In both places, there was a sense of energy building that was not yet fully visible. The experiences made me realize that, while sales totals and fair brands can serve as benchmarks of centrality, slower, structural transformations are taking place throughout Asia that merit closer attention.
The ministry is coordinating with other ministries and agencies to finalise and submit to the Prime Minister the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Vietnam and Samsung Group regarding the group's semiconductor manufacturing project in Vietnam.
"I think Phnom Penh has become far more confident in its own voice. A few years ago, much of the retail and lifestyle scene felt either NGO-adjacent or heavily expat-driven. Now there's a noticeable shift toward Cambodian-led creative businesses that are designing for a more discerning local audience."
Each Philippe Starck-designed villa begins with a grounded base formed in stone to give weight to the lower levels and establish a tactile connection to the earth. Above, the architect designs lighter structures, where glass and slender framing open the interiors toward the horizon.
Seongsu-dong is Seoul's creative hub, where old warehouses and factories have been transformed into design studios, cafés, and showrooms. Often referred to as 'the Brooklyn of Seoul,' the industrial infrastructure, pop-up scene, and design-led façades make it a photo-friendly destination favored by many design-loving visitors.
The Leica Vibrant mode was in its element here, pulling stunning color out of these flamboyant buildings that surrounded the central canal. The telephoto camera has excellent image quality, and while the 3.2x-4.3x optical zoom range did seem limited, a quick punch to the 8x mode produced exceptionally usable results.
The spatial sequence begins at the entrance, where an open pasta laboratory replaces the conventional reception area. Positioned directly at the front of the restaurant, the glass-enclosed workspace allows visitors to observe the preparation of fresh pasta. The visible process of kneading and shaping dough establishes a direct relationship between the kitchen and the dining space while introducing the restaurant's focus on handmade production.
The announcement of a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" between Brussels and Hanoi last week places the EU side by side with China, the United States, and Russia as one of Vietnam's top-tier diplomatic relationships. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong described it as a "historical milestone underlining the great achievements that the two sides have made," during a meeting with the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, in Hanoi.
A sprawling tale of two Singapores, the short documentary Sandcastles draws connections between Singapore, Michigan - a 19th-century ghost town swallowed by sand following widespread deforestation - and the island country of Singapore, where rapid development and land reclamation has, for decades, been enabled by the importation of sand. More poetic exploration than call to action, the work surveys waterways, cycles of development and the transient nature of sand - deceptively sturdy over short timescales but, over decades, quite volatile.
The upgrade places the EU on the same diplomatic footing as the United States, China and Russia and was announced during a visit to Hanoi by European Council President António Costa. "At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners," Costa said, adding that the partnership is about "developing spheres of shared prosperity."
Hiroyuki Oki + 13 Principal Architect: Vo Trong Nghia, Nguyen Tat Dat Design Team: Nguyen Van Tung, Tran Thi Khanh Anh More SpecsLess Specs Hiroyuki Oki Text description provided by the architects. This project is located in Ben Tre, Vietnam, and was completed in 2021. With a total area of 430m2, the project includes 3 bedrooms and one living room, each with a view of the nearby river.
Sadec Garden is a small-scale accommodation project newly designed and located in the flower village of Sa ec, ong Thap, Vietnam. The project is approached as a quiet place of temporary stay, where architecture does not seek visual prominence but operates as a background for landscape, light, and local daily life. Rather than pursuing expressive forms, the design adopts an attitude of restraint, focusing on spatial organization, experiential sequence, and a soft relationship between architecture and the riverine context of Sa ec.
My late 30s were hard. Living alone in Cape Town, South Africa, I was holding out for a partner and children while my friends moved through weddings and baby showers without me. My parents and sisters (including my twin) lived in another province, freelance writing work was drying up, and as 40 approached, I felt stuck - single, lonely, and unsure what came next.
