The List: Our Editors’ Guide to What to See, Where to Go and What to Read in November and Beyond

The monthly briefing from Design Anthology’s editors on the most interesting things to see, places to go and books to read

Fredericia, Tokyo
Retail

Danish design house Fredericia has opened a new brand studio in Tokyo. The studio, created with architecture firm Flooat, features a minimal interior with exposed concrete, light colour palette and lots of natural light. To celebrate, an exclusive, limited-edition of the Post Lounge Chair by Cecilie Manz is pre-launching in Japan with ten signed pieces ahead of a global launch in 2026.

Details and Aesthetics: Unknown Brutalism Architecture in Hong Kong, Joint Publishing
Book

This photographic monograph by Kevin Mak and Bob Pang documents 34 brutalist buildings in Hong Kong, the culmination of three years of research involving a team of 20 who sought to reshape the historical narrative of this architectural segment. Featuring a selection of 272 photographs by Mak and interpretive texts by Pang and others, it invites readers to appreciate the material expression and aesthetic mastery of these structures.

Nishi Izakaya, Jakarta
Restaurant

Studio MMAR has designed a new Japanese resto and bar in Tebet, Jakarta, reinterpreting Japanese typologies within a preserved concrete shell. Occupying a disused meat shop, the design features a spine-and-cluster layout with a restrained material palette, including locally sourced bata tempel brick, beige ceramic tiles and warm wood.

Kuu Florist, Chongqing
Retail

This new florist transforms a neglected street corner into a quiet, vibrant space. Designed by Geemo Design, it draws inspiration from the city’s mountainous skyline, using geometric layers and a primary medium of enduring concrete. A glass facade blurs the lines between inside and out, and a dark steel staircase serves as a structural contrast to the ephemeral beauty of flowers.

Chuseok Diffuser, Frama
Fragrance

The Chuseok diffuser is a special edition of Frama’s core From Soil to Form range — a series of natural oil diffusers that each contain nine red spheres made from Korean soil. This edition, a collaboration with Seoul-based studio Be My Guest, is inspired by the South Korean autumn harvest festival. The spheres are housed in a handwoven rice straw case and gently diffuse the accompanying Deep Forest fragrance, which conjures the scent of wild mountain firs.

Cafe Ceres, Taipei
Cafe

The design of this corner cafe, stocked with freshly baked cakes, drew inspiration from the idea of a ‘dessert workshop’. The central bar counter mimics a millefeuille with layers of stacked travertine; a warm, egg-yolk hue on the walls and wood wool cement boards on the ceiling evoke a soft, airy cake texture. Subtle metallic accents inspired by baking trays complete the refined, layered design.