Dezeen Weekly

The UK's busiest shopping street is now closed to vehicles. What's the long-term plan? Why have bum-sensing picnic benches been installed? And in other news, why could architecture bring down the Albanian government?

In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and architecture reporter Amy Peacock return to talk through the heavily anticipated changes that took place on Oxford Street this week.

Then, they explain how a holiday swim by Ivanka Trump could lead to the downfall of the Albanian government, and why architecture is at the heart of the country's politics.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.

What's the deal with Elon Musk's latest stunt? And has China just built the best spiral staircase ever?

In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker and architecture reporter Amy Peacock discuss the (literal) launch of the Tesla Roadster, which set the internet alight with footage of its acrobatics.

Then, they consider the architectural significance of the newly completed Shanghai Grand Opera House.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.

This year's Stirling Prize winner was announced last night. We discuss whether RIBA made the right choice. In this episode Dezeen's editor-in-chief Tom Ravenscroft is joined by architecture reporter Amy Peacock to discuss the winner of the UK's biggest architecture prize. We ask whether Lion Green Road by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects is a worthy winner and whether the victory means that housing is firmly back on the agenda.

The world's most wildly ambitious architecture project appears dead in the water. What went wrong?

This week, the team plot the strange story of Saudi Arabia's effort to build a linear skyscraper mega-city in the desert, called The Line.

They explain why news that Neom Stadium has been shelved looks to be the final nail in the coffin for The Line, and debate the ethical implications for architecture studios that worked on the extraordinary and controversial project.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. This episode was edited by Calum Lindsay.

Why are AI companies opting for cute design? And why is New York building "jailscrapers"?

This week, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker, design editor Jennifer Hahn and editor-in-chief Tom Ravenscroft consider the launch of Meta's Muse Charm AI device.

Then, they delve into New York City's project to replace the notorious Rikers Island mega-jail with four high-rise facilities embedded within the city.

Dezeen Weekly artwork is by Simon Volt. Editing is by Miguel Santa Clara.

Has Apple just triggered another paradigm shift in smartphone design? And what's behind Donald Trump's announcement that his triumphal arch will be a base for drones and snipers?

In this episode, Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft joins features editor Nat Barker and design editor Jennifer Hahn to discuss Apple's first folding phone.

Then, they consider Trump's surprise announcement that the triumphal arch planned for Washington DC will be a "top grade military complex".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.