Human Touch

Design Anthology’s editors-in-chief consider how empathy and ingenuity shape the spaces, stories and connections that define our world

The phrase ‘human-centric’ is more than a little tired these days, but at its most earnest, the term captures the essence of an industry that is rather unique. Stripped of aesthetic and commercial principles, the process of design is a fundamentally human expression of empathy. To seek to improve the world around us through ingenuity and with grace is an act of generosity, compassion and optimism that can sometimes be overlooked in the unbridled pursuit of commercial success.

It’s in this spirit that we hope to build a media platform that delivers real richness and value to our readers’ lives and acts as our own expression of care and empathy for the world and people around us.

Every story starts and ends with people. We have little interest in brands, spaces or goods that fail to consider the human element, and because of this, Design Anthology is a relationship-centric venture, with the interests of our community our guiding principle. And as we continue to think about what the term means today, you’ll see the ideals of human-centred design explored throughout this issue.

As always, we champion the designers, makers and thinkers who make meaningful contributions to the world around them. Part of that involves bringing dignity to spaces that don’t often receive much of it, such as Walter Brooke’s Evergreen Community Precinct in Adelaide, which serves grieving friends and families and whose very design strengthens a sense of community.

We also visit collectors, ceramicists and craftspeople from Sydney to Seoul to Kyoto, see centuries-old traditions and luxury converge in Tibet, and learn how an airline creates — here it comes — human-centric environments for passengers traversing the globe in what have traditionally been some of the more utilitarian spaces we inhabit.

We bring you our tips for the best places to see, sleep, shop, eat and more in Seoul for the first iteration of a new section, The City. We go beneath the surface of Pakistan’s art scene, visit homes in China, Singapore, Australia and India, explore historic Chinese opera theatres, take a ride through Sydney’s biggest infrastructure project in decades and finish up with a wander through charming Chiang Mai with our resident flâneur. Tuck in, take care and we’ll see you on the other side.

Simone Schultz & Jeremy Smart
Editors-in-Chief

Inside the issue
Contents
Dossier
The List
A round-up of things to see, places to go and books to read

Community Precinct, Adelaide
Walter Brooke’s award-winning Evergreen Community Precinct is an example of how a building can embody values of compassion, dignity and inclusivity

Gallery, Sydney
Studio Gardner is a calming space showcasing an instinctive selection of furniture and objects by founders Joseph Gardner and Aaron Wong

Profile
A chance encounter led South Korean ceramic artist Heami Li to start experimenting with silver overlay, a process that has come to define her work

Studio
After two centuries, Kyoto-based Japanese paper lantern producer Kojima Shoten continues to make pieces that innovate and push the limits of the craft

Style
Studio, Tibet
Norlha has amassed a global following for its khullu clothing and homewares made by hand on the Tibetan Plateau

The Wardrobe
New essentials from editor-approved brands

Wanderlust
The Journey, Hong Kong
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific takes a design-driven approach to aviation, creating sensory, tactile spaces in the air and on the ground

The City, Seoul
A design-led tour of one destination, selected by our global contributors and team. In this first edition, we visit the South Korean capital of Seoul, notebook in hand

Openings
From Kolkata to Inverness, we round up some of the best new design-led properties around the world

Vernissage
Survey
Three recent shows in Pakistan both connected the country’s art scene with the region and showcased its political and artistic heritage

Home
Shanghai
A distinctive ground-floor apartment became gallerist Matthew Liu’s new home, with the help of Signyan Design’s Ke Xie

Singapore
L Architects transformed a petite apartment into a biophilic space inspired by Singapore’s parks of yore

Mornington Peninsula
Melding German style with Australian coastal ease, designer Melissa Strauch’s home is all about handcrafted details and practical panache

Guangzhou
A series of clever spatial edits turned this compartmentalised home into one that prioritises fluidity and comfort

Thiruvalla
This home by Lijo Reny Architects forges a deep connection with the Manimala River

Architectonics
Photography
Chinese photographer Zhefeng Shang chronicles the disappearing revolutionary opera stages of Shaanxi province, built from the 1950s to the 1980s

Public Transport, Sydney
The Sydney Metro development is Australia’s largest public transport project, and the early signs are that the wait has been worth it

The Flâneur
Chiang Mai
A flâneur is an urban explorer, and in our rotating column, our writers share their musings, observations and critiques of the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, writer Tomás Pinheiro visits Chiang Mai in the wake of devastating floods and considers the resilience and future of Thailand’s second largest city