A year of design in review: 2018 in pictures

Design | By Elly Parsons | 3 Dec 2018

Celebrate 2018’s prime design arrivals with Wallpaper*

This year, Wallpaper* launched into the future with the new Moonshots Division; made feel-good design at our Wellness + Wonder Handmade exhibition in Milan, and interviewed everyone from Sir Jony Ive to Prince Charles. We debuted the first Wallpaper* Film Platform; lost and found ourselves in countless architectural hide-outs, and challenged you to make 12, endlessly eccentric recipes straight from the kitchens of visionaries, in our longrunning Artist’s Palate series. Every day through December, join us in taking a rare moment to pause, raise a glass, and celebrate the photographic, illustrative and graphic feast from our printed and digital pages...

**‘Rams’ documentary, by Gary Hustwit**

We kick off with a principle close to our hearts: ‘Less but better’. This autumn, Wallpaper* collaborated with London’s Barbican and filmmaker Gary Hustwit on the screening of new documentary *Rams*, about the pioneering German industrial designer Dieter Rams who first coined the now storied phrase, accompanied by a meditative soundtrack by Brian Eno. *Pictured: World Receiver T1000, 1963, by Dieter Rams for Braun*

**Body culture**

Milanese mannequin maker La Rosa – producer of fashion display models since the 1920s – combined artistry with modern technology to smarten up the shop dummy’s act in our March issue (W*227). *Pictured: a robot mannequin designed by La Rosa for outerwear brand Moncler in 2016. Photography: Image Group. Writer: Dal Chodha*

**Amos Rex Museum by JKMM, Helsinki**

Immersive art and architecture meet at Helsinki’s Amos Rex Museum by JKMM, inaugurated in August. *Photography: Tuomas Uusheimo*

**Yali dessert spoons**

In our annual collection of refined Bites – food art and culinary creations for the design-minded – we came across these gelato dessert spoons, designed by Marie-Rose Kahane. They bring something of the colourful Italian ice cream display to your everyday table

**Keef Palas’ living jewels**

Appropriately launched in the life-giving spring time, Keef Palas designed living jewellery, made from magnolia leaves, chilli pepper and immortelle flower, earrings all come vacuum packed, with a life expectancy of one to three months. ‘Once open, you should wear them as often as possible for they evolve like a bouquet of flowers, taking the natural way of growth and decay,’ Eugenia Oliva of Keel Palas explains. ‘Each pair has a life expectancy of its own!’ *Photography: Paula Latimori*

Maki & Associates’ design the new Aga Khan Centre in London — **Aga Khan Centre, London**

Maki & Associates’ designed the new Aga Khan Centre in London, which opened its doors in July. *Photography: Hufton+Crow*

Wallpaper Film Platform — **Wallpaper* Film Platform**

This summer, we launched the first Wallpaper* Film Platform, a springboard for the most exciting global talent working in the moving image. Here’s a still from Impossible House, a film by still-life photographer William Bunce and set designer Lisa Jahovic. An abstract short that follows an animated sphere as it explores a seemingly impossible house, through windows and down stairwells

‘Face forward’ watches shoot — **Face forward**

In our December issue (W*237), a spirit of invention points to tech-savvy times for women’s watch design. Pictured: ‘Entropy 1, Cobalt Crash’ manual-wind skeleton watch with exploded movement, in hodium, titanium and silicium, CHF28,800 (€25,100), by Fiona Krüger. Dress, £12,055, by Prada. Photography: Toby Coulson. Watches & jewellery director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes

**Ancient and Modern**

Revered as a historic Japanese capital, Nara is experiencing a cultural renaissance, led by a savvy herd of young creatives, as featured in our November issue (W*236). Designed by Mitsuo Katayama in 1965, the Nara Prefectural Government Office (pictured) features a large roof that has been converted into a public square offering views of the city. *Photography: Carol Sachs*

Coal Drops yard in London’s King’s Cross — **First kiss**

Heatherwick Studio’s all-embracing design for a new retail hub, Coal Drops Yard in London’s King’s Cross. *Photography: Hufton + Crow*

**Guardian Art Center, Beijing**

Büro Ole Scheeren’s Guardian Art Center completed this January in Beijing, quickly emerging as a contemporary response to Chinese cultural history and a new anchor for the community. *Photography: Iwan Baan*

**Tom Blachford photography**

Tom Blachford shed light on Tokyo’s dark side in this neon noir photoshoot, that we debuted in January. *Pictured: Nakagin Capsule Tower, 1972, designed by Kisho Kurokawa. Photography: Tom Blachford*

**Wallpaper* Design Awards: Best Plumbing**

As originally featured in the February (W*227), the Chocolate tap, by Kelly Wearstler, for Compartés scooped one of our coveted honours that decorate the design, architecture and fashion high-fliers of the year. *Photography: Jonnie Chambers*

**‘La Marseillaise’, by Jean Nouvel**

Jean Nouvel’s latest office tower joined the architectural parade at the vast Euroméditerranée site in Marseille. The building’s colourful, concrete brise-soleils capture the reflective light from the waterfront like a piece of op art. *Photography: Michèle Clavel. As originally featured in the October 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*235)*

**Colour blast**

Artist Katharina Grosse was featured in our W* in our December 2018 issue (W*237), on turning her spray gun on everything from soil to Styrofoam and, next up, five rooms of a Shanghai museum. Pictured: Katharina Grosse surrounded by works in progress at her Berlin Mitte studio. Designed by local firm Augustin und Frank Architekten, its white walls are protected by sheets of plastic that bear the technicolour traces of previous works. Photography: Roman Goebel

**Natural wonder**

Canadian landscape architect – and national treasure – Cornelia Hahn Oberlander told Wallpaper’s May issue (W*229) why it’s easier to be green. Pictured: Oberlander sitting on a Harry Bertoia ‘Diamond’ chair in her Vancouver home, located in the university endowment lands, a semi-forested area west of the city. Photography: Yoshihiro Makino

**British Land London Design Medal**

The 2018 British Land London Design Medal winners included Neri Oxman, Eva Jiřičná, Grace Wales Bonner and Hussein Chalayan. *Pictured: The Cultural and University Centre designed by Eva Jiricna and AI – DESIGN in Zlín, Czech Republic*

A glass treehouse by Broissin offers a playful botanical space — **Design Week Mexico**

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018, Design House is an annual highlight on the Design Week Mexico calendar. This year’s edition saw an abandoned house transformed by 24 local interior designers and architects, each one restoring a room or outdoor area in their unique style. While the project reflects the diverse talent of the 2018 World Design Capital, it also showed a variety of new approaches to design thinking currently brimming throughout Mexico City. *Pictured: a glass treehouse by Broissin offers a playful botanical space*

Jasper Morrison designs Punkt MP02 — **Punkt MP02**

Jasper Morrison designed the new edition of the Punkt MP02, the no-frills ‘mindful mobile’

Rules of modern-day collaboration according to Earl of East London — **Earl of East London and Charlotte Taylor**

Earl of East Londo n and emerging printmaker Charlotte Taylor joined forces on a progressive candle-art project. *Pictured, print by Charlotte Taylor*

**Studiopepe, at Salone del Mobile**

Milan-based duo Studiopepe created the ultimate hospitality suite for its Salone showing this year. Titled Club Unseen, the private members space included designs from the likes of Atelier de Troupe and Pulpo, plus Studiopepe’s own bespoke pieces in a space that included living rooms, a mixology installation, beauty boudoir and a latex and neon-lit lounging space

**The Jaffa Hotel, Tel Aviv**

John Pawson transformed a former Tel Aviv hospital into The Jaffa hotel, which opened its doors in June. *Photography: Amit Geron*

**Wallpaper* Design Awards: Best Green Space**

Another winner of our annual – and coveted – Wallpaper* Design Awards (announced in the February issue), is located in Toshima, in the heart of Tokyo. Tree-ness House by Akihisa Hirata scooped the award for Best Green Space. The structure comprises multiple concrete cubes, punctuated by 17 folded steel window boxes filled with green shoots. *Photography: Vincent Hecht*

**Amorepacific HQ, Seoul**

David Chipperfield’s cubic Amorepacific headquarters was inaugurated in Seoul. *Photography: Noshe*

David Chipperfield San Michele island cemetery — **Death in Venice**

In our November issue (W*236), David Chipperfield bequeaths the city a legacy in stone with a sober extension of the San Michele island cemetery. *Photography: Mattia Balsamini*

**Bethan Gray with Rado**

The Rado True Thinline Studs watch, created in collaboration with designer Bethan Gray – her first wearable design. *Photography: Aylin Bayhan*

**Casa Bruma, Mexico City**

A cluster of blackened concrete pavilions formed a discreet retreat outside Mexico City. *Photography: Rafael Gamo*

**Lunar landing**

In our November issue (W*236), a Danish mission explored the cultural pull of the moon. *Pictured: Marie Laurberg and Paul Erik Tojner, Louisiana Museum Curator and Director, respectively, with a projection of Rosa Barba’s 2015 The Color Out of Space. Photography: Giulia Mangione*

**Wallpaper* Handmade: Wellness + Wonder**

Each year at Salone del Mobile, our exhibition of captivating collaborations is joined by a whole host of friends to enrich the true Wallpaper* Handmade experience. This year, we housed new launches, a disco, and an outdoor installation, alongside a plethora of projects we commissioned for Wellness + Wonder, this year’s Handmade theme

**Ellipse gloss**

Patek Philippe updates an era-defining dress watch, as seen in our October (W*235) issue. *Pictured: the 2018 rose-gold Golden Ellipse 5738R-001 grand taille edition with super-slim PP 240 automatic movement, £23,620, by Patek Philippe. Photography: Norman Wilcox-Geissen*

Mad men tailoring — **Mad men**

We celebrated the *Mad Men*-esque, composed tailoring (fit for a corporate meltdown) in our May 2018 issue (W*229). Photography: Brian Griffin. Fashion: Jason Hughes Pictured: Coat, £3,005; shirt, £415; trousers, £435; tie, £145, all by Prada. Cap, £460; gloves, £420, both by Loro Piana. Sunglasses, £140, by Oakley. Shoes, £140, by Geox

Prince Charles' Aston Martin — **Prince Charles’ Aston Martin DB6**

In our October issue (W*235), Prince Charles took Wallpaper* for a spin in his pioneering green machine, a cheese-and-wine-powered Aston Martin DB6, as photographed by Sir Don McCullin. Here Prince Charles steps from his 1969 MKII Volante, in the grounds of the Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire

**Off the wall**

Our boys had a head for business and a body for singular style, in the September 2018 issue (W*234). Photography: Sophie Green. Fashion: Jérôme André. Left wears suit, £3,105, by Maison Margiela. Shirt, €355; tie, €165, both by Charvet. Shoes, £530, by Church’s. Right wears jacket, £1,590; shirt, £490; trousers, £670; tie, £145, all by Gucci. Shoes, £540, by Church’s. Umbrellas, £600 each, by George Cleverley

Peter Zumthor unveils Devon villa inspired by Andrea Palladio — **Peter Zumthor’s Secular Retreat, Devon**

Peter Zumthor unveiled a rammed-concrete Devon villa in the UK, inspired by Andrea Palladio, for Alain de Botton’s Living Architecture series. *Photography: Jack Hobhouse*

**Aesop and Rimowa**

In October, Rimowa teamed up with Aesop to design a sturdy suitcase to hold its range of travel essentials. The duo of discerning brands were brought together through a shared appreciation for functional products and a love of travel. *Pictured: Köln travel kit*

Tights, £287 each, by Marine Serre — **Blurred lines**

There’s no boundaries for girls who are boys who like boys to be girls, in our September 2018 issue (W*232). *Photography Brigitte Niedermair. Fashion: Isabelle Kountoure. Pictured: tights, £287 each, by Marine Serre*

**Palazzo Daniele, Puglia**

Minimalism meets a majesty at Palazzo Daniele, a six-bedroom guest house in Puglia. Set in the village of Gagliano del Capo, where the Adriatic’s rocky coastline meets the sandy beaches of the Ionian Sea, the property is the former family palazzo of Francesco Petrucci, co-founder of Capo d’Arte, a not-for-profit organisation promoting contemporary art in Puglia. *Photography: Enrico Costantini*. *As originally featured in the October issue of Wallpaper* (W*235)*

**Off grid**

Kengo Kuma’s asymmetric canopy for Château La Coste in France, for our monthly installment of wine and design news, as seen in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226). *Photography: James Reeve*

A spiralling concrete staircase at the CBR HQ, conceived and selected by Constantin Brodzki — **New brutalism**

In the July (W*232) issue, we explored what’s coming up in this new age of brutalism. Once the finely sculpted symbols of hope and the architectural avant-garde in a troubled post-war world, brutalist towers have, over the years, generated two distinct camps: for some, they are beloved icons gracing the pages of architecture books the world over and, for others, justly neglected behemoths, the reminders of shifting public tastes and misjudged modernist experiments. Now some are being rebooted and given new life. Renewed interest in the structures’ architectural heritage, robust construction and strong visual potential have prompted a wave of savvy renovations from eagle-eyed developers who wish to save – and capitalise on – the towers’ dramatic shapes. *Pictured: a spiralling concrete staircase at the CBR HQ in Brussels, conceived and selected by Constantin Brodzki*

**Joaquín Vaquero Palacios photographs power plants**

Play witness to the untold story of the architect who turned Spain’s modernist power plants into art. *Photography: Joaquín Vaquero Palacios*

**Ormaie, Paris**

Launched in September, with seven unisex fragrances – meticulously crafted from nose to modernist-inspired bottle top – Ormaie has all the makings of a key fragrance player, thanks to its melange of influences, each more fascinating and considered than the last

Healing Stay, Ulleungdo Island — **Healing Stay Kosmos hotel, Ulleungdo Island**

On the side of a steep icepick-shaped peak, Chanjoong Kim principal of Seoul-based architects The System Lab has curled snow-white concrete walls that swoop and swirl like the unusually potent chi energy fields that locals believe flow through the island. The resort’s high-ceilinged rooms curve and bend like the interior of a giant seashell. *Photography: Kim Yong Kwan*

**LC710, by Taller Hector Barroso**

It’s often the most awkwardly shaped plots that offer the best opportunities for architectural experimentation and forward thinking; and this latest work – LC710, by Mexico City-based Taller Hector Barroso – is a case in point. The boutique residential development sits within DF’s Colonia del Valle residential district, on an unusually long and relatively narrow lot. The architect’s masterful manipulation of volumes and play between open and enclosed spaces meant that each and every one of the residents will feel the same level of well-being and connection to the outdoors

**Nest practice**

Designer Porky Hefer’s debut architectural project hatched in Namibia, in our November issue (W*236). *Pictured: the reserve’s new guest lodge. Photography: Katinka Bester*

**Split screen**

Artist Katrien De Blauwer’s final cut of A/W18 in our September 2018 issue (W*234). *Photography: Esther Theaker. Fashion: Isabelle Kountoure. Pictured: coat, £4,390, by Tod’s. Dress, £2,495, by Victoria Beckham. Boots, £1,190, by Fendi*

Cuff-watch in yellow gold with nephrite dial, 1970, at Karry Berreby — **PAD London**

Jewellery highlights of PAD London included this cuff-watch in yellow gold with nephrite dial, 1970, at Karry Berreby

**New positions**

Making his fashion photography debut, artist Giuseppe Palmisano brings a fresh perspective to domestic drama in our October 2018 issue (W*235). *Fashion: Camille Kolb. Dress, £1795, by Chanel. ‘Tufty-Time’ modular sofa, from £5,168 for two sections, by Patricia Urquiola, for B&B Italia*

**Macallan Distillery, Scotland**

In May, we raised a glass to the new Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners-designed Macallan Distillery in Scotland. *Photography: Joas Souza*

**Hermès at SIHH, Geneva**

Hermès made its debut at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva. It reset the horological universe with an interactive installation, courtesy of Dutch artist Levi van Veluw. *Photography: Hervé Annen*

**Mickey Mouse watches, by Swatch and Damien Hirst**

As art collaborations go, Swatch and Damien Hirst has been a long time coming. An artist with a canny knack for finding the right moment, Hirst has tapped into the 90th anniversary of one of the most enduring pop icons of our time. Who better to add to the prestigious line of Mickey Mouse watches than Hirst? Even at first glance, it is, undoubtedly, an instant classic

Do Sara Ricciardi’s feathery ‘tools of pleasure’ tickle your fancy? — **Sara Ricciardi’s tools of pleasure**

Design’s darling *du jour* Sara Ricciardi titilated the industry with a collection of feathery ‘Body Brushes’. The ethereal range of her so-called ‘tools of pleasure’ were born from a desire to create design-minded tools that gently caress the skin and invigorate the nervous system. Do they tickle your fancy?

Wes Anderson-inspired bakery — **Breadway Bakery, Ukraine**

The Wes Anderson-inspired Breadway Bakery brought American pop aesthetics to Ukraine, in September. *Photography: Mikhail Loskutov*

Artist's Palate — **Artist’s Palate: Joana Vasconcelos’ fruit cake**

Taking two months to make, Joana Vasconcelos’ fruit cake, part of her *Treats* sculpture series and our monthly Artist’s Palate series, is not for the faint of will. Pictured: Frog, £104, by Michael Aram, from Amara. ‘Cantine’ plate, €16, by Jars Céramistes. Rooster, €300, by Sargadelos. Shoes, £640, by Giuseppe Zanotti. ‘Pots&Pans’ pans, from £50, all by Jasper Morrison, for Alessi. ‘Gold Bar’ necklace in yellow gold with diamonds, emeralds, yellow and brown sapphires, £35,880, by Shamballa Jewels, from Frost of London. ‘Ava’ fabric, £157 per m, by Nya Nordiska. Entertaining director: Melina Keays. *Photography: Felicity McCabe*

Sabine Marcelis for Fendi’s latest Design Miami collaboration — **Fountain head**

Sabine Marcelis goes with the flow for Fendi’s latest Design Miami collaboration, in our December issue (W*237). *Pictured: Marcelis testing one of her creations, which features the artist’s trademark play on optical effects and chromatic shades. Photography: Qiu Yang*

**Tinted love**

From our January (W*226) ‘In The Market For’ shoot, whisky glasses in Topaz, Aquamarine, Rosalin, Alexandrite and Eldor, £27 each, by Oldrich Lipa, for Mose

Haute joallerie — **High contrast**

Rich, complex pattern systems lead the way in this year’s haute joaillerie designs, as seen in our October issue (W*235). Pictured: ‘Jellybean Suite’ Artistic Pink Bakelite bracelet and earrings, price on request, by Daniel Brush New York (1991), from Siegelson. Dress, £2,170; scarf; hood (over face), prices on request, all by Richard Quinn. Photography: Emma Hartvig. Watches & Jewellery Director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes

**The art of Burning Man**

We traced the artistic history of Burning Man festival, exploring how it ignited a cultural movement beyond the desert. *Pictured: Heart of Gold, 2016, by HYBYCOZO, installation view at the Renwick Gallery. Photography: Ron Blunt*

**3D renders, by Alexis Christodoulou**

We explored the imagined modernist world of 3D artist Alexis Christodoulou, made exclusively from 3D renders. *Pictured: Red Room, by Alexis Christodoulou*

Magic mushrooms of Belgian ceramic artist Jos Devriendt — **After glow**

By day or night, the magic mushrooms of Belgian ceramic artist Jos Devriendt offer a sculptural trip in our April issue (W*228). *Pictured: from left, night and day 127; 140; 130; 139; 133; 141; 105; 142; 136, 2017, all by Jos Devriendt. Photography: Albrecht Fuchs*

**‘The Artist is Present’, Gucci and Maurizio Cattelan**

Gucci and Maurizio Cattelan explored the power of appropriation in Shanghai exhibition, ‘The Artist is Present’. Pictured: ‘Shrugging it off’, 2017, ‘Sighs of the Times’, 2017, by Josh Kline. Courtesy of Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London. Copyright the Artist . ‘Comfort Food’, 2017, by Danny and Lisa Goldberg

Celebrate 2018’s prime design arrivals with Wallpaper*

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