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The weather gods haven't been kind as I arrive at the Mara factory on the outskirts of Brescia. If you think Italy, certainly in the design industry, it's usually all sun-bleached locations, where an Aperol Spritz is only ever seconds away.

But climatic conditions are, quite frankly, the only thing the Italian furniture manufacturer doesn't have control over. Founded in 1960 by the current managing director Laura Marchina's grandfather, Camillo – who was an experienced metal-worker in the production of, of all things, gun barrels – the company, like the family itself, keeps everything close to home. Very close, in fact. The Mara story is not just 100% Made in Italy, it's 100% Brescia. (Fun fact: the company name is a contraction of 'Marchina Arredamenti' or 'Marchina Furniture'.)

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Design Doha Biennale returns for its second edition from April 16 – June 30, 2026, expanding its presence across Doha and reinforcing the city’s position as a global hub for design, creativity, and cultural exchange.
As we embark on this next chapter, Design Doha invites curators to submit exhibition proposals that spotlight the region’s rich cultural heritage and pioneering design talent. Selected exhibitions will be presented across various venues in Doha, contributing to a dynamic and inclusive dialogue on contemporary design in the region and beyond.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) International is excited to announce the upcoming AIA International Spring Conference 2025, taking place from March 20 to 22, 2025. This global online event will bring together visionary architects, designers, and industry experts to discuss the future of the built environment under the theme "Trailblazing Architecture."

The Biennale d'Architecture et de Paysage d'Île-de-France is the most significant architectural exhibition in France. For its third edition, Sana Frini, from the Mexican firm LOCUS, and Philippe Rahm, from the French firm PHILIPPE RAHM ARCHITECTES, have been selected as co-curators of the exhibition at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles. The exhibition will take place in the stables of the Château de Versailles from May 7 to July 13, 2025.

The Biennale d'architecture et de paysage d'Île de France, to be held in Versailles from May 6 to July 13, 2025, is the most important architecture exhibition in France. For the third edition, the exhibition at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles is co-curated by architects Sana Frini, from the Mexican office LOCUS, and Philippe Rahm, from the French office PHILIPPE RAHM ARCHITECTES.

The Irish Architecture Foundation will host the second Annual Summit of Open House Europe. Taking place in Dublin, Ireland, on January 30–31, 2025, the summit will present a public program exploring how accessibility and inclusion can transform cities into vibrant, welcoming spaces for everyone.

The Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan Design Competition is an open two-stage design competition comprising an Expression of Interest period followed by a closed design stage for a shortlist of five competitors.

Read in a void, Maison Forestier's remit of an ongoing 'quest for perpetual originality and mastery of the delicate balance between nature and design' may sound a little abstract. But the Parisian lighting brand has – since its topiary-inspired inception by Bernard Forestier in 1992 – carved a beatific niche in its industry, uniting passion, freedom and discovery to fashion radiant wares that meld unique aesthetics with keen functionality, to suit a diverse range of settings.

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The exhibitors' stands are one aspect of a trade fair. But what would the spectacle be without an informative supporting programme? And… which exhibition hall will you head for first when Heimtextil opens its doors in Frankfurt am Main from January 14 to 17, 2025? Admittedly: It's not easy to keep track of more than 2,900 exhibitors spread across 16 hall levels. But we have a few ideas. Use well-known brands as orientation anchors and be curious to discover new, young and innovative newcomers in the midst of it all. Mark your calendar for exciting talks and tours, and look out for certain signs on the stands. Which ones? We'll tell you now.

'You are the company you keep' goes the old expression. Meaning those who you choose to associate with say a lot about your own character.

Measured against this adage, Brescia-based company Mara's stock would appear to be up. The Made-in-Italy brand, which has long specialized in producing systems and furnishing elements that feature strong technical components, is enjoying a renewed identity, as it pivots from a dyed-in-the-wool office manufacturer to one that responds to both work and residential. And the external design collaborators it has engaged of late speak volumes about the level of its ambition. AMDL CIRCLE and Michele De Lucchi, Christophe Pillet, Ferruccio Laviani and Marcello Ziliani each bring with them an indisputable wealth of design expertise and award-winning output.

Today, there are only a handful of names in the contemporary world of textiles that have a significant historical legacy and an incredible biography woven into their backstory. Jim Thompson is rich in romance. The Delaware native was a serviceman in South Asia and working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the U.S. intelligence agency. When the conflict ended, he found himself in Thailand, building a new life rooted in his fascination with the beauty and craft inherent to the nation. It was a time when silk weaving was threatened by machine-made fabrics and he discovered a community of exceptionally skilled silk weavers in Bangkok. He worked closely with them to develop production and introduced them to other talented weaving communities, including one in Pak Thong Chai, Korat – a province in the North East of Thailand. His efforts were instrumental in reviving Thailand's silk industry, a legacy that endures today.

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In addition to elegantly designed ceramics, stylish furniture and practical accessories, Villeroy & Boch's bathroom range also includes elegant fittings. As with all the company's products, the extensive range offers durable quality and reliable functionality, ensuring long-lasting usability through high-quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship. Furthermore, the fittings are perfectly coordinated with the company's own bathroom collections in terms of design and functionality, with the Top-Together label, as presented by Villeroy & Boch, showcasing particularly harmonious combinations for architects and bathroom planners. A total of 13 fitting collections are available, offering a wide range of styles, sizes and shapes.

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Tomorrow.Building World Congress (Barcelona, 5-7 November 2024) is the global event empowering the green and digital transition of buildings and urban infrastructures.

The Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BIAU) is launching its open, public call for the 13th edition, which will be held in Lima during the first week of December. Under the theme CLIMATES: Actions for Good Living, this call for submissions seeks to recognize projects that, in the spheres of architecture, urban planning and related disciplines, offer alternative and innovative solutions for inhabiting and caring for the planet.

In the conception and development of its activities, the Fundació Mies van der Rohe aims to generate research and debate about modern and contemporary architecture in a manner that is open to paradigm changes, and particularly in relation to concepts which are fundamental today such as identity, social inclusion and all elements of sustainability.

In this competition jointly initiated by A8 Design Center, Wide Horizon Landscape Center, and Wide Horizon Wuhan Division, it is expected that through thetransformation of the existing municipal ramp bridge and the design of the landscape structure connected to it, after the municipal traffic function of the ramp bridge is cancelled in the future, it can be converted into an aerial urban greenway in the large park system, and further through the vertical traffic line of the landscape structure, a connection between the urban elevated greenway interface and the ground park can be formed. With the elevated bridge park and the landscape structure as anchor nodes, a flexible conversion and connection from the rapid urban traffic interface to the ground park system can be achieved, creating a user-friendly activity space, and becoming a display interface for the city's riverside expressway.

UN-Habitat’s “Inclusive Communities, Thriving Cities” Programme invites professional and emerging artists worldwide to participate in a digital art competition on the theme “My Urban Vision”. The participants are invited to use their creativity to inspire change, leveraging their voices and vision for an inclusive and sustainable urban future.

Theme: Heatwave

In the past ten years across the globe, temperatures have broken records of heat consecutively bringing one heat wave after the other. The effects of these heatwaves have been felt particularly strongly in the Gulf region which was already known to hold extremely high temperatures in the summer months.