Few countries are experiencing the effects of rising global temperatures as acutely as the Marshall Islands. This nation of some 59,000 people is spread across more than 1,500 islands in the Pacific, with many just one or two metres above sea level. In its capital, Majuro, high spring tides regularly flood the streets, contaminating drinking water and forcing residents to seek higher ground. It’s here that the federal parliament building burned down earlier this week.

While the loss is a blow to the country’s infrastructure and cultural heritage – claiming government offices, a library and the national archives – it also offers an opportunity. Known as the Nitijela, the building was constructed around the time of independence in the 1980s and wasn’t designed to address the nation’s current environmental challenges. Nor did it serve as a benchmark for what Marshallese architecture could aspire to – something that other countries have successfully achieved.

Take Australia’s Parliament House (pictured, above), which was completed in 1988 by design firm Mitchell, Giurgola & Thorp. Its main structure is tucked into a hill, with an earthen roof providing thermal insulation and creating a grassy mound on which people can physically walk above their representatives. Similarly, Louis Kahn and Muzharul Islam’s 1982 parliament building in Dhaka features large geometric openings and a surrounding lake, designed to circulate cool air throughout the building – essential in the Bangladeshi capital’s humid climate. Commissioning one of the world’s foremost modernist architects was also a statement of intent from a rapidly developing nation hoping to show a new, modern face to the world.

So what opportunities do the Marshall Islands have? The country’s president, Hilda Heine, re-elected in 2023, leads a government that is already serving as a testing ground for innovative climate solutions, from floating solar arrays and salt-resistant crops to mangrove restoration projects (which provide natural coastal defences while supporting local fisheries). Creating a new parliament building that can respond to floods and rising sea levels could be another climate-minded statement from Heine. 

Elsewhere, amphibious architecture has been constructed from hollow concrete boxes attached to steel pillars, which provide buoyancy and allow the structures to rise and float on water during floods. Here, an experimental, ecologically conscious building that embraces such a concept could position the Marshall Islands as a regional leader in sustainable architecture. Despite its small GDP, the nation might also attract investment from other countries contending with similar issues (Taiwan, for instance, is backing the country’s crop programme). As in Australia and Bangladesh, it would give the country a building of global renown too – something for its people to be proud of.

Nic Monisse is Monocle’s design editor. For more news and analysis, head to monocle.com.

Athens-based architecture studio Local Local has unveiled its latest project in the historical heart of the city: Melas Martinos, a contemporary art gallery at the foot of the Acropolis. The space in the Monastiraki neighbourhood boasts unobstructed views of the ancient hill; here, centuries of Athenian culture and history come together in a blend of architectural styles, from Byzantine churches and Ottoman-era structures to neoclassical buildings.

Local Local sought to preserve the historical importance of the site while creating a versatile backdrop for art pieces. “In its former life, the building was an antiques shop – part of it still occupies the ground floor,” says Sofia Xanthakou, the studio’s founder. “We were careful to develop a new space that would enhance its context while delivering contemporary characteristics.” The white interiors emphasise natural light, while elements such as handcrafted wrought iron and wooden balustrades echo more traditional Athenian aesthetics. A damaged floor was replaced with light-grey timber and the top storey was repurposed as a terrace overlooking the area. The result is a gentle juxtaposition of the gallery’s contemporary art collection and the city’s rich heritage.
localocal.org

Valencia-born, Madrid-based interior designer Virginia Nieto is a leading voice in hospitality. Her training at New York’s Parsons School of Design – as well as her early-career practice in Barcelona – has put her in good stead as Annua Signature Hotels’ lead interior designer. Here, she tells us about balancing craftsmanship and functionality, and the importance of picking the right hues.

What’s the design movement that has influenced you the most?
I can’t name a single designer or architect who has shaped my work. For me, inspiration always begins with the place: its light, its history, its vernacular architecture. With Hotel Son Xotano in Mallorca [pictured, above], for example, it was the estate that showed me the way – a 12th-century finca in a pristine natural setting. I design from what already exists, from the memory embedded in a space.

The sky’s the limit: which piece of furniture would you love to own?
I don’t dream about specific pieces of furniture. In my work, the real protagonist is colour. It’s always the starting point. From that chromatic atmosphere, everything else emerges organically – materials, textures and objects. I’m more interested in creating harmony than in spotlighting a single iconic piece.

A recurring source of inspiration?
Art books, travel and local craft. I’m fascinated by how different cultures handle materials through their traditions. Instagram has also become a surprisingly rich visual archive. It gives me instant access to projects, styles and creators from across the globe. 

A favourite project that you’ve worked on?
Hotel Son Xotano, without question.

A dream commission?
Honestly, my dream project is always the one that I’m working on. There’s something magical about watching an idea that you’ve quietly nurtured for months become a real, lived-in space. That said, I’d love to design an artist’s retreat one day or a sanctuary deep in nature: a place made entirely from locally sourced materials, where the architecture doesn’t impose but rather accompanies. Somewhere serene, slow and emotionally resonant.

A priority for you or for the industry?
The real challenge is finding the balance between craftsmanship and functionality. When I first began working with Annua on hotel projects, everything was beautifully handcrafted, obsessively detailed and full of soul. But I quickly realised that a hotel also needs to function: it has a rhythm, a reality. My work now focuses on blending those worlds and ensuring that beauty and practicality can coexist, seamlessly and meaningfully.

A city or place that recently inspired you?
Venice has a profound effect on me – especially during the Homo Faber design festival, which is an extraordinary celebration of craftsmanship. It’s an ode to heritage and the handmade, and a beautiful bridge between cultures, generations and disciplines. Anyone working in design should visit it at least once. It’s not just inspiring – it’s transformative.

For more insights from leading designers, tune in to ‘Monocle on Design’ on Monocle Radio.

It can be difficult to justify the sky-high prices of some rare mid-century furniture – especially if the piece in question was originally designed to be affordable. In 1948, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (Moma) held the International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design and Cuban-Mexican couple Clara Porset and Xavier Guerrero submitted these chairs made from steel tubes and a rope. While it didn’t take home a prize and never went into wider production, likenesses of it are now being sold for five figures a pair.

Moma launched the competition in response to rising demand for affordable furniture in the postwar years. Some of the winning entries, including an moulded fibreglass chair by Charles and Ray Eames, went on to become classics. But most of the 3,000 submissions, including these lightweight chairs, remained as prototypes. There should be no obstacle for a manufacturer to finally put the design into mass production today – or, even better, sponsor a new competition to encourage high-quality design for everyone.

When design journalist and writer Ringo Gomez-Jorge learned about the Japanese concept of shosa, he knew that he had to write about it. The term has no Western equivalent but it can be summarised as a respectful attitude, a mindful way of moving or a beautiful, repeated action. “I find daily life in Japan so interesting,” says Gomez-Jorge. “There is a distinct sensibility and a kind of quiet humility to the people.” His book, Shosa: Meditations in Japanese Handwork, features 12 interviews with craftspeople, artists, teachers and even a high-ranking female Zen monk. Each provides different views on how and why shosa is important to them. 

Published by Antwerp-based Luster, the book features photography by Rob Walbers and is designed by Gomez’s wife, Inge Rylant. The clean design allows the bright images to breathe, while an earthy green-and-clay colourway echoes the content within. The book shows contemporary Japan as the creative country that has long won over so many of its visitors. “We were determined to avoid an overly stereotypical take,” says Gomez-Jorge. “We wanted to strike a balance between  the real Japan and the ‘picture perfect’ version.”
lusterpublishing.com