects designed a custom furniture series, Loom, for the cafe and shop, inspired by the forms of traditional looms. Constructed with square steel tubes as frames, the pieces echo the facade's lattice system, extending the woven motif from exterior to interior. Text by Philip Annetta
Images by Jonathan Leijonhufvud | | | Home | | New Point of Hue | | Kuala Lumpur | | Wuuu Studio has transformed a Kuala Lumpur apartment with a mid-century-inspired palette | | | While mid-century modernism was a major inspiration for local design firm Wuuu Studio when designing this two-storey home in Kuala Lumpur, founder Dom Tee saw an opportunity to transcend functionality and clean lines. He wanted to express the optimism and creative spirit of the time through bright colours and bold accents. The exercise in play and wonder becomes clear from the moment one steps into the 150-square-metre residence. The arresting foyer is wrapped in handmade scarlet tiles, cherry-hued cabinets with ruddy discs and a marble floor with perforated line patterns. It's a combination that has a way of pulling you in and suspending reality. 'We injected red, blue and yellow into different parts of the home to evoke a sense of joyful nostalgia,' says Tee. By employing the late architect Frank Lloyd Wright's technique of compression and expansion, Wuuu Studio's 'capsule' unfolds into an open flowing space, one of the period's hallmarks. The team broke down a few walls to bridge the rooms, melding an unconventional yet pleasing interplay of shades, patterns and textures in the process. | | | One clear highlight is the kitchen, where a structural pillar that couldn't be displaced has been turned into an eye-catching statement feature with a characteristic Alpi wood vein pattern designed by Italian architect Ettore Sottsass. 'We only found out about the column during construction, but decided immediately to add a moment of levity rather than conceal it, in turn creating an anchor for the lower level,' says Tee. When combined with the stained plywood cabinetry, sky-blue porcelain tiles and a wave-patterned &Tradition Flowerpot pendant, the area becomes a feast for the senses. As the homeowners are fond of hosting, the designers have also crafted an intimate corner nook for stove-side conversations. Wuuu Studio's daring palette extends to the master bedroom upstairs, where colour blocks of blue, white and red accent the woodwork. They're offset by a contrasting monochrome Alpi veneer, while circle motifs in the bathroom soften the space and add a layered sense of continuity between the floors. One may be wowed by the unmissable pops of colour and pattern, but it's the little details that leave the biggest impression. The staircase is a case in point: a singular terrazzo step not only demarcates the transition from the communal to private areas but brightens the area. Not to be outdone is the slender stainless-steel rail, which descends quietly yet poetically into the floor. Whether in grand gestures or austere touches, Wuuu Studio has made a home that draws delight at every turn. Text by Joseph Koh
Images by Weng Jen | | | Dossier | | Retail Detail | | Seoul | | Designed by A Work of Substance, retail concept House of Shinsegae belies its bustling urban surrounds | | | When Korean retail giant Shinsegae began to reimagine their brick-and-mortar offering, they thought of a space modelled on a luxury hotel or a home, one that inspires customers to linger in a beautifully designed, light-filled space — and, just as importantly, to revisit it as a destination. With this in mind, the company launched luxury lifestyle retail destination House of Shinsegae, turning to Paris- and Asia-Based A Work of Substance for the interiors. 'They commissioned us to design a space with three components: gastronomy, wine and spirits, and lifestyle,' says studio founder and creative director Maxime Dautresme. House of Shinsegae is in the Shinsegae Gangnam store, which is integrated with the Express Bus Terminal station. The three-level atrium-style space sits between the JW Marriott and the transit hubs, so the challenge lay in creating an intimate space in a high-traffic zone. 'Our ambition was to design a space that emulates the warmth of a home, a place not just for the display of goods, but one that invites guests to linger, transforming the retail experience into something more intimate and soft. It became less about transaction and more about how to bring people to a space, creating a residential experience rather than a typical retail experience,' says creative operation director Seoyoon Kwon. 'Since House of Shinsegae is hidden within the large complex, we wanted the customer journey to encapsulate a feeling of discovery, like opening a treasure box.' There's a distinct sense of arrival, with a long, dimly lit corridor leading to the eleven-meter-high atrium. 'The entrance was curated to reflect speakeasy ambience, as if finding a hidden place within a bustling complex,' Kwon says. | | | The suitably luxurious material palette takes inspiration from mid-century modernism: think colourful, deep-toned fabric for furniture upholstery and an abundance of timber to create warmth. Furniture is 'carefully scaled for intimacy', encouraging customer engagement, says Kwon. In the atrium, custom modular furniture means space can shift and adapt for different uses, while a custom lounge chair collection provides a social anchor. The bespoke fit-out continues the theme, with display and storage cases that shape the environment into a compelling narrative. The storage system in the premium wine cellar, for example, was inspired by wine crates — modular and stackable, they allow for flexibility when hosting private events. The mezzanine is a highlight for Dautresme and Kwon. Showcasing high fashion and homewares, 'it's designed to resemble a foyer, living room, atelier, walk-in closet and art room, each area reflecting the essence of the merchandise,' says Dautresme. 'Our intention was for customers to enjoy the collection as if they were in a home, avoiding conventional direct product display.' Images by Yongbaek Lee | | | Wanderlust | | Modern Manners | | London | | A global roster of top-tier designers unite in a Richard Rogers building to create The Emory, Maybourne's newest London property, offering a hospitality experience that feels less like a hotel and more like home | | | A multi-week world tour culminating in a check-in at London's The Emory offers one of those exceedingly rare amenities in contemporary hotels: the modern incarnation of a butler. On-call via the messaging app of choice and available for the usual concierge tasks like reservations and recommendations, Emory Guest Liaison is more usefully on hand to unpack and repack luggage. For the weary frequent flyer, this alone elevates a stay beyond another anonymous hotel room and into something closer to home. If sibling property The Berkeley is hospitality through the lens of historic London — a polished, familiar version of Britishness — then The Emory is a look ahead. Designed by RSHP, it's the final project of the late Richard Rogers, who anchored the building with a silhouette of angled sails suspended from the rooftop, giving it both a presence in the skyline and a certain lightness, despite the heft of its steel and glass. Inside, the mood is discreet and exacting. The entrance is tucked away down a winding Belgravia back street, where a low-key but capable team greets guests with little pomp or delay. From the outset, there's a deliberate lack of spectacle: no dramatic lobby or decorative overstatements (save for pops of Richard Rogers colour), just a quiet sense of welcome, and the choreography of a hotel that knows what it's doing. Guests are shown directly to their rooms, bypassing check-in formalities, setting the tone for a sense of generosity that feels increasingly rare: the minibar is complimentary, the house cars are at your disposal, and airport or train station transfers are included in the stay. The brand's car fleet serves all four of hospitality group Maybourne's London properties (the others being Claridge's, The Connaught and The Berkeley). It's a brave move to commission not just one or two designers for a hotel, but five: New York-based Alexandra Champalimaud, Hong Kong's André Fu, Milan's Patricia Urquiola, London's Rigby & Rigby and Paris-based Pierre-Yves Rochon and Rémi Tessier were each tasked with different parts of the building. Guest floors are split evenly between the first four design studios, while Rigby & Rigby created the penthouse and Tessier took on the restaurant, rooftop bar and cigar lounge, spa and public spaces. | | | Despite differing approaches and varying results, the designers all speak a similar language. Each floor has its own interpretation of the brief, yet there's a consistent mood based on a material palette that's tactile and warm. All rooms feel residential, calm and genuinely comfortable. They're expansive, well planned and, importantly, usable, seemingly designed to be lived in rather than passed through. Downstairs, ABC Kitchens, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's London outpost, is finding its place as a local fixture. The room is relaxed, understated and generous, with the Latin-inspired menu well executed. It also doubles as the hotel's breakfast room, where regulars take up tables alongside hotel guests (Norman Foster is sighted taking in a leisurely breakfast at a neighbouring table). Surrenne, Maybourne's spa brand, delivers a 2,000-square-metre facility spread over four below-ground floors, offering everything from peaceful treatment rooms to a gym and 22-metre pool illuminated by a narrow skylight — a treat in this subterranean enclave. The rooftop bar and cigar lounge are grown-up, with a slightly clubby feeling and a brassy and tobacco-hued palette, overlooking what is really the star of the show: Hyde Park, which sits directly adjacent and is a like a city unto itself. While The Emory does a lot and its design pedigree is remarkable, it also doesn't try to dazzle with gimmickry nor is it trying to be everything to everyone. And perhaps most importantly, it delivers on the surprisingly rare principles of hospitality: anticipating needs, knowledge of guest's preferences and a focus on quietly and consistently getting the details right. Text by Jeremy Smart
Images courtesy of The Emory | | | 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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