Editor's Letter – April 2023

Hello there. 

After a short hiatus, my monthly editor's letter is back. The idea is the same as ever. A considered edit of Architonic's editorial content from the last short while, plus some commentary, general musings and a few special updates. What could possibly go wrong?

The Architonic team – and the wider DAAily platforms team – are just back from a high-octane Milan Design Week, tired but inspired. We covered a huge amount of ground, making sure to connect with our community of architects, design brands, retailers and journalists. Milan is a behemoth like no other (that's where our trusty Architonic guides come in!) and I had the distinct impression that both the city and the fair were truly back – aided in no small part by a large cohort of Chinese visitors, profiting from their government's relaxation of its long-standing Covid restrictions. 

The high-point for us, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the aperitivo and party at our location in Brera – the DAAily bar at Swiss Corner – where we played host to over 1,300 architects and designers, manufacturers, retailers, journalists and an assortment of other movers and shakers from the global A&D scene – along with a custom-made birthday cake by Dinara Kasko. The perfect way to celebrate 20 years of Architonic. We may be a digital business, but we’re very much a people business. Our real-time relationships with you are something we cherish; you make us who we are. 

Despite the crowds, it’s a matter of fact that the Salone was smaller this year, a tendency that the exhibition industry as a whole is experiencing, as brands opt for a diversity of channels to present their products. What does this mean for the sustainability of the physical-fair business? 

I spoke to thought-leading German architect Peter Ippolito to find out his take on the future of fairs. ‘They have to become a broker of information or a content creator,’ he argues. ‘They could be much more the driver about the conversations in the field. Or conversations, as there are plenty.’ As a moderator of live talks for Architonic at the upcoming edition of ICFF New York in May, plus the imm cologne Spring Edition and 3daysofdesign Copenhagen in June, I would have to say that I agree. 

One of the best products I saw while in Milan was, in fact, more of a project – or, indeed, a game-changing business case. ‘Fellow’ – a truly innovative collaboration between Zurich-based architect Stephan Hürlemann and 140-year-old Swiss carpet brand Ruckstuhl – sees blockchain technology meet bespoke, all-natural-materials manufacturing. Using their smartphones, customers select their very own small section from a series of large patterns, receiving their rug in the form of a digital twin. This NFT functions as a production voucher, meaning the rug design can be produced locally to them by an approved producer, either immediately or at some later point in time.  

But, Fellow isn’t just a driver for decentralised manufacturing. The NFT operates as a certificate of authenticity and proof of the rug’s sustainability credentials, as well as a diary of sorts, where the owner can upload their stories about, and images of, how they’re living with the piece. The idea here is to add value to the product over its lifetime, so that when it comes to being sold on, or passed down, it comes with a biographic, as well as literal, patina. 

Live longer. I’m adopting this as my new mantra.

Simon Keane-Cowell
Editor-in-Chief

© Architonic

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