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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.

'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.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to ask questions. Probably too many. But when you meet with Italian architecture and design grandee Michele De Lucchi, you’re all ears, such is the caliber of his thought and the eloquence of his expression, built on the back of over half a century of experimental, and sometimes iconoclastic, creative practice. From his participation in such avant-garde design collectives as Studio Alchimia and Memphis to his authorship of the Compasso d’Oro-winning Tolomeo lamp and Pulcina coffee pot, he’s seen a lot and done a lot.

Let’s be honest. There’s been a certain amount of speculation over the past while about the future of imm cologne, the international furniture fair that’s traditionally kicked off the calendar year, acting as a compass to the design landscape of the following twelve months. Like every physical trade fair, it has had to navigate white waters: pandemic strictures, turbulent macroeconomics and the continued expansion of alternative channels.

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Don't be fooled. Size really does matter. Particularly when it comes to new urban housing developments, where the challenge of squaring housing density with quality of life and sustainability remains key.

'You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties,' goes the old pop song from the 1980s.

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Not many architectural projects require maps of the area to be updated. But, then again, not many projects are as sensitively considered as the Lighthouse Hotel & Spa in Büsum, North Germany.

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They say you only really become aware of whether an architect has considered the acoustics of a space when she or he hasn't. Think archly Instagrammable, yet I-can't-hear-my-dining-partner-speak restaurant interiors.

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By Simon Keane-Cowell.

We connect with Patrick Speck and Carina Buhlert, design experts at GROHE – one of the leading global bathroom-solutions and kitchen-fixtures brands – to discuss product innovation and the launch of its new digital-experience platform, GROHE X.