DCA weaves tale of ingenuity in small spaces| IAnD’s best of 2016| Praxis’ designs urban penthouse with revivalist elements| and more

Dear IAnDians, We begin the year by bringing you a recap of some of our most trending stories of 2016; and my personal choices under art, design and architecture. Besides, there are new features with some fantastic interior styling ideas. Readers’ feedback has been encouraging and though for the most part you (our readers) have been showering us with compliments, we would love to know what interests you would like us to pursue to give you that extra fillip! Do write in with your inputs. They help us set new benchmarks. Team IAnD is continuously working on bettering your design reading experience. 2017 too will bring you a host of new features, special editions and the like. So stay tuned in; stay happy! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Addressing social problems thru’ architecture| Top fashion designers speak on trends to ditch/ keep in 2017| Bblunt’s interior footprint| and more

Dear IAnDians, We are signing off this year with tons of hope for a brighter, bigger, more evolved 2017. We’ve hand-picked stories for you that endorse fortitude and gratification in a same breath. Mobile homes and disaster control construction as examples of evolution in the built form around us are ably supplemented with inescapable fashion trends that willy-nilly bog us, no matter who we are! They seem to be the barometers of a social decree that we all unwarrantedly cater to. So ring in the New Year. Party hard and have loads of fun. We will soon see you with some newer exciting stories. Wishing you a very warm, joyous, energizing and successful 2017! Cheers! Savitha Hira Editor

If fine art inspires design – you must see the list-toppers at Kochi-Muziris Biennale | The all-black retail experience | Concert hall dedicated to electro nights| and more

Dear IAnDians, There is something hypnotic about the colour black! Whilst in fashion, it is a must-have; in interiors, a complete black envelope is a rare find. Hence, it is refreshing to see AN Design studio carve out an all-black poetic retail experience for Heike in China. The geometric juxtapositions endorse excellent spatial play as does the spell of materials and textures; a totally recommended must-read. Taking colours to another level is yet another installation by Ar. Emmanuelle Moureaux, who has applied her signature ‘100 shades of colours’ to turn around a branding exercise for Japan’s leading bearings’ manufacturer. An amazing collaboration of papercraft and engineering! You must have caught on by now, I guess; our stories this week revolve around colour, material and ‘design impact’ as one interesting feature follows another. Whether the new look concert hall especially for electronic music; or the most happening art biennale in India… there is something for each one of you to ‘take home’. Wishing you loads of Christmas Cheer! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Producing energy by design| A space designed to help ideate| A villa in dialogue with nature| Artist Subodh Gupta’s search within| and more

Dear IAnDians, Every individual seems to be involved in a search; search for a new idea, for success, for a breakthrough concept, for the sublime… So what are we truly searching for? And is there a duration or period of termination involved? The question remains the same across the realm- whether design, architecture or art. If any of you have checked out Subodh Gupta’s utensil installations and his preoccupation with the cosmos of late, you will see that his is a continuing dialogue of material and immaterial; internal and external that is constantly searching the soul in the wake of societal paradoxes. So whether it’s a new store in the neighbourhood, a panoramic vista from a luxe home that may seem idyll to you; or a renovated contemporary space with characteristic respect to history and sentiments, in this brick-and-mortar world, where emotions are the crux of life and living, we bring you an issue filled with many searches. Would you like to identify with yours? Write to us - editor@indiaartndesign.com Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Is wood the construction material of the future?| Managing the cost of commercial spaces| Vertical gardens| Retreat in the skies| and more

Dear IAnDians, While on one hand material, process and technology become instrumental in the making of the built form; one sees a close nexus; almost ingeniously inculcated that guides its conceptual idiom. So what is driving new design? Material or fresh concepts? Our bouquet this week has hand-picked concepts from façade design; breakthrough in building design using timber for high-rise; landscaping vide vertical gardens; contextual, traditional architectural typologies that use nature as their guideline; the charm of iconic buildings and lots more… With focus being on hard-core architectural practice, each story touches upon a characteristic feature of the built form and its engineering. And amidst this ‘put-on-your-thinking-cap’ bent, is an exhibition design that breathes in a burst of fresh air to entertain you! Read, assimilate, enjoy! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor