About: #2
265 x 380 mm, 260 pages
Milan, Italy (Italian and English language)
Editor-in-chief: Alessandro Valenti
Art director: Kuchar Swara
This big, bold new magazine from the Italian branch of Hearst Magazines looks to harness an indie aesthetic, bringing in designer Kuschar Swara (previously of Port magazine) to oversee the design, alongside architect Alessandro Valenti, also in charge of editorial at Elle Decor. It’s part of a major new initiative, a new platform for architecture with a website, social channels and events alongside the print biannual.
This is their sophomore issue, themed around ‘Sportscapes’ and designing for ‘bodies in motion’ across different environments and cultures. It mixes detailed case studies, featuring plenty of plans and drawings (a 1930s music pavilion restored into a callisthenics space and sustainable clay tennis courts in Accra), with broader, more philosophical articles: ‘Enhanced, bionic and cyborg bodies’ and ‘Performance and protection: the illusion of invincibility’. You’ll also find a selection of stunning home gyms, reflections on the uncertain future of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadium, and a look at the F51 skatepark in Folkestone.
Full-page photography and bold typography fill the large pages and, along with the wide range of stories, make About: an exciting new addition to the architecture shelf.