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August 2024 | Travel TR BELOW UNCOVERING COOL VANCOUVER words Alp Tekin V ancouver has a reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities – with a beautiful setting and an enviable record in terms of healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure. Vancouverism is a trendy new socio- term, for a trendy new type of urban living ideal. It is based on a powerful sense of respect for the environment; for dynamic urban living; for the essence and importance of public spaces - and for the popularity of public transport. Which all adds up to a pretty compelling formula for the world’s disaffected city dwellers. But this utopian ideal also has its critics. Some argue that Vancouverism is merely about ‘building density’, while others complain it leads to social and economic inequality by raising the cost of living in the city. Whatever! Vancouver continues to set an example to other cities, particularly with its stance on climate change. The city has been endorsing effective climate action plans since the 1990s. Zero Waste 2040, a community-driven initiative, is one of the most impressive climate projects in the city. Tempted to move to the world’s most liveable city? Check out the coolest neighborhoods... DAVIE VILLAGE/WEST END Recognized for its seamlessly-integrated LGBTQ+ community, favorite haunts include Earnest Ice Cream, Caffe Mira, Honolulu Coffee, Elysian Coffee, Cardero Cafe, and Mary’s on Davie. Take time out to hunt for goodies in the stylish concept stores, like Wooden Spoon, Salt Spring, Biblio, The Archie and Little Mountain. KITSILANO Top choice of young professionals and families, with social hubs such as 49th Parallel Coffee and The Only Cafe. For Vietnamese culinary delights, visit La La Island, Head to the Noodle Man for ramen. And discover a wealth of local design treasures at 3204 W Broadway. GASTOWN Home to numerous edgy art galleries, innovative cafes, and boutiques. Enjoy great coffee at Revolver, Purebread, Propaganda, and Cafe Monaco. Eat well at Pourhouse, Water St Cafe, Meat & Bread, Di Beppe, Pidgin, L’abattoir, and MeeT. Discover unique goodies at The Latest Scoop, The Block, Artemisia Clothing and One of a Few. Have a cocktail at Bagheera, a speakeasy bar inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Decorated with 19th and 20th century Indian and French references, Bagheera was designed by Bergman Design House, founded by Marie Solomon and Albin Berglund. Bagheera is accessed through a shop (also called Happy Valley Turf Club) where bets are placed on horse races. COMMERCIAL DRIVE A bohemian haven, the area’s daytime hotspots include Prado Cafe, Café Calabria, Commercial Street Cafe, and Cafe Deux Soleils. Popular dinner options include, Arriva Ristorante, Havana Vancouver, Biercraft and Tapas, and Famoso Italian Pizzeria. Check out the must-visit concept stores, like The Found & the Freed, People’s Co-Op Bookstore and Paranada Traders. UP AND COMING AREAS - MOUNT PLEASANT: Known for its flashy stores, eclectic restaurants and vibrant murals. Explore great concept stores like The Arbor Restaurant and Some Other Place. Refuel in Kudu, The Daily, Vintage Coffee, Burdock & Co, Old Bird, The Acorn Restaurant, and Published on Main. - RENFREW-COLLINGWOOD: Enjoy a melting pot of diverse dining options, ranging from Ruka Coffee to La Saison de Patisserie and Marui Bakery. EN YAŞANABİLİR ŞEHRİN cool MAHALLELERİ V ancouver’ın dünya çapındaki ünü malum: Bu şehir sağlık, kültür, çevre, eğitim ve altyapı alanlarındaki yüksek puanları nedeniyle her daim dünyanın en yaşanabilir şehirlerinden biri olarak seçiliyor. Dahası, “Vancouverizm” diye bir terim var. Vancouverizm, yeni tür şehir yaşamını tanımlamak için kullanılıyor. Hem kent mimarisi ve planlaması hem de şehir yaşamı için bir ideali temsil ediyor. Vancouverizm’in anahtar kelimeleri ise şöyle: Doğaya saygı, dinamik şehir yaşamı, kamusal alan ruhu, toplu taşımaya önemli ölçüde bağımlılık ve yeşil alanlar… Ama bu idealin eleştirildiğini de söylememiz gerek. Vancouverizm’in aslında sadece “bina yoğunluğu” olduğunu söyleyen de var, şehirdeki maliyetleri yükselttiği için sosyal ve ekonomik eşitsizliğe yol açtığına dikkat çeken de… Her şeye rağmen Vancouver ve Vancouverizm diğer şehirlere örnek olmaya devam ediyor. Özellikle de iklim konusunda. Çünkü 90'lardan bu yana Vancouver bir iklim eylem planı üzerinde çalışıyor ve bu konuda gerçekten lider. Ve gelelim bu ideal şehrin birbirinden farklı atmosferlere sahip cool mahallelerine… DAVIE VILLAGE/WEST END Özellikle LGBTİ+ topluluğuyla tanınıyor. Mahallenin gözde mekanları: Earnest Ice Cream, Caffe Mira, Honolulu Coffee, Elysian Coffee, Cardero Cafe ve Mary’s On Dave. Ayrıca Wooden Spoon, Salt Spring, Biblio, The Archie, Little Mountain isimli konsept dükkânları da uğramalık. KITSILANO Genç profesyoneller ve aileler arasında popüler olan bir mahalle. 49th Parallel Coffee ve The Only Cafe en iyi sosyalleşme noktaları. Vietnam restoranı La La Island ve noodle restoranı Noodle Man iyi restoranlar arasında. 3204 W Broadway ise lokal tasarım ürünlerin bulunabileceği bir dükkan. GASTOWN Galeriler, yenilikçi kafeler ve bağımsız butiklerin karışımını sunan bir mahalle. Revolver, Purebread, Propaganda ve Cafe Monaco; tavsiye ettiğimiz kafeler. Pourhouse, Water St Cafe, Meat & Bread, DiBeppe, Pidding and L’Abattoir ve MeeT ise bu mahallenin iyi restoranları. The Latest Scoop, The Block, Artemisia, One Of a Few ise uğranılması gereken konsept dükkânlar… COMMERCIAL DRIVE Bohem atmosferiyle tanınan bu mahallede gündüzleri takılmak için Prado Cafe, Cafe Calabria, Commercial Street Cafe, Cafe Deux Soleils’e, akşam yemeği için ise Arriva, Havana, Biercraft Tap and Tapas ve Famoso’ya uğranabilir. Bu mahallenin gözde konsept dükkanları ise şöyle sıralanıyor: The Found and the Freed, People’s Co-Op Bookstore, Paranada Traders. YÜKSELİŞTEKİ MAHALLELER 1. MOUNT PLEASANT: Gösterişli mağazaları, eklektik restoranları ve çarpıcı duvar resimleriyle tanınan bir mahalle. Uğranması gereken konsept dükkânları The Arbor ve Some Other Place. Popüler kafe ve restoranları ise şöyle: Kudu, The Daily, Vintage Coffee, Burdock&Co, Old Bird, The Acorn, Published on Main. 2. RENFREW-COLLINGWOOD: Bu mahalle farklı zevk ve tercihlere hitap eden restoran ve kafeler de dahil olmak üzere çok çeşitli yemek seçenekleri sunuyor. Mesela Ruka Coffee, La Saison de Patisserie ve Marui Bakery.

July 2024 | Art & Culture TURKISH BELOW The HIGHLIGHT of the WEEK: NOMAD CAPRI words Onur Baştürk S ince 2017, NOMAD has embraced the concept of a design and art fair outside the classical mold, and is the most prominent organization among the new generation of micro fairs. The 14th edition of NOMAD, which has been held in St. Moritz, Monaco, Venice, Cannes and Capri, will take place this week from July 4 to 7 at the Certosa di San Giacomo, one of Capri's most fascinating buildings. The Certosa di San Giacomo is the oldest historical building on Capri. With breathtaking views of the Faraglioni and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, this 14th century Carthaginian monastery is just steps from La Piazzetta in the center of the island. WHAT KIND OF FAIR IS NOMAD? Designed by Giorgio Pace and Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, NOMAD is a concept that will travel the world. Each edition of NOMAD features leading international galleries, featured exhibitions and special projects organized in exceptional architectural spaces. Each NOMAD exhibition runs for four to five days and access is limited to NOMAD CIRCLE, VIP members and pre-registered guests. In addition to the main event, NOMAD also offers an exclusive VIP program. As part of this year's VIP program, Hedges Projects, Martin Brûlé Studio and Cathy Vedovi will transform the terrace, reception hall and gallery space of Sala Donna Lucia & Caffe Morgano at the Grand Hotel Quisisana with Andy Warhol's perspective, referencing the iconoclastic Capri aesthetic from Godard's Le Mepris to the glamour of Valentino and Jackie O. Curated by Jim Hedges and Martin Brûlé, a solo exhibition of Andy Warhol photographs from the Hedges Collection will run parallel to a salon-style installation of rare collectible furniture and objets d'art from Brûlé's collection. In addition, the "Dioranimalia" exhibition at Villa San Michele will be presented exclusively to guests by the museum's director, Kristina Kappelin. Located in the Padiglione Olivetum dedicated to contemporary art, the exhibition explores the relationship between the animal world and design. This year's NOMAD VIP program also includes exclusive dinners and parties. In short, stay tuned for more news from NOMAD. Because we will be there... HAFTANIN öne çıkanı NOMAD CAPRI 2 017’den bu yana klasik kalıplar dışında bir tasarım ve sanat fuarı anlayışını benimseyen NOMAD, yeni nesil mikro fuarlar arasında en çok öne çıkan organizasyon. Bugüne dek St. Moritz, Monako, Venedik, Cannes ve Capri’de yapılan NOMAD’in 14’üncü edisyonu bu hafta 4-7 temmuz tarihleri arasında Capri’nin büyüleyici yapılarından Certosa di San Giacomo'da düzenlenecek. Certosa di San Giacomo, Capri’nin en eski tarihi yapısı. Faraglioni ve parıldayan Akdeniz'in nefes kesici manzarasının izlenebildiği 14’üncü yüzyıldan kalma bu Kartaca manastırı, adanın merkezindeki La Piazzetta'dan sadece birkaç adım ötede. NOMAD NASIL BİR FUAR? Giorgio Pace ve Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte tarafından tasarlanan NOMAD, dünyayı dolaşmak üzere kurulmuş bir konsept. NOMAD’in her edisyonu önde gelen uluslararası galerilere, öne çıkan sergilere ve sıra dışı mimari mekânlarda düzenlenen özel projelere ev sahipliği yapıyor. NOMAD’in her sergisi dört ila beş gün sürüyor ve sergilere erişim NOMAD CIRCLE, VIP üyeler ve önceden kayıt yaptırmış misafirlerle sınırlı tutuluyor. NOMAD, ana etkinliğine ek olarak seçkin bir VIP programa da sahip. Mesela bu yılki VIP programda Hedges Projects, Martin Brûlé Studio ve Cathy Vedovi, Grand Hotel Quisisana’daki Sala Donna Lucia & Caffe Morgano’nun terasını, resepsiyon salonunu ve galeri alanını Andy Warhol'un bakış açısıyla donatarak Godard'ın Le Mepris'inden Valentino ve Jackie O'nun ihtişamına kadar iconoclastic Capri estetiğine atıfta bulunacak. Jim Hedges ve Martin Brûlé küratörlüğünde Hedges koleksiyonundan Andy Warhol fotoğraflarından oluşan solo sergi, Brûlé'nin koleksiyonundan nadir koleksiyon mobilyaları ve objets d'art'lardan oluşan salon tarzı bir enstalasyona paralel olarak gerçekleşecek. Ayrıca Villa San Michele’deki “Dioranimalia” sergisi müze direktörü Kristina Kappelin tarafından davetlilere özel olarak gezdirilecek. Çağdaş sanata adanmış Padiglione Olivetum'da yer alan sergi, hayvanlar dünyası ve tasarım arasındaki ilişkileri araştırıyor. NOMAD’in bu yılki VIP programında özel akşam yemekleri ve partiler de yer alıyor. Kısacası NOMAD’den yeni haberler için takipte kalın. Çünkü biz de orada olacağız…

Stay + Architect's Diary + Meet the Tastemakers + Partnerships FILM STAY A POSTVENETIAN DREAM: Inside The Venice Venice Hotel Escape to a Sea-Only Sanctuary on the Turkish Riviera YUZU x Hotel de Louvre YUZU x Ace Hotel Athens YUZU x Villa Lena YUZU x L’AND Vineyards YUZU x Cullinan Belek YUZU x Bayou Villas STAY ARCHITECT’S DIARY ARCHITECT’S DIARY YUZU x Andrea Lupi with Antonio Lupi YUZU x Praxitelis Kondylis with Aimasia Project YUZU x Kemal Serkan Demir YUZU x Erhan Sağır YUZU x Mahmut Kefeli YUZU x Hasan Burak Akyıldız YUZU x Pınar Hacıaifoğlu YUZU x Yeşim Kozanlı YUZU x Melike Altınışık YUZU x Derya Toros YUZU x Cisim Design (Erdem İşler + Emre Özücoşkun) MEET THE TASTEMAKERS YUZU x Gökşen Buğra founder of Gallery Bosfor YUZU x Burak Beşer Momo's Owner MEET THE TASTEMAKERS PARTNERSHIPS SUMMER IN ISTANBUL with VILEBREQUIN VONDOM OPENING BEYMEN ART ROOM with BEYMEN AEGEAN JOY with MOMO BDRM OPEN TABLE with TERRA MADRE MYSTICAL SCOTLAND with BROTHERS ARCHITECTURE & HISTORY & GASTRONOMY with PALOMA FINESSE ART DINNER with Anna Laudel Gallery ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH EVENT with ENNE SHEPARD FAIREY with LG OLED ART COMMUNITY GATHERING with HAMM COMMUNITY DINNER with ISTANBUL MODERN

October 21, 2025 | DESIGN & INTERIORS DUBAI DESIGN WEEK, UP CLOSE words Onur Basturk Now in its 11th year, Dubai Design Week continues to shape the region’s creative landscape as a hub for ideas, innovation, and cultural exchange. Taking place from 4–9 November 2025 in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3) and supported by Dubai Culture, this edition presents a dynamic line-up of exhibitions, installations, and talks. We sat down with director Natasha Carella to discuss its evolving curatorial vision and how design can inspire more human-centred futures.. THIS YEAR BUILDS ON OUR HUMAN-CENTRED APPROACH What do you see as the defining theme of 2025? Rather than centering the festival around a single theme, our approach is guided by a set of principles that shape how we curate each edition. The first is a commitment to high-quality, original design that contributes meaningfully to the global discourse. The second is ensuring that what we present reflects the creative voices of the SWANA region and the wider Global South, in dialogue with international perspectives. And the third is exploring how design can actively contribute to building better futures—socially, culturally, and environmentally. Design spans a wide range of disciplines, from architecture and interiors to urban planning, graphics, product, and industrial design. The festival aims to reflect this diversity through an extensive programme of exhibitions, installations, special commissions, product launches, activations, workshops, talks, and our two anchor fairs, Downtown Design and Editions. Together, they showcase design’s ability to bridge scales—from the intimate and material to the systemic and civic. This year, the curatorial direction builds on a more reflective and human-centred approach that we’ve been nurturing in recent years. It looks at design not only as a practice of innovation but as a social connector—how it helps us live together, communicate, and care for one another and for the world around us. In that sense, it’s less about defining a trend and more about reaffirming design’s role as a shared language that can imagine and shape more inclusive and interconnected futures. How will this human-centred approach shape the experience for visitors and participants? Much of our programming this year is intentionally research-driven and multidisciplinary, exploring how design can respond to human and environmental contexts. In Abwab, themed In the Details, Bahrain’s Maraj Studio revisits ornamentalism as a form of storytelling. Their winning pavilion, Stories of the Isle and the Inlet, uses embroidered mesh inspired by thob al nashil to narrate the threatened ecology of an island off Bahrain’s coast. It’s a powerful example of how detail and decoration can become a language for preserving cultural memory. Similarly, Urban Commissions 2025, themed Courtyard, invites designers to reimagine this archetype as a site of connection. The winning proposal by Some Kind of Practice reinterprets Emirati housh typologies into new shared spatial solutions, highlighting how design can cultivate belonging and collective experience. Other programming extends this approach, connecting design with sound, ecology, and performance. Projects such as Ajzal—a contemporary interpretation of the majlis—reflect on the act of gathering, while Nikken Sekkei’s collaboration with a local woodworking family celebrates craftsmanship and the people behind the process. The d3 Architecture Exhibition, organised in partnership with RIBA, explores how architecture intersects with community, further underscoring the festival’s human focus. We also seek to expand dialogue beyond design audiences. Multidisciplinary initiatives like Bootleg Griot, whose programming weaves storytelling, music, and migration narratives, and our inclusion of book clubs, spoken-word poets, educators, and philosophers, encourage wider public engagement. REGIONAL TALENT LIES AT THE HEART OF DUBAI DESIGN WEEK Regional talent has always been central to the festival. How does DDW 2025 highlight designers from the Middle East alongside international names? Regional talent is central to the ethos of Dubai Design Week. Each edition is designed to spotlight the creative intelligence within the Middle East and the wider Global South, while positioning these voices in dialogue with international names. We work closely with design initiatives and institutions that nurture creative communities year-round—such as Art Jameel and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) from Saudi Arabia, Design Doha in Qatar, and the UAE National Pavilion. Each plays a vital role in supporting designers who explore material innovation and identity in ways deeply rooted in place. This year’s programme continues to build on those relationships while introducing new ones. Downtown Design, the festival’s headline fair, remains the most significant platform for contemporary design in the region. Alongside international names such as Kartell, Vitra, Stellar Works, and Roche Bobois, it features strong regional representation through showcases by Tashkeel’s Tanween Programme, 1971 Design Space, and MAKE’s Athath Fellowship. The UAE Designer Exhibition, supported by Dubai Culture, expands mentorship for emerging designers and introduces Lebanese designer Nada Debs as its headline mentor. The festival will also host the culmination of several award platforms that recognise excellence and innovation across the region. The inaugural d3 Awards focus on architecture, celebrating emerging talent in the MENA region, while the RIBA Gulf Future Architects Awards spotlight architectural innovation and education. Together, these initiatives create pathways for new voices to be seen alongside established ones, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a bridge for design talent across the region and beyond. DESIGN WEEKS PLAY AN ESSENTIAL CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ROLE In your view, where does Dubai Design Week stand among global events like Milan Design Week or London Design Festival—and what cultural and social role do design weeks play today? At their core, design weeks around the world share a purpose: to convene communities, exchange ideas, and explore how design can shape our collective future. We have deep respect for other design weeks—each reflects its own context and audience, and all play a vital role in strengthening the global design ecosystem. Dubai Design Week is part of that landscape. What distinguishes our approach is a focus on nuance, diversity, and cultural context. We aim to highlight non-Western communities and markets, and to reflect the richness and complexity of geographies that are sometimes underrepresented or viewed through a limited lens in global conversations. Thanks to Dubai’s unique positioning—culturally, geographically, and economically—we are able to foster collaborations that cut across regions and disciplines, resulting in projects that are both locally grounded and globally resonant. We also strive to reveal the subtleties within regions, showcasing the layers within cultures and subcultures that are often flattened by broader narratives. The festival brings together leading international names—from architectural firms and global design brands to cultural institutions and creative businesses—alongside designers, thinkers, and collectives from across the SWANA region and the wider Global South. The dialogue that emerges between these communities is one of reciprocity rather than contrast: an exchange of methodologies, material cultures, and worldviews that together expand how we imagine design’s role in society. Beyond that, design weeks play an essential cultural and social role. They create key moments in the calendar where designers, institutions, and brands share the results of their year-round programming, launch new products, and reconnect with peers across the global design ecosystem. In Dubai, that moment of convergence brings together architects, designers, educators, businesses, and the public—creating an exchange that extends beyond industry. It becomes a space where ideas circulate, collaborations take root, and new networks form, ultimately strengthening the creative and cultural economy as a whole. And importantly, we hope to build more relationships across the global design ecosystem, including with other design weeks. We see great value in collaboration over competition and would love to see more cross-platform exchanges that amplify our shared purpose.

July 2024 | People | Vol 13 TR BELOW THE SECRET OF MEDITERRANEAN GARDENS words Onur Baştürk photos Alexander Warren-Gash If I asked you what is the essence of Mediterranean life, what would you say? Comfort, for example? The long summers? Or the magnificent sea? Actually, it comes down to one thing: the outdoor lifestyle. That is the essence of being Mediterranean. It's what Mashamba Garden & Terrace Design in Mallorca is all about, designing unique gardens and outdoor living spaces. Now let's listen to what Jennifer and Alexander Warren-Gash, founders of Mashamba, have to say about creating a Mediterranean garden... Mashamba Design was born in Mallorca. But I think there's a prequel. Alexander's love for nature and the years he spent in Africa and Costa Rica. How did it all start, Alexander? You are absolutely right! Costa Rica is synonymous with nature, but my love for the outdoors really began in Africa. I spent much of my childhood there. My father is perhaps one of the last great British eccentrics. In the office he was a highly respected ambassador. But out of the office he was traipsing through the jungle with a butterfly net. His passion for discovering new species of butterflies took him to many remote and exotic locations. I was lucky enough to accompany him on these adventures, going on my first expedition to Cameroon when I was 12 years old. And while my father was largely oblivious to anything that wasn't a butterfly, I was acutely aware of the beauty of nature all around me - including the lions, elephants and buffalo! Jennifer, how did you two meet? What is your division of labor in Mashamba? Alexander and I met on a blind date in Costa Rica and we've been inseparable ever since. We started working together at Mashamba when we moved to Mallorca. While Alexander is in charge of the gardens, I focus on creating magical outdoor living spaces. Curating outdoor art and designing terraces, outdoor kitchens and pool areas is my specialty. Sometimes Alexander and I work on the same projects, but my work also includes urban homes or penthouse roof terraces. What is your idea of a Mediterranean garden? The first plants most people think of are bougainvillea, lavender and olives. What about cacti and succulents that require less water? We are blessed in the Mediterranean with so many fantastic and diverse plants. Cacti and succulents are a great sustainable option, but really any native Mediterranean plant is drought tolerant by default. We like to mix cacti and succulents with native and other drought-tolerant plants to create arid gardens that require minimal watering. Beautiful flowering plants such as gaura, delosperna, echium, and bulbinella create lush and green eco-friendly gardens. But really, for us, the idea of a Mediterranean garden goes beyond the plants; it's a place you want to spend time in. You say that "outdoor living is the essence of Mediterranean living". Indeed it is. So what are your favorite plants in Mediterranean gardens? Funnily enough, plants are not the first thing we look at when we design. Although they are an important part of the garden, they are almost an afterthought. For us, the key to a good design is determining the flow of the space and incorporating all of the client's wants and needs. We ask questions like, where's the best place for a hidden seating area? How do we connect it to the house and the rest of the garden? What's the best vantage point for the mountain view and how can we take our clients there? It's only after the flow is decided that we start thinking about how plants fit into the design. Having said that, I have a few favorites that make it into most of our gardens. Gaura with its white or pink flowers. Rosemary clipped into clouds or hanging down walls, and Olives. Our own garden is full of these three because they are beautiful, easy to care for and require little water. Do you design gardens according to your clients' wishes or do you, like Mashamba, follow a particular style? Every garden we create is our best effort to interpret the client's dream. We consider the seasons they'll be visiting, their favorite plants and colors. How they'll use the garden and what features they'd like to include, such as an outdoor kitchen, petanque court, water fountain or even a large sculpture. Most of our clients choose Mashamba because they already know our style. Something we are well known for is our aromatic lawns. We mix ornamental grasses like Stipa and Pennisetum with perennial flowers like Gaura and Perovskia to create layers of color, texture and scent. Our designs can range from modern to wildly romantic to classic Mediterranean, but there's something distinctively Mashamba about them all. We like to call it relaxed elegance. What is the garden design you have done in the last few years that you liked the most? I do have a favorite garden, but it would be unprofessional of me to say which one! What I can say is that my favorite gardens inspire you to get outside to both explore and enjoy and to disconnect and be present. What gets you outside can be something as simple as a bench set up to take in the view. Or it can be something more magical, like a dining table set in the dappled light of an old carob tree. Another favorite aspect of our gardens is that they appeal to the senses. The sound of swaying grasses, the scent of jasmine, brushing against a soft-leafed plant, a riot of color, picking and eating an orange. What are the 5 essential plants for a good garden design? Most of our designs include a feature olive tree, old and gnarled, and plants like rosemary, agave and gaura. We also believe that every Mediterranean garden should have citrus, and we include at least one lemon tree in all of our gardens. What is the secret to a healthy garden? The real secret to a healthy garden is both soil preparation and appropriate watering. With these two ingredients - and assuming the plant selection is suitable for the climate - the garden will most likely thrive. The difference between planting in quality topsoil and existing soil can be enormous. We always recommend prioritizing spending on soil preparation over buying larger plants. A smaller plant in top soil will quickly outgrow a larger plant in poor soil. Alexander, is it hard to design cloud gardens? Designing cloud gardens is easy. The hard part is having the patience to wait for the cloud formations to take effect. The classic cloud garden consists of a single plant species formed into large organic shapes - much like a cloud. Our Mediterranean version differs from the classic design because we use a mix of species to create cloud banks with different textures and colors. We typically use two to three shrubs, such as rosemary, teucrium and lentiscus, and plant each variety in groups of three to five. With lots of pruning, they form a cloud garden in about a year. One of the great things about a cloud garden is that they are evergreen all year round. S ize Akdenizli yaşamın esas özünü sorsam nasıl bir yanıt verirdiniz? Mesela rahatlık mı? Uzun yazlar mı? Yoksa muhteşem deniz mi? Aslında tüm bunların hepsi tek bir şeye bağlanıyor: Açık hava yaşam tarzına. Akdenizli olmanın esas özü bu. Mallorca’daki Mashamba Garden & Terrace Design da işte bu fikirden hareket ederek benzersiz bahçe ve açık hava yaşam alanları tasarlıyor. Şimdi Mashamba’nın kurucuları Jennifer ve Alexander Warren-Gash’ın Akdenizli bahçe tasarımına dair söylediklerine kulak verelim… Mashamba Design’ın ortaya çıktığı yer Mallorca. Ama bir de öncesi var. Alexander’ın doğaya duyduğu sevgi, Afrika ve Kosta Rika’da geçirdiği yıllar. Her şey nasıl başladı Alexander? Çok haklısınız! Kosta Rika doğa ile eşanlamlıdır. Ama benim doğaya olan aşkım aslında Afrika'da başladı. Çocukluğumun büyük bir kısmını orada geçirdim. Babam belki de son büyük İngiliz eksantriklerinden biriydi. Çok saygı duyulan bir büyükelçiydi. Ama ofisinin dışında elinde bir kelebek ağıyla ormanda gezinirdi. Yeni kelebek türleri keşfetme tutkusu onu birçok uzak ve egzotik yere götürdü. Bu maceralarda ona eşlik edecek kadar şanslıydım. 12 yaşındayken Kamerun'a ilk keşif gezime gittim. Babam kelebek olmayan her şeyden büyük ölçüde habersizken, ben etrafımdaki doğanın son derece farkındaydım! Jennifer, Alexander’la nasıl bir araya geldiniz? Mashamba’daki iş bölümünüz nasıl? Alexander’la Kosta Rika'da bir ‘blind date’de tanıştık ve o zamandan beri ayrılmaz bir ikiliyiz. Mallorca'ya taşındıktan sonra Mashamba'da birlikte çalışmaya başladık. Alexander bahçelerden sorumlu, ben muhteşem açık hava alanları yaratmaya odaklanıyorum. Teraslar, açık hava mutfakları ve havuz alanları tasarlamak uzmanlık alanım. Bazen Alexander’la aynı proje üzerinde çalışıyoruz. Ancak benim işim aynı zamanda şehirdeki evleri ya da çatı katı teraslarını da içeriyor. Bir Akdeniz bahçesine dair vizyonunuz nedir? Çoğu kişinin aklına ilk gelen bitkiler begonvil, lavanta ve zeytin oluyor. Mesela daha az su gerektiren kaktüs ve sukulentlerle aranız nasıl? Akdeniz'de çok sayıda harika bitkiyle kutsanmış durumdayız. Kaktüs ve sukulentler en sürdürülebilir seçenek. Çünkü kuraklığa karşı daha toleranslılar. Minimum sulama gerektiren kuru bahçeler oluşturmak için kaktüs ve sukulentleri lokal ve yine kuraklığa dayanıklı bitkilerle karıştırmayı seviyoruz. Mesela Gaura, Delosperna, Echium ve Bulbinella gibi güzel çiçekli bitkiler… Ama bizim için Akdeniz bahçesi fikri bitkilerin de ötesinde, içinde vakit geçirmek isteyeceğiniz bir yer. “Açık hava yaşamı Akdeniz tarzı yaşamın özü” diyorsunuz. Gerçekten de öyle. Peki Akdeniz tarzı bahçelerde en sevdiğiniz bitkiler hangileri? İlginç gelebilir ama bahçe tasarımı yaparken ilk baktığımız şey bitkiler değil! Bahçenin önemli bir parçası olmalarına rağmen neredeyse sonradan aklımıza geliyor. Bizim için iyi bir tasarımın anahtarı, alanın akışını belirlemek ve müşterinin istek ve ihtiyaçlarını dahil etmek. Kendimize şunun gibi sorular soruyoruz: Gizli bir oturma alanı için en iyi yer neresi? Bu alanı eve ve bahçenin geri kalanına nasıl bağlayacağız? Dağ manzarasını izlemek için en iyi bakış açısı nedir ve müşterilerimizi oraya nasıl yönlendirebiliriz? Akışa karar verdikten sonra bitkilerin tasarıma nasıl uyum sağlayacağını düşünmeye başlıyoruz. Ama elbette bahçelerimizin çoğunda yer alan birkaç favorimiz var. Beyaz-pembe çiçekleriyle Gaura. Bulutlar halinde kırpılmış ya da duvarlardan aşağı doğru uzanan biberiye ve zeytinler. Kendi bahçemiz bu üçüyle dolu. Çünkü güzeller, bakımları kolay ve az su istiyorlar. Müşterilerin taleplerine göre mi bahçe tasarlıyorsunuz yoksa Mashamba olarak belli bir stili mi uyguluyorsunuz? Yarattığımız her bahçede müşterinin hayalini yorumlamak için çabalıyoruz. Yılın hangi zamanlarında bahçeyi ziyaret edeceklerini, en sevdikleri bitkileri ve renkleri göz önünde bulunduruyoruz. Bahçeyi nasıl kullanacaklarını, açık hava mutfağını, péntanque sahasını, su çeşmesini ve hatta büyük bir heykel gibi istedikleri özellikleri göz önünde bulunduruyoruz. Bizi seçiyorlar, çünkü tarzımızı biliyorlar. Oldukça iyi bildiğimiz bir şey de aromatik tarlamız. Stipas ve Pennisetum gibi süs otlarını Gaura ve Perovskia gibi çok yıllık çiçeklerle karıştırarak renk, doku ve koku katmanları oluşturuyoruz. Tasarımlarımız modernden çılgın romantiğe ve klasik Akdeniz'e kadar çeşitlilik gösteriyor. Ama hepsinde Mashamba'ya özgü bir şey var. Biz buna ‘rahat şıklık’ demeyi seviyoruz. Son yıllarda tasarladığınız ve en çok hoşunuza giden bahçe tasarımı hangisiydi? Favori bir bahçem var, ama hangisi olduğunu söylemem profesyonelce olmaz! Söyleyebileceğim tek şey, favori bahçelerimin hem keşfetmek ve eğlenmek hem de dışarı çıkmanıza ilham veriyor olması. Sizi dışarı çıkaran şey, manzarayı seyretmek için yerleştirilmiş bir bank gibi basit bir şey olabilir. Ya da yaşlı bir keçiboynuzu ağacının gölgeli ışığına yerleştirilmiş bir yemek masası gibi daha büyülü bir şey de olabilir. Bahçelerimizin bir diğer favori yönü de duyulara hitap etmesi. Sallanan çimlerin sesi, yasemin kokusu, yumuşak yapraklı bir bitkiye sürtünmek… İyi bir bahçe tasarımı için mutlaka olması gereken 5 bitki sizce hangisi? Tasarımlarımızın çoğunda asırlık ve budaklı bir zeytin ağacı ile biberiye, agave ve gaura gibi bitkiler yer alır. Ayrıca her Akdeniz bahçesinde narenciye olması gerektiğine inanıyoruz ve tüm bahçelerimizde en az bir limon ağacına yer veriyoruz. Sağlıklı bir bahçenin sırrı nedir? Sağlıklı bir bahçenin gerçek sırrı hem zemin hazırlığı hem de uygun miktarda sulama. Bu iki bileşen ve bitki seçiminin iklime uygun olması halinde bahçe gelişir. Kaliteli bir üst toprağa ekim yapmakla mevcut toprağa ekim yapmak arasındaki fark da çok büyük. Daha büyük bitkiler satın almak yerine zemin hazırlığına öncelik vermenizi öneririz. Üst topraktaki daha küçük bitki, zayıf topraktaki daha büyük bitkiyi kısa sürede geçebilir. Alexander, bulut bahçelerini tasarlamak zor mu? Aslında kolay. Zor olan kısım, bulut oluşumlarının etkisini göstermesini beklerken gereken sabır. Klasik bulut bahçesi, tıpkı bir bulut gibi büyük organik şekiller oluşturan tek bir bitki türünden yapılır. Bizim Akdeniz versiyonumuz klasik tasarımdan farklı. Çünkü farklı doku ve renklere sahip bulut kümeleri ekleyerek türlerin karışımını kullanıyoruz. Genellikle biberiye, Teucrium ve Lentiscus gibi iki ya da üç çalı kullanıyoruz. Her çeşidi üç ila beşli gruplar halinde dikiyoruz. Bol budama ile yaklaşık bir yıl içinde bir bulut bahçesi oluşuyor. Bir bulut bahçesinin en büyük avantajlarından biri, hep yeşil olması. for more Print VOL XIII - AEGEAN & MEDITERRANEAN EDITION 2024 Out of Stock Add to Cart

September 2024 | Art & Culture TURKISH BELOW ART BASEL PARIS Highlights words Onur Baştürk The third Paris edition of Art Basel, the world's leading art fair, kicks off with VIP Preview Days on October 16 and 17 and runs through October 20. Taking place at the Grand Palais, the fair will feature 195 leading galleries from 42 countries and regions, including 64 established French galleries and 53 new galleries. Art Basel 2024, directed by Clément Delépine, will see a 27 percent increase in the number of participating galleries compared to last year. EMERGENCE Here are the highlights of this year's fair. First is Emergence, dedicated to the radical work of emerging talents and new voices. With 16 stunning solo presentations, 14 of the Emergence exhibitors are making their debut at Art Basel Paris. Emergence will unfold across the striking balconies surrounding the central nave of the Grand Palais – which, prior to the building’s renovation, had been inaccessible for almost two decades – providing a symbolic frame for a show that will bridge the past and the present. PREMISE Another highlight of the fair is Premise, where nine galleries will present unique curatorial presentations. Premise provides a platform for presentations that aim to expand our understanding of traditional art history by focusing on fascinating but little-known artistic practices. In Premise, which features nine galleries, Istanbul-based THE PILL gallery will present the installation The AmbassaDRESS (1978) by Paris-based Turkish artist Nil Yalter. The installation tells the semi-fictional story of an ambassador's wife's collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. Yalter will also participate in the inaugural Artist Talk. SPECIAL PROJECT FROM MIU MIU This year's expanded Art Basel Paris Public Program will feature exhibitions, installations, monumental sculptures, and curatorial projects by contemporary artists such as Ghada Amer, Jesse Darling, Niki de Saint Phalle, Ali Cherri, and Thomas Schütte at several prestigious venues in Paris. With Miu Miu as an official partner, this year's program will feature five new venues, including the Domaine National du Palais-Royal and the Petit Palais, underscoring Art Basel's deep ties to the city. Miu Miu will also present a special project entitled "Tales & Tellers" at the Palais d'Iéna as part of the program. Oh La La!, Art Basel Paris's new initiative celebrating the re-exhibition of unexpected or unusual works of art, will bring together 33 galleries to create an exciting itinerary through the Grand Palais during the second half of the fair week. Dünyanın önde gelen sanat fuarı Art Basel’ın üçüncü Paris edisyonu 16 ve 17 Ekim'deki VIP Ön İzleme Günleriyle başlayacak ve 20 Ekime kadar sürecek. Grand Palais'de gerçekleşecek fuara 42 ülke ve bölgeden, 64'ü Fransa'da yerleşik ve 53'ü yeni olmak üzere 195 önde gelen galeri katılacak. Clément Delépine tarafından yönetilecek Art Basel 2024, geçen yıla kıyasla katılımcı galerilerde yüzde 27'lik bir artışa sahne olacak. EMERGENCE Bu yılki fuarın dikkat çekici bölümlerini şöyle sıralayabiliriz. İlki, yükselen yeteneklerin ve yeni seslerin radikal çalışmalarına adanmış Emergence. 16 etkileyici solo stant sunumun sergileneceği Emergence katılımcılarından 14’ü Art Basel’ın Paris fuarına ilk kez katılıyor. Galeries Lafayette'in de resmi ortağı olduğu Emergence, Grand Palais'nin orta nefini çevreleyen çarpıcı balkonlarda - binanın yenilenmesinden önce neredeyse yirmi yıldır erişilemez durumdaydı - geçmiş ve bugün arasında bir köprü kuracak. PREMISE Dokuz galerinin tekil küratöryel sunumlar sergileyeceği Premise ise fuarın bir başka öne çıkan bölümü. Premise, ilgi çekici ancak az bilinen sanatsal pratiklere odaklanarak geleneksel sanat tarihine ilişkin anlayışımızı genişletmeyi amaçlayan sunumlar için bir platform sağlıyor. Dokuz galerinin yer aldığı Premise’de İstanbul merkezli galeri THE PILL, Paris merkezli Türkiyeli sanatçı Nil Yalter'in The AmbassaDRESS (1978) isimli enstalasyonunu sergileyecek. Enstalasyon, bir büyükelçinin eşinin İkinci Dünya Savaşı sırasında Nazilerle yaptığı iş birliğinin yarı kurgusal hikâyesini ele alıyor. Yalter aynı zamanda Art Basel Paris Conversations programı kapsamında Premiere Artist Talk'a da katılacak. MIU MIU’DAN ÖZEL PROJE Bu yılki genişletilmiş Art Basel Paris Public Program çerçevesinde ise Paris'in birçok ünlü mekanı Ghada Amer, Jesse Darling, Niki de Saint Phalle, Ali Cherri ve Thomas Schütte gibi modern sanatçıların sergilerine, enstalasyonlarına, anıtsal heykellerine ve küratöryel projelerine ev sahipliği yapacak. Miu Miu’nun resmi partnerliğindeki bu yılki programa Domaine national du Palais-Royal ve Petit Palais başta olmak üzere beş yeni mekan eklenerek Art Basel’ın şehirle olan derin bağının altı çizilecek. Ayrıca Miu Miu bu program çerçevesinde Palais d'Iéna'da “Tales & Tellers” başlıklı özel bir proje gerçekleştirecek. Art Basel Paris'in alışılmadık sanat eserlerinin yeniden sergilenmesini kutlayan yeni girişimi Oh La La! ise 33 galeriyi bir araya getirerek, fuar haftasının ortasında Grand Palais'de heyecan verici bir güzergah oluşturacak.

May 15, 2026 | Art & Culture media partner YUZU BIG SEE and the RIGHT AMOUNT words Onur Basturk Zmago Novak’s Portrait Primoz Korosec Ahead of BIG SEE Festival 2026, YUZU — an official media partner of the festival — speaks with founder Zmago Novak about excess, relevance and why “measure” may once again become architecture’s most valuable idea. BIG SEE Festival has never positioned itself merely as an annual gathering. Founded by Zmago Novak, the Slovenia-based platform has gradually evolved into a year-round ecosystem connecting architecture, design and creative culture across South-East Europe and beyond. Through conferences, awards and editorial programmes, BIG SEE approaches architecture not as spectacle, but as a discipline tied to relevance, responsibility and human scale. Its 2026 edition, taking place in Portorož under the theme “Too much? What is just enough?”, arrives at a moment when architecture is increasingly shaped by questions of excess and visibility. We spoke with Novak about the platform’s evolution, the culture of overproduction surrounding contemporary design, and why “enough” may once again become one of architecture’s most necessary ideas. MORE THAN A FESTIVAL BIG SEE has evolved far beyond a festival. Looking back, what transformed it into a year-round ecosystem? And although rooted in Slovenia and Southeast Europe, do you now see the platform operating on a more global scale? If there was one trigger, it was obviously the pandemic in 2020–21. At that time, when physical contact became nearly impossible for more than a year, we had to move the platform into the digital space. By its nature, digital operates continuously — and social media even more so. Interestingly, alongside strengthening our digital presence, we also expanded across the region once travel became possible again, co-hosting BIG SEE events in places such as Skopje, Istanbul and Podgorica. At the same time, our conferences, award programmes and expos continued to grow, especially now that the architecture and design programmes have merged into one festival. We began a quarter of a century ago as a Slovenian publishing platform and award show. Over time, we expanded steadily across the region, and today, as creative practices themselves have become increasingly international, BIG SEE is growing outward as well. We aim to remain globally relevant, while recognising that physical contact and regional context still matter deeply. South-East Europe remains our core environment — both culturally and professionally. AN EXCESS OF ALMOST EVERYTHING The 2026 theme, “Too much? What is just enough?”, feels both direct and quietly provocative. Do you believe architecture and design are currently facing a problem of excess—or is it more a question of losing direction? I believe the world as a whole is facing an excess of almost everything. Design and architecture exist within that same condition, while also responding to clients whose expectations are often excessive themselves. There is a very delicate balance between steering a project towards more sustainable and responsible solutions, and being perceived as disconnected from contemporary culture or ambition. BEYOND VISIBILITY The BIG SEE Awards emphasise substance over spectacle, and context over scale. In a culture increasingly driven by visibility, how do you see this position resonating with today’s architectural and design landscape? Thanks for noticing our efforts around substance. Architects and designers live within the same realities as everyone else. We are all experiencing climate change, witnessing the immense energy demands of massive data centres, and trying to understand what the AI revolution may bring within the next decade. We are attempting to keep things in perspective, so that the human scale remains relevant. That idea was embedded in our name from the very beginning: BIG originally stood for Bio-Intelli-Gence — or “gens,” meaning people in Latin. Humanity has evolved anatomically, mentally and socially over tens of thousands of years. It’s striking to consider how quickly that entire framework could transform into something beyond our grasp. The conference programme deliberately creates moments of friction, pairing different voices to encourage debate rather than consensus. In your view, is what’s missing today more dialogue—or a stronger critical stance? A productive dialogue is impossible without a critical stance. On the other hand, we should also avoid reaching a point where constant criticism prevents anything from being implemented. A democratic cycle of three to six years feels like a reasonable compromise, allowing enough time for ideas to be tested. The real challenge is finding the balance between being a constructive critic — someone trying to improve things — and becoming purely destructive. THE ETHICS OF MEASURE At the core of BIG SEE is the idea of “measure” — finding the right balance. As the platform evolves, how do you personally define the line between what is enough and what is too much? “Measure” feels like a somewhat forgotten concept today — yet one we urgently need to recover. And yes, it carries a deeply ethical dimension, one that still needs to be understood through the classical idea that knowledge, ethics and aesthetics are all different faces of the same coin. Modernity often presents itself as radically new, but in reality it always remains connected to history, and is quickly absorbed back into it. Perhaps one becomes more aware of this with maturity, but I hope humanity as a whole is beginning to recognise it too.

June 28, 2026 | vol 18 ALİ BERKMAN words Onur Baştürk Lighting designer Ali Berkman grew up around luminaires in his father’s shop in Istanbul. Today, he leads the Istanbul-based ON·OFF Lighting Design Consultants and Studio DIM. His work is shaped by a careful reading of light and shadow. For Berkman, lighting is not an accessory to design, but one of its structural elements. What makes a space powerful — its design, or its lighting? Design and lighting are not separate disciplines. Each can stand alone, yet a compelling spatial experience depends on their alignment. A beautifully designed interior can feel flat — even uncomfortable — under the wrong light. Equally, a modest architectural setting can gain depth through considered illumination. Every space has a psychology, and vision shapes it more than we tend to admit. Light is not a technical afterthought; it defines atmosphere. Jonathan Speirs was once asked in Copenhagen, “What is good lighting?” His answer was direct: “If a user walks into a space and says, ‘What beautiful lighting,’ we’ve probably done something wrong.” Light should not call attention to itself. It should reveal — the space, and the people within it. ‘HIDE THE LIGHT SOURCE’ IS A PRINCIBLE THAT DEFINES OUR APPROACH Why should lighting be seen as foundational rather than a finishing touch? When lighting is introduced at the end, it must adapt to decisions already made. But light and darkness need to be considered from the outset. To fully understand a project, a lighting designer should witness how materials are selected, how volumes shift, how intentions take shape. Atmosphere begins long before fixtures are installed. “Hide the light source” defines our approach. The source should recede; the effect should lead. When involved early, we can integrate light into architecture — concealed within ceiling details, embedded in furniture, or positioned discreetly behind objects. The result is not decorative illumination, but something embedded in the space itself. How do you evaluate architects’ and interior designers’ approach to lighting today? In larger practices, lighting designers are increasingly involved from the beginning — not merely as technical consultants, but as part of the design dialogue. The challenge is not only timing, but understanding. Investors and clients need to recognise what lighting design contributes and why it matters. How does ON OFF guide its clients through the process? Design today is saturated with digital tools. Simulations and modelling software can predict performance with impressive accuracy. Yet no software replaces physical presence. Our approach is defined by involvement — from concept to completion, and critically, on site. Early conversations often influence interior decisions themselves. Materials, hierarchy, spatial distribution and even ceiling design are reconsidered through the lens of light. On-site testing remains essential: mock-ups, adjustments, observing how materials react, measuring reflections. Fine-tuning follows. In lighting, small shifts can alter perception dramatically. A slight change in angle, a minimal relocation, a calibrated contrast — these can transform the experience. Such precision only emerges at full scale, in real conditions. GOOD LIGHTING DEPENDS LESS ON AESTHETIC FASHION THAN ON PERCEPTION AND BALANCE Are there trends in lighting, or is good lighting inherently timeless? Technology evolves. Light sources improve. Control systems become more refined. Lighting design itself, however, is not driven by fashion. It is grounded in human vision and psychology — and that makes it timeless. Good lighting depends less on aesthetic trend than on perception and balance. The Seagram Building in New York, where Richard Kelly developed the lighting design, remains a compelling example. Nearly seventy years on, it still feels current. Kelly emphasised vertical surfaces, concealed sources and movement guided through contrast rather than brightness alone. What draws you toward the elevator lobby is not sheer illumination, but orientation and contrast. Its endurance lies in its alignment with how we see. Lighting is also contextual. Cultural and geographic differences shape preference. In parts of the Middle East, cooler tones are common in residential settings; in Northern Europe, warmer tones dominate. These choices reflect climate, habit and cultural perception rather than fashion. How do you approach lighting in your own home? Lighting at home was not a solitary decision. My wife, Juanna, is an architect, and from the outset we developed materials, colours and furniture details together. This dialogue allowed for a restrained and largely invisible lighting strategy. Our home receives generous daylight; artificial light is rarely needed during the day. We value observing how natural light shifts over time. In the evening, we rely on layered lighting. All sources are dimmable, allowing the atmosphere to adapt to different moments. Artworks, plants and objects create distinct layers. Reading, dining, hosting — each activity shapes its own tone. Where possible, light sources remain concealed, aside from decorative fixtures. They are integrated into furniture, hidden within planting, or positioned discreetly beside seating. We chose not to use visible ceiling-mounted sources. Collectible lighting is becoming increasingly sculptural and expressive. How do you see it? Collectible and decorative lighting should primarily be understood as design objects. When tasked with illuminating an entire space, they often compromise visual comfort. In our projects, we position decorative fixtures as compositional elements rather than primary light sources. The general lighting scheme is resolved independently. In some cases, these pieces become strong focal points. We still engage with how their light is controlled — colour temperature, dimming, glare — but their role remains expressive rather than functional. At Studio DIM, even when designing sculptural pieces, we carefully construct the light–shadow balance. Form may lead, but it is the dialogue between illumination and darkness that ultimately gives the object presence. - The full story is featured in Vol.18 - Print VOL XVIII - 2026 €20,00 Price Add to Cart

July 24, 2025 | TRAVEL TR BELOW CAPRI GUIDE words Onur Baştürk WHERE TO GO - MONTE SOLARO For the best panoramic view in Capri, head straight to Monte Solaro. Rising 589 meters above sea level, its summit offers sweeping views of the entire island, the Gulf of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and—on a clear day—even the distant peaks of Calabria. Don’t miss the iconic statue of Emperor Caesar Augustus at the top. The easiest way up? The chairlift from Piazza Vittoria in Anacapri. The ride takes just 12 minutes. - SENTIERO DEI FORTINI One of the most breathtaking hikes in Capri, the Fortini Trail stretches from the famed Grotta Azzurra all the way to Punta Carena. The path winds past rocky cliffs, hidden coves, and three restored fortifications (Orrico, Mesola, and Pino). Whether you start from Grotta Azzurra or Punta Carena, well-marked signs and tiled panels showcasing the region's flora and fauna guide your way. Plan for about three hours to complete the walk. - VILLA LYSIS Built in 1904 by Parisian poet Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, Villa Lysis overlooks the dramatic Marina Grande bay and holds layers of secrets. Over the years, it became a retreat for writers, artists, and dreamers drawn to Capri's mythical energy. Its grand staircase is inscribed with Fersen’s chosen motto: Amori et Dolori Sacrum (Sacred to Love and Sorrow). - CASA MALAPARTE Designed by architect Adalberto Libera for writer Curzio Malaparte, this stark modernist villa perched on a rocky outcrop is one of the most striking works of 20th-century architecture in Italy. - VIA KRUPP This historic path zigzags between the Gardens of Augustus and Marina Piccola, connecting to the San Giacomo Charterhouse. Commissioned by German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp, its switchbacks navigate a 100-meter cliff drop in elegant curves. - GROTTA AZZURRA Capri's most iconic sea cave glows with an unreal blue light. Swimming is no longer allowed inside, but you can glide up to its entrance by boat. Don’t worry if you miss out—Capri is full of equally magical sea caves. - FARAGLIONI & PUNTA CARENA You can’t visit Capri without witnessing the dramatic Faraglioni rock formations rising from the sea. While boats can no longer pass through the arch, this spot remains the crown jewel of any boat tour. Don’t miss Punta Carena on the island's farthest point—home to a historic lighthouse and the popular cliffside beach club, Lido del Faro, complete with a saltwater pool. DINNER SPOTS WORTH DRESSING UP FOR - AURORA: Capri’s most iconic restaurant, where owner Mia D’Alessio brings infectious energy to every table. Must-tries: the airy Water Pizza (Pizza all’Acqua) and the decadent Caviar Butter Pasta. - VILLA VERDE: A lively Capri classic that blends great food with a buzzy atmosphere. - TERRAZZA TIBERIO: Chef Nello Siano’s fine-dining spot known for refined Mediterranean flavors. - DA PAOLINO : An island favorite set under a canopy of lemon trees. Don’t skip the signature Bomba. - DA TONINO: Go for Chef Salvatore Aprea’s thoughtful and seasonal creations. - L’OLIVO at JUMERIAH CAPRI PALACE: Elegant and indulgent. The lemon tagliolini is a standout. - DA GELSOMINA: A family-run gem serving local favorites for generations. Order the Ravioli Capresi. - LE MONZU: Set inside the iconic Punta Tragara hotel and originally designed by Le Corbusier. WHERE TO GO FOR LUNCH - LA FONTELINA: The legendary beach restaurant. Spaghetti alle Vongole or Paccheri with seafood are the way to go. - a-Ma-Re: Just steps from Il Riccio, this spot showcases Chef Anna Vichi’s traditional Neapolitan dishes and pizza from Franco Pepe. - DA GIOIA BY LA PALMA: Hotel La Palma’s beach club in Marina Piccola. It’s intimate, chic, and the food is worth the detour—soundtrack included. GÖRÜLMESİ GEREKEN YERLER - MONTE SOLARO Capri’deki en güzel panoramik manzara buradan izlenir. Deniz seviyesinden 589 metre yükseklikteki Monte Solaro'nun zirvesinden Capri’nin tamamı, Napoli Körfezi, Amalfi sahili ve eğer hava puslu değilse Calabria'nın uzak dağlarına kadar uzanan manzarayı görebilirsiniz. İmparator Caesar Augustus'un ikonik heykelinin de Monte Solaro zirvesinde olduğunu hatırlatalım. Monte Solaro'ya ulaşmanın en kolay yolu telesiyej. Dağın zirvesine yolculuk sadece 12 dakika sürüyor. Telesiyeje Anacapri'deki Piazza Vittoria'dan binebilirsiniz. - SENTIERO DEI FORTINI Capri’deki en muhteşem yürüyüş yollarından biri olan Sentiero dei Fortini, Grotta Azzurra’dan Punta Carena'ya kadar uzanıyor. Kayalıklar, fiyortlar ve derin koylarla dolu güzergâhı birleştiren üç önemli nokta (Orrico, Mesola ve Pino) yakın zamanda onarıldı. Yürüyüşe ister Grotta Azzurra yakınında ister Punta Carena'da başlayın. Yol boyunca size patikayı gösteren işaretler var, merak etmeyin. Ayrıca bölgenin flora ve faunasını açıklayan güzel çiniler de yer alıyor. Yürüyüşü tamamlamak yaklaşık üç saat sürüyor. - VILLA LYSIS Parisli Jacques d'Adelswärd Fersen tarafından 1904’de inşa edilen ve Marina Grande Körfezi'nin nefes kesici manzarasına bakan Villa Lysis’in sırlarını keşfedin! Bu muhteşem villa, yıllar içinde Capri'ye seyahat edip yazılarıyla villayı ünlü yapan sanatçılar, entelektüeller, şairler ve yazarlar için bir buluşma noktası haline gelmiş. - CASA MALAPARTE Mimar Adalberto Libera tarafından yazar ve gazeteci Curzio Malaparte için tasarlanmış bu villa, 20. yüzyıl modernist mimarisinin en iyi örneği olarak biliniyor. - VIA KRUPP San Giacomo Charterhouse ile Augustus bahçeleri ve Marina Piccola'yı birbirine bağlayan, keskin dönüşleri olan tarihi patika. Alman sanayici Friedrich Alfred Krupp tarafından yaptırılan patika, yaklaşık 100 metrelik bir yükseklik farkını kapsıyor. - GROTTA AZZURRA Denizin masmavi rengiyle aydınlanan Capri’deki en meşhur mağara Grotta Azzurra. Ama burada yüzmeye artık izin verilmiyor, tekneyle yakınlarına gelip seyredebiliyorsunuz. Ama üzülmeye gerek yok, Grotta Azzura gibi irili ufaklı çok mağara var. - FARAGLIONI VE PUNTA CARENA Adanın en meşhur noktalarından Faraglioni kayalıklarının içinden artık teknelerin geçmesine izin verilmiyor. Ama yine de tekneyle tur yaptığınızda en seksi noktalardan biri elbette Faraglioni. Tekne turu yaparken Anacapri’nin en uç noktasındaki Punta Carena deniz fenerine de dikkat! Punta Carena deniz fenerinin hemen yanına konumlanmış Lido del Faro, kayalara oyulmuş popüler bir plaj. Tuzlu suya sahip bir yüzme havuzunun da olduğu Lido del Faro adanın ikonik yerlerinden. AKŞAM YEMEĞİ İÇİN NEREYE GİDİLİR 1- İlk durağınız adanın en meşhur restoranı Aurora olsun. Restoranda hem servis yapıp hem de müşterilerle yakından ilgilenen Mia D’Alessio’nun enerjisi tüm restorana yansıyor. Ambiyans da yemek de müthiş! Menüden mutlaka ince ve hafif hamuru ile öne çıkan Pizza All’Acqua (Water Pizza) ve Caviar Butter Pasta’yı deneyin! 2- Hem eğlencesi hem de yemekleriyle meşhur Capri klasiği Villa Verde’ye gitmeden olmaz. 3- Şef Nello Siano’nun menüsünü hazırladığı Terrazza Tiberio da iyi bir seçenek. 4- Limon ağaçları altındaki Da Paolino favorilerimizden. Menüden ‘Bomba’yı mutlaka deneyin! 5- Şef Salvatore Aprea’nın yemekleri için Da Tonino’ya gidin. 6- Jumeriah Capri Palace içindeki L’Olivo (limonlu tagliolini’sini deneyin!). 7- Nesillerdir aynı ailenin lokal spesiyaliteler hazırladığı adanın simge restoranlarından Da Gelsomina (özellikle ravioli capresi’yi deneyin!). 8- İkonik otel Punta Tragara'da yer alan, Le Corbusier tarafından tasarlanmış Le Monzu. ÖĞLE YEMEĞİNDE NEREYE GİDİLİR 1- Tabii ki ikonik plaj restoranı La Fontelina. Menüden Spaghetti alle Vongole ya da deniz ürünleri eşliğinde sunulan Paccheri deneyin. 2- Şef Anna Vichi’nin Napoliten mutfağının özünü yansıtan geleneksel yemekler yaptığı, aynı zamanda ünlü pizza şefi Franco Pepe’nin pizzalarının da yer aldığı Il Riccio’dan birkaç adım ötedeki a-Ma-Re. 3- Hotel La Palma Capri’nin Marina Piccola’daki beach restoranı “Da Gioia by La Palma”ya gidin. Küçük bir plajı var, müzikler de -Capri’ye göre- fazla yüksek, ama yemekler leziz, kitle hoş.

Ocak 2022 | Art | Londra for english click here Sürrealist fırtına şubat sonu Londra’da Yazı | Oktay Tutuş T ate Modern 24 şubatta geniş kapsamlı bir sürrealizm sergisi düzenliyor. “Surrealism Beyond Borders / Sınırlar Ötesi Gerçeküstücülük” isimli bu sergi için Tate Modern’in Atlantik’in diğer yakasındaki The Metropolitan Museum of Art’ı kendine suç ortağı seçmesi boşuna değil. Çünkü bu iki köklü kurumun altını çizmek istedikleri nokta, sürrealizmin sınırların ötesinde ve evrensel olduğu gerçeği. Aynı zamanda sürrealist sanatçıların otoriteye boyun eğmeyip “yeni bir dünya mümkün” hayalini nasıl öğrettiğini de göstermek istiyor sergi. 80 YILLIK ZAMAN DİLİMİNİ KAPSIYOR 1924’te Andre Breton tarafından tanımlanan, sonrasında hızla benimsenen sürrealizm sanatçılar tarafından çoğunlukla şiirsel, hatta komik işlerle yansıtıldı. Dali’nin “Lobster Telephone / Istakoz Telefon” adlı işi buna en güzel örnek. Bunlar yanı sıra bazı sanatçılar sürrealizmi politik, sosyal veya kişisel özgürlükleri için bir silah olarak kullanmaktan çekinmedi. Dolayısıyla bu dev sergide hayal dünyasının sınırlarını zorlayacak türde işler göreceğiz. 80 yıllık bi zaman dilimini kapsayan sergide 150’den fazla iş yer alıyor. Serginin değineceği diğer önemli nokta ise sürrealizmin dünyadaki sanatçılar tarafından nasıl kabul edilip uygulandığını anlayabilmek için akımın gelişip serpildiği yerlere odaklanması. Mesela Sürrealist Araştırma Bürosu’yla Paris, Art et Liberté grubuyla Kahire, sürrealist akımın önce yazarlar tarafından başlatıldığı yer olan Karayipler, kadın sanatçıların yaratıcı bağlarıyla şekillendiği Mexico City ve yine akımın radikal siyaset için bir araç olarak kullanıldığı yer olan Şikago bunlardan bazıları. İYİ BİLİNENLE AZ BİLİNEN BİR ARADA Sergide Joan Miró, Frances del Valle, Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Gabriel García Márquez ve André Breton gibi tanınmış sanatçı ve yazarlar yanı sıra ismini daha önce duymadığımız, belki de onlarca sanatçı ve yazar da yer alacak. Sergide Türkiye’den Yüksel Arslan’ın da olduğunu belirtmeden geçmeyelim. Az duyulmuş ve nadir görülebilecek işlerden en dikkat çekicilerinden birisi Ted Joans’a ait 11 metrelik “Long Distance / Uzun Mesafe (1976-2005)” isimli serbest çizimlerden oluşan katlanır bir defter. Joans, bu işini tüm dünyadan 132 katılımcıyla yaklaşık 30 yılda tamamlamış. Serginin The MET versiyonu, Ekim ayında New York’ta gösterilmeye başlanmıştı. Tate Modern versiyonu ise daha farklı bir sergileme alanı sunacağı için deneyimi bambaşka olacak. Sergi 29 ağustosa dek Londra’da ziyarete açık olacak. www.tate.org.uk Surrealist storm in London at the end of February Words | Oktay Tutuş T ate Modern is holding an extensive surrealism exhibition on February 24. It is not in vain that Tate Modern chose The Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the other side of the Atlantic, as an accomplice for this exhibition titled “Surrealism Beyond Borders”. Because what these two deep-rooted institutions want to underline is the fact that surrealism is beyond borders and universal. At the same time, the exhibition wants to show how surrealist artists do not bow to authority and teach the dream of “a new world is possible”. In addition to well-known artists and writers such as Joan Miró, Frances del Valle, Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Gabriel García Márquez and André Breton, there will also be dozens of artists and writers whose names we have not heard of before. Let's not forget to mention that Yüksel Arslan from Turkey is also in the exhibition. One of the most notable works that are less heard and rarely seen is an 11-meter folding notebook made of free drawings named “Long Distance (1976-2005)” by Ted Joans. Joans completed this work in nearly 30 years with 132 participants from all over the world. The MET version of the exhibition began to be shown in New York in October. The Tate Modern version, on the other hand, will offer a different display area, so its experience will be completely different. The exhibition will be open to the public in London until 29 August. Çapa 5

December 2021 | Community NEW SWAHA - NEW YEAR DINNER Partner: Raffles Istanbul - Isokyo Our New Year’s dinner, featuring personalized mantras for each guest placed on the tables, was held at Isokyo within Raffles Istanbul Hotel. Bringing together an exclusive group, our New Swaha dinner became one of the city’s most talked-about events. Her davetliye özel hazırlanmış mantraların masalarda yer aldığı yeni yıl yemeğimiz, Raffles İstanbul Oteli içindeki Isokyo’da yapıldı. Seçkin bir topluluğu bir araya getiren New Swaha yemeğimiz şehrin en çok konuşulan organizasyonlarından biri oldu.

Nisan 2020 | Tasarım | Norveç Köprü + Heykel + Galeri: The Twist Yazı | Fulya Bozkurt B IG Kopenhag; New York, Londra ve Barselona merkezli mimar, tasarımcı, şehir planlamacısı, peyzaj profesyoneli, iç mimar, ürün tasarımcısı ve araştırmacılardan oluşan bir grup. Şu anda Avrupa, Kuzey Amerika, Asya ve Orta Asya’da çok sayıda projeye dahiller. BIG’nin mimari anlayışı günlük hayattaki sürekli değişimin dikkatli bir analizinden ortaya çıkıyor. Çok kültürlü alışverişin, küresel ekonomik akışın ve tümüyle yeni mimari yolları gerektiren iletişim teknolojilerinin etkisiyle yeni sentezler yaratmak BIG’nin en büyük heveslerinden. Dahası; BIG’ciler günümüzün zorluklarıyla başa çıkmak için mimarinin kârlı bir şekilde büyük ölçüde keşfedilmemiş bir alana taşınabileceğine de inanıyor. Hatta bunu ‘pragmatik bir ütopya mimarisi’ diye tanımlıyorlar: “Bir tür programatik simya gibi. Yaşamak, boş vakit geçirmek, çalışmak, parketmek ve alışveriş yapmak gibi geleneksel malzemeleri karıştırarak bir mimari yaratıyoruz”. NEFİS HEYKEL PARKINI GEÇTİKTEN SONRA… Norveç’teki The Twist adlı proje de BIG’nin misyonunun en spesifik örneği. Oslo’ya yarım saat uzaklıkta, Randselva Nehri’nin etrafındaki eski bir kâğıt fabrikasının müzeye dönüştürülmüş hali olan Kistefos’un içinde yer alıyor The Twist. Hem köprü hem heykel hem de galeri. Kısacası The Twist hepsi birden! Kistefos Müzesi’ndeki 45 parçalık nefis heykel parkını gezdikten sonra geçiliyor The Twist’e. Heykel parkı demişken es geçmeyelim: Parkta şu ünlü sanatçıların da işleri yer alıyor: Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, Lynda Benglis, Yayoi Kusama, Jeppe Hein ve Fernando Botero. BİR KAMERA DEKLANŞÖRÜNDE GEZİNİR GİBİ… Randselva nehrini tamamen kaplayan The Twist’in heykelsi bir form oluşturmasının nedeni ise ortasına doğru 90 derece eğilmiş bir kiriş şeklinde tasarlanması. Yapının hacmindeki basit bükülme, köprünün güneydeki kıyısından kuzeydeki yamaç alanına kadar yükselmesini sağlıyor. The Twist’in çift eğri geometrisi bir kitap yığını gibi düzenlenmiş 40 cm genişliğindeki dik alüminyum panellerden oluşuyor ve yelpaze gibi açılarak şeklini değiştiriyor. Böylece ziyaretçiler her iki yönden de bükülmüş yapıyı bir kamera deklanşöründe yürüyormuş gibi deneyimliyorlar. Unutmadan; The Twist üç adet galeri barındırıyor içinde: Kuzey tarafında panoramik manzaraya sahip geniş, doğal ışıkla aydınlatılmış Panorama Galeri. Güney tarafında yapay aydınlatmalı uzun, karanlık bir galeri: Closed Galeri. Ve arada, bükülmüş bir çatıda ışık şeridine sahip heykelsi bir alan: Twist Galeri. STİL | Kategorinin diğer yazıları Bir Edition üçlüsü: Sanat, parti ve iyi yemek Bodrum’a sürpriz: Dioriviera pop-up Emre Buga’nın stil atlası İçinden Aman stili geçen bir rüya Janus mu alırdınız Glassafe mi? Köprü + Heykel + Galeri: The Twist İstanbullu Tilda Swinton’ın ‘athleisure’ tarzı Fütüristik otel ‘Svart’ın açılmasına az kala Murat Süter’in ‘lacivert’ sırrı ‘Parazit’in evi aslında gerçek değildi Evi değiştir: Blush mı Green Benjamin mi? Edwina Sponza’nın stil kodları Korona Sonrası Şehir Tabelaları ‘Beslenme farkındalığınız’ ne durumda? Bodrumlu Uzakdoğulu: Leleg Living Bu yazın başrolünde: Soho Roc House Korona günlerinde yaratıcı bir ‘karton’ masa!

December 2024 | DESIGN & INTERIORS TURKISH BELOW MID-CENTURY AESTHETIC in a PENTHOUSE HAVEN words Karine Monie photos Traver Parker Nestled atop a prestigious building designed in 1929 by the renowned New York architect Rosario Candela, this sophisticated penthouse seamlessly blends mid-century aesthetics with contemporary touches. With interior design by Alec Holland, the apartment boasts breathtaking views of Central Park West while embracing an ethical and refined lifestyle. THE ALLURE OF MID-CENTURY AESTHETICS Holland’s vision for the space was largely inspired by his passion for mid-century aesthetics. This enduring style shaped every detail of the project. “I grew up surrounded by mid-century design, so having a space where I could truly highlight my favorite designers and pieces was incredibly exciting,” he shares. The apartment features a neutral color palette influenced by the calming tones of Central Park’s natural scenery. “The park’s stunning views inspired me to soften the tones. I used warm walnut accents and creamy textured fabrics throughout the space,” Holland explains. A vintage rug in the living room serves as a nod to the client’s former bohemian style. VEGAN-FRIENDLY CHOICES One of the standout features of the design is its adherence to a vegan lifestyle. “Since my client is vegan, we opted for faux leather for the dining chairs and bed, balancing style with ethics,” Holland says. The white boucle-textured sofa adds a touch of luxury, while mustard-toned vintage chairs introduce playful contrasts inspired by the bold palettes of the 20th century. A SANCTUARY AMIDST THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE The overall ambiance of the home offers a serene retreat from the fast pace of urban life. “I always strive for my designs to feel like an escape, especially in New York!” Holland emphasizes. By prioritizing comfort and a strong aesthetic, he has created a space where the stress of the day melts away the moment one steps through the door. A MOVING ADVENTURE One of the most unforgettable moments of the project involved transporting the striking 10-foot-long sofa into the living room. Instead of cutting the sofa to fit, Holland came up with a bold solution: hoisting it onto the top of the elevator. “It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever witnessed!” he recalls with a laugh. FURNITURE AND MATERIAL HIGHLIGHTS - Dining Room: Chairs by Knoll, rug by Chilewich, sconces by Allied Maker, custom floral glasswork by Lyons Glass, vintage Mogens Koch cubby bookshelf (Modern Link). - Living Room: Sofa and pendant light by Fair, custom coffee table by ROOM, Jens chairs and TV console by DWR, artwork by Menashe Kadishman. - Stairs and Landing: Lighting fixture by Allied Maker, Saarinen table by Knoll, chairs by DWR. - Office: Custom walnut desk, vintage Wegner Wishbone chair, sofa by Ben Soleimani, side table by Global Home. MID-CENTURY ESTETİĞİNE SAHİP PENTHOUSE New York’taki lüks daireler üzerindeki etkisiyle tanınmış mimar Rosario Candela’nın tasarladığı 1929 tarihli binada yer alan bu modern ve zarif çatı katı, şehrin prestijli Central Park West bölgesinde yer alıyor. Yüzyıl ortası estetiğini modern bir dokunuşla harmanlayan dairenin iç tasarımı Alec Holland’a ait. YÜZYIL ORTASI CAZİBESİ Alec Holland’ın bu ev için en önemli ilham kaynağı, onu her zaman büyüleyen bir tarz olan yüzyıl ortası tasarımına olan tutkusu. Holland, “Yüzyıl ortası estetiğiyle çevrili bir halde büyüdüm, bu nedenle en sevdiğim tasarımlar ve tasarımcılardan bazılarına yer vereceğimiz bir alana sahip olmaktan dolayı heyecanlıyım” diye duygularını paylaşıyor. Holland, evin genelindeki renkler için nötr bir palet tercih etmiş. “Central Park'ın muhteşem manzarası, tonları yumuşatmam için bana ilham verdi ve sıcak ceviz vurguları ile kremsi dokulu kumaşları evin her yerine yerleştirdim. Oturma odasındaki vintage halı, müşterimin geçmişteki bohem tarzına bir selam niteliği taşıyor” diye açıklıyor Holland. VEGAN DOSTU SEÇİMLER Holland, “Bu evdeki mobilyalarda bol miktarda ceviz ağacı ve çeşitli dokulu kumaşlar kullanmayı tercih ettim” diyor. Evin tasarımımdaki en dikkat çekici özellik, vegan yaşam tarzı için özenle tasarlanmış sahte deri seçimi. Holland, “Müşterim vegan olduğu için yemek sandalyeleri ve yatak için suni deriler seçerek hem stil hem de etik kaygıların karşılanmasını sağladım” diye ekliyor. “Kanepedeki beyaz buklet lüks bir dokunuş katarken, hardal rengi yan sandalyeler gibi 20. yüzyıldan esinlenen renk tonları da eğlenceli kontrastlar sağlıyor”. KOŞUŞTURMANIN ORTASINDA BİR SIĞINAK Tasarımcı evin içinde dingin bir atmosfer yaratmayı hedeflemiş. Holland, “Projelerimin her zaman bir mola gibi hissettirmesini istiyorum, özellikle de New York'ta!” diyor. Güçlü stili konforla birleştirmeye odaklanan Holland, müşterilerin kapıdan içeri adım attıklarında günün tüm stresinin eriyip gittiğini hissetmelerini sağlamış. BİR KANEPE MACERASI 10 fit uzunluğundaki çarpıcı kanepeyi oturma odasına taşımak ise tam bir maceraya dönüşmüş! Holland kanepeyi taşımak için cesur bir çözüm bulmuş: Kanepeyi asansörün üstüne çıkarmak! “Şahit olduğum en çılgınca şeylerden biriydi,” diye anlatıyor Holland. DETAYLAR - YEMEK ODASI: Sandalyeler, Knoll . Halı, Chilewich. Aplikler, Allied Maker. Özel Çiçekli Cam Yapı, Lyons Glass. Kitaplık, Modern Link'ten Vintage Mogens Koch Cubby. - OTURMA ODASI: Kanepe ve sarkıt ışık, Fair. Sehpa, ROOM'dan özel tasarım. Jens Yan Sandalyeler ve TV Konsolu DWR. Sanat eseri, Menashe Kadishman. - MERDİVENLER VE SAHANLIK: Aydınlatma armatürü Allied Maker. Masa, Knoll'dan Saarinen. Sandalyeler, DWR. - OFİS: Ceviz masa özel tasarım. Sandalye eski bir Wegner Wishbone sandalyesi. Kanepe, Ben Soleimani. Sehpa ise Global Home.

August 2023 | TRAVEL OTRO OAXACA For travelers, not tourists words Onur Baştürk photos Sergio Lopez Meet the newest project of Grupo Habita, which we know with its hotels such as Terrestre, Casa Habita, Escondido, Confesa df, opened this month: Otro Oaxaca. Seemingly modest from the street, the hotel houses a series of picturesque courtyards, an underground spa and a surprise rooftop terrace behind its historic façade. Everything in the hotel, which invites you to see Oaxaca in a different way, is one hundred percent locally produced. Carlos Couturier and Moisés Micha, co-founders of Grupo Habita, said: “Oaxaca is a city we know really well and is very close to us. Otro Oaxaca embodies the spirit of a true local friend”. Otro Oaxaca's building was designed by a team of local architects at RootStudio led by João Boto Caeiro, an important figure in Oaxaca's creative community. The cruciform walkway in the design of the hotel's floor plan is inspired by the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mitla, near the city. The interiors designed by Carlos Couturier reveal the craftsmanship of the region. Everything from the furniture to the linens has been designed specifically for Otro Oaxaca, using locally sourced materials by local artisans. The elegant simplicity and the sense of serenity in the common areas are felt in the same way in the 16 accommodation units.

May 2025 | Art & Culture a NEW CHAPTER in DUBAI’s ART SCENE words Karine Monie photos Courtesy of RARARES In the heart of Dubai’s thriving Financial District, a new space is redefining how fine art is experienced. Launched in 2024, RARARES is not just another contemporary art gallery — it’s a bold vision brought to life by founder, art director, and lead curator Marina Baisel. With her background in interior design and a lifelong passion for art, Baisel has created a gallery that makes fine art a vibrant, integral part of daily life. “Art has always been a central part of my life,” says Baisel. “My mission is to educate people about fine arts, nurture their creativity, and help them develop their own unique artistic taste.” Inspired by the Latin word rarus — meaning rarity and uniqueness — RARARES is committed to celebrating distinctive artistic voices from around the world. A SPACE WHERE ART AND LIFE CONVERGE RARARES offers a refreshing departure from Dubai’s typical gallery scene, which is often split between commercial giants and hyperlocal initiatives. Instead, the gallery champions a diverse range of emerging and established artists, fostering global dialogues and introducing rare talents to the region. The space itself, spanning approximately 100 square meters, is designed to be welcoming and intimate — a place where visitors from all walks of life can explore creativity freely. Each exhibition transforms the environment, offering new settings and experiences that resonate with the mission and themes of the featured artists. “My goal is to showcase art that inspires people to do good, motivates them toward greater accomplishments, and fosters a sense of purpose and possibility,” says Baisel. A GLOBAL VISION ROOTED IN DIVERSITY RARARES represents an impressive roster of international artists, carefully selected for their diversity, originality, and ability to inspire. Highlights include Ghaleb Hawila and Mariam Al Khoori from the UAE, Talal Altukhaes from Saudi Arabia, Zeina Abdullah from Egypt, Yuksel Dal from Turkiye, Mathias Hagen from Norway, Maria Bang Espersen from Sweden, and many more. “We have a strong understanding of the global art landscape and carefully select exceptional artists who inspire us to push the boundaries of the ordinary,” says Baisel.