Prague, not quite as planned. I spent most of the trip in bed, unwell, barely seeing the city. But one morning I made it out, and managed to catch what felt like the best of it.
A humble omelette at Kavárna Obecní dům quickly turned into honey cake from the roaming dessert trolley, encouraged by a politely persistent waitress. The setting is extraordinary, a building of epic scale with interiors that layer Art Nouveau, early Deco and hints of Wiener Werkstätte detail.
Then on to Café Slavia for a ginger tea, a softer, more restrained early 20th century interior. A brief stop at the House of the Black Madonna added another note, early Cubism, sharper, more graphic.
Even in a short window, you get a sense of how much life has unfolded in these spaces. It must have been an incredible moment to be in Prague.
A huge thank you to Christine and the team at @sirpraguehotel for looking after me while I was unwell, providing comfort and the medicines that helped me recover.
Before entering Villa Tugendhat, a modest plaque set into the floor quietly reminds you that this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserved as an exceptional example of spatial composition and architecture of significance to all mankind.
I found myself almost searching for fault, some unresolved junction or imperfect detail, but there is none. Everything is executed with the precision one expects of Mies van der Rohe.
Arguably one of Mies’s most refined domestic works, the house emerged from a client’s fascination with the Barcelona Pavilion, reimagined here as a place to live. Mies translated that freedom into a domestic setting, pairing it with richly veined African onyx and Macassar ebony, both rare and expressive at the time.
Despite its canonical status, I realised I had never seen it alive or in the evening; lit, inhabited, slightly undone. Instead, it remains suspended in a state of quiet perfection.
I wrote a guide and article on Mexico City for @designanthology_uk (Issue 22, out now) — a city that feels alive with ideas, constantly reshaping itself through creativity, openness and exchange.
I found myself drawn into its carefree, collaborative way of living, where ideas move easily, unregulated and instinctive. It was a memorable trip, and one I am already looking forward to returning to.
Pictured, three guesthouses I stayed in from @stayannex
1-3, @casabosquespension is a guesthouse conceived by Rafael Prieto of @savvystudio as a layered world of memory, imagery and local craft.
4-6, La Colorada de Tabuya, a former coachhouse and party den now home to @masagaleria and a selection of guest rooms, each with unique rubber beds and lighting by @brian_thoreen
7, @guestrooms_jardinprim , a vast former residence, now a raw, multi use cultural space with dramatic retained architecture.
Thank you to @notthatseth and @rafaelsavvy for hosting me and for such a generous introduction to the city. 🩵🩷🧡💛🇲🇽🌯🌮
The detailing at the Austrian Postal Savings Bank by Otto Wagner have been a source of influence to my projects over the past decades. It is great to visit and see it in person.
Wagner’s architecture was remarkable for its time, with the subtle, patterned articulation of the columns bringing a quiet precision to the space. The legacy of the Wiener Werkstätte still has so much to give.
The Retti Candle Shop by Hans Hollein remains quietly intact, though no longer in business. An iconic boutique that has long inspired me. Built in 1965 it was perceived as radical modernism, the aluminium facade plays with form and perception. A small project, but one that still feels precise, provocative and entirely contemporary.
@lavalisemazunte unfolds as a series of villas embedded into the cliffs of the Oaxaca coast. Designed by @kalach_tax the architecture draws on local stone, plaster and timber to sit quietly within the landscape, with dramatic infinity pools cascading toward the Pacific, framing uninterrupted ocean horizons and creating a deeply immersive sense of calm. ⛰️🌊⛲️☀️🌄 Gracias to @bacchus.agency and @namronhospitality for arranging my stay and making me feel so welcomed.
A visit to Casa TO, @ludwiggodefroy ’s neighbouring hotel, is an extension of circular concrete motifs; a tiered pool terrace and sculptural courtyard spaces capture the essence of Godefroy’s architectural language. 🔘🩵🔘
