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Dezeen Weekly

Dezeen

Dezeen Weekly is an original podcast from Dezeen, the world's most influential design and architecture magazine. Each episode, two of our journalists discuss the biggest design and architecture stories of the week. If you're interested in how humans are shaping the world around them and you like to stay informed, this is your essential weekly briefing. New episodes are released every Friday.

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22 episodes
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Avg 34 min
English

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Yesterday · 24 min
Is London having a design renaissance?
It's LDF week, and this year's edition is surprisingly strong. Could it be that London's creative scene is recovering after a difficult decade? In this episode, Dezeen design editor Jennifer Hahn is joined by deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and design and reporter Jane Englefield, who have been out and about at London Design Festival (LDF). They pick out their highlights from the week, and discuss why this year feels different to previous years.
September 11 · 33 min
Our thoughts on the Dyson CameraJet toothbrush
Dezeen Weekly returns with a conversation about Dyson's eye-catching new product launch, plus a building in north London that aims to kickstart a revival of stone architecture. In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn are joined by editor Tom Ravenscroft to discuss the Dyson CameraJet. The team have their take on the much-discussed launch, and come up with their own suggestions for future Dyson products. Then, they consider a landmark new building in north London that is held up by a stone exoskeleton, in what has been billed a world-first. To read more about the contemporary stone architecture movement, check out our Stone Age 2.0 series that ran in early 2024. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
July 31 · 35 min
Are timber skyscrapers the future?
Is building tall with timber more than an architectural gimmick? Why is a new robotic hand a big step towards sci-fi becoming reality? And what's special about Dezeen's editor's new tattoo? In this episode, Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft and features editor Nat Barker discuss the world's tallest hybrid timber tower, which recently topped out in Sydney. To read more about mass timber buildings, check out our Timber Revolution series. Next, we hear a conversation between Nat and design editor Jennifer Hahn about the announcement from 1X Technologies that it has developed a hand for its humanoid robot that has human-level dexterity. Finally, Tom tells us about his new tattoo, which was inked with a world-first pain-free method devised by a London start-up. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
July 24 · 32 min
Has architecture become too boring?
Is this year's Stirling Prize shortlist the least interesting ever? And why are astronomers up in arms about a plan to launch a giant mirror into space? This episode begins with Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn discussing the plans by a US startup to light up streets at night by reflecting sunbeams from a satellite. Then, for part two, they're joined by Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft to debate this year's shortlist for the UK's best new building. Finally, there's been an update in the story about what we previously called "the strangest architecture competition ever", but is it still as bonkers? Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
July 17 · 34 min
What the World Cup has taught us about stadium design
What's the creepy technology at one of the major 2026 World Cup stadiums? Are stadiums the only giant buildings that people really like? And what does the future hold for stadium architecture? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker is joined by US editor Ben Dreith to discuss all things stadiums, to tie in with our new editorial series, Future Stadium. They discuss some of the architectural highlights from this year's World Cup, as well as the broader current trends in stadium architecture. Then, they look ahead to some of the giant stadiums currently being planned around the globe. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
July 10 · 25 min
Why everyone likes the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
How did the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library manage to sidestep America's architecture culture war? And is affordable design having a moment? In this episode, Dezeen design editor Jennifer Hahn and editor Tom Ravenscroft reflect on the unusually positive reaction to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, designed by architecture studio Snøhetta and recently completed in North Dakota. Then, they discuss Yinka Ilori's unexpected new collection for British high-street furniture retailer Dunelm, and whether it signals a shift towards more widespread affordable design. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
July 3 · 31 min
Can Kylie Jenner detoxify AI smart glasses?
Would we wear the new Meta smart glasses? Is Frank Gehry's Abu Dhabi opera house actually pretty good? And why did Paris Fashion Week feel like the last days of the Roman Empire? In this episode, Dezeen design editor Jennifer Hahn and architecture reporter Amy Peacock discuss Meta's collaboration with Kylie Jenner on its first designed-in-house smart glasses. Then, they consider the late Frank Gehry's performing arts venue on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, which has drawn some unflattering comparisons from Dezeen commenters having just begun construction. Lastly, they reflect on the noteworthy moments from a Paris Fashion Week Menswear that took place as France sweltered in a deadly heatwave. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
June 26 · 28 min
Is Gaudí the greatest architect ever?
Why is Gaudí so widely admired? Is there a darker side to his architecture? And should he be made a saint? Listen to the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly now. This month marks 100 years since the death of Antoni Gaudí, one of the most famous architects of all time. For this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker was joined by architecture reporter Amy Peacock and editor Tom Ravenscroft to reflect on Gaudí's extraordinary work and career. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
June 19 · 33 min
What mattered at this year's 3 Days of Design
In this special video episode of Dezeen Weekly sponsored by Framery, we discuss highlights from this year's 3 Days of Design. Last week, we were in Copenhagen for the biggest design festival in northern Europe, 3 Days of Design. Dezeen features editor Nat Barker sat down with deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and design reporter Jane Englefield to reflect on the standout moments from the event and why they were significant. Among their picks were a yellow conversation pit the size of a swimming pool, a steel pavilion in the shape of a giant Alvar Aalto vase and a vending machine selling affordable design trinkets. We also heard from 3 Days of Design managing director Signe Byrdal Terenziani and Nigerian-British designer Yinka Ilori in exclusive interviews. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.
June 5 · 36 min
Why are we obsessed with liminal space?
This week, we discuss a new architecture-themed horror film, some concerning news about green walls and a new architectural term that one of our hosts has audaciously coined. In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn consider Backrooms – a surprise-hit horror movie from a 20-year-old director – and its origins in the internet's fascination with "liminal space". Then, they talk through new research indicating that plastic-potted green wall systems could make fire spread up building facades faster than the cladding used on Grenfell Tower. Finally, they discuss Nat's claim that a new architectural style has emerged in the UK and beyond. This episode was recorded and edited by Miguel Santa Clara. Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt.
May 29 · 40 min
Why does everyone seem to hate the new electric Ferrari?
In this episode of Dezeen Weekly, we discuss the fierce reaction to Ferrari's unveiling of its first all-electric car, designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson. This week, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn are joined by our co-CEO Ben Hobson, who was at the Ferrari Luce launch event in Rome at the weekend. Together, they analyse the car's design and consider why it has met with such a heated response.
May 22 · 41 min
Is IKEA's new collection too good to be true?
Why is everyone talking about a giant new data centre planned for the Utah desert? Is IKEA's new collection a wake-up call for the design industry? And why do Parisians hate tall buildings? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn begin by discussing a project to build a huge data centre in a remote part of Utah, including the local backlash. Then, they react to IKEA's new PS collection, and consider how it's possible for such nice design to cost so little. Finally, they talk about what might prove to be Paris's last ever skyscraper.
May 15 · 34 min
Is parametricism the defining architecture style of the 21st century?
In the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly, we give listeners a crash course in parametricism, from its origins to its much-disputed claim of being the most significant architectural style since modernism. We debate some of the most pressing questions surrounding the movement: Did Patrick Schumacher's association with the style actually torpedo its success? How much agency lies with the architect when using parametric design tools? Would Schumacher ever design an extension for the home of Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft? And is parametricism really, as Schumacher claims, the defining style of our time? Ravenscroft and design editor Jennifer Hahn also break down some of the earliest and most important parametric buildings to know, from the Yokohama International Port Terminal by Foreign Office Architects to Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan.
May 8 · 43 min
How Adidas won the super-shoe war
What was special about the shoes on the feet of the record-breaking runners at the recent London Marathon? Is the Met Gala an important design event, or just about money and celebrity? And why is a new addition to a 930-year-old French cathedral so controversial? In this week's episode, Dezeen's design editor Jennifer Hahn and features editor Nat Barker plot a brief history of the race to create the first shoe capable of breaking the hallowed two-hour marathon barrier. Then, they reflect on this year's Met Gala, and whether it has any relevance for design as a whole. Finally, they discuss the response to Kengo Kuma's new entrance to the medieval Angers Cathedral.
May 1 · 31 min
What's so bad about brands taking over Milan design week?
In this episode of Dezeen Weekly, we reflect on the major trends from this year's Milan design week, and discuss whether the festival has reached peak "brandification". Why did food and inflatables have such a big presence in Milan this year? Could there be a link to the geopolitical issues gripping the globe? Also, did this year mark a tipping point for corporate installations? And is the involvement of fashion houses and other brands at design week a problem? For this, episode Dezeen features editor Nat Barker was joined by deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield.
April 24 · 41 min
Why architecture has a large gender pay gap
Why are there so few women in top architecture jobs? What's the deal with the world's first kilometre-high skyscraper, currently under construction in Saudi Arabia? And why do major building projects stall? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker is joined by architecture reporter Amy Peacock and editor Tom Ravenscroft. They discuss the most recent gender pay gap figures for the biggest UK architecture studios, and the issue of unequal salaries in the profession. Then, they talk about Jeddah Tower, which is steadily rising to become the world's tallest building after a series of setbacks. To finish, with the White House East Wing currently an inactive building site, the team considers other famous cases of buildings that have faced mid-construction delays.
April 17 · 32 min
Why Milan design week is such a big deal
What's so important about Milan design week, and what we can expect this year? And how does the proposed "Arc de Trump" compare to the Arc de Triomphe? In the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly, we look ahead to the biggest week in the design industry calendar, and discuss yet another bombastic architecture proposal from Donald Trump. This episode was hosted by Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn. It was recorded and edited by Miguel Santa Clara.
April 10 · 46 min
Are the walls closing in on Donald Trump's ballroom?
Why is the White House currently stuck with a giant hole in the ground? Is the redesigned Lime bike a success? And what does it mean to be a top designer in 2026? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn discuss a dramatic plot-twist in the story of Donald Trump's East Wing redevelopment project. Then, they share their thoughts on the new Lime bike design currently being rolled out in the UK. Finally, they reflect on a rare interview with legendary designer Marc Newson, and what it says about being a successful designer today.
March 27 · 37 min
Style Wars: The Modernists Strike Back
Why did a coalition including the American Institute of Architects file a lawsuit against Donald Trump this week? How did a conversational AI toy respond when a five-year-old child told it "I love you"? And why are there concerns about the skyscrapers springing up across Africa? In this episode, Dezeen design editor Jennifer Hahn and features editor Nat Barker discuss the row over Trump's renovation plans for the Kennedy Center, as well as his decision to rename the building after himself. Then, they delve into the findings from a study on the potential psychological impacts for young children of a growing wave of toys embedded with AI chatbots. Finally, they give an overview of high-rise construction in Africa, and the arguments for and against building skyscrapers in the continent.
March 20 · 31 min
Is AI really coming for architects' jobs?
How worried should architects be about large language models taking their jobs? How did the Pritzker Architecture Prize make us look silly this week? And what is "bio-upcycling"? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn consider a controversial labour impact study by AI company Anthropic. Also, they reflect on the surprise announcement about this year's Pritzker laureate, Smiljan Radić. Finally, they discuss the news that scientists have managed to produce a Parkinson's drug from waste plastic with the help of bacteria.

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