To complete our review of 2018, editor Amy Frearson recaps the most-read stories for every month this year, including Zaha Hadid’s only completed house, Virgil Abloh’s IKEA furniture and a hugely popular Canadian lake house.
Cedar-clad buildings “kiss” at Canadian lake house by Lazor Office
January
The most-read story on Dezeen in 2018 was about a prefabricated lake-side house in Ontario, which has racked up 280,000 views.
The building comprises two volumes that are joined at their corners, hence the name Kiss House. Its exterior is clad with horizontal cedar boards.
Find out more about Kiss House ›
Lufthansa attacked for “bland and pointless” redesign of its classic logo
February
When Lufthansa announced it was swapping its iconic 100-year-old yellow logo for one in navy blue, it made waves in the design industry.
Industrial designer Clemens Weisshaar said it was a “design belly flop”, while aviation writer Enrique Perrella described it as “bland and pointless”.
Find out more about Lufthansa logo ›
Iconic logos replaced with female figures for International Women’s Day
March
The #MeToo movement was high on the agenda in 2018, particularly in March, when it was International Women’s Day.
The most popular story on Dezeen that month saw the male characters on the iconic logos of Monopoly, Pringles and Dreamworks logos swapped for female alternatives. The intention was to also question the diversity of the work’s creators.
Find out more about Creative Equals logos ›
Zaha Hadid’s only house finally completes in Russian forest
April
In April, photos and a movie emerged of a project that people have been waiting years to see – the only private house designed by the late Zaha Hadid.
The client for the project was businessman and philanthropist Vladislav Doronin, a man Hadid called the “Russian James Bond”. It has taken years to complete, partly because its unusual design requires almost all of its furnishings to be bespoke.
Find out more about Capital Hill Residence ›
IKEA offers first look at furniture designed for millennials by Virgil Abloh
May
IKEA has been teasing images of its upcoming collection by fashion designer Virgil Abloh all year, but gave away the most details in May during a live-stream broadcast from New York.
The Markerad collection, which is expected to drop in 2019, will feature slogan-covered rugs, a cabinet for showing off sneakers and a new version of the classic Frakta bag.
Find out more about Markerad ›
Massive NASA space blanket proposed as billowing Burning Man installation
July
A hugely controversial story of 2018 saw Russian artist Alexander Shtanuk launch a crowdfunding campaign for an enormous artwork at Burning Man festival, made out of NASA’s metallic emergency blankets.
In the end, Shtanuk didn’t reach his crowdfunding target. It is unclear if he ever went through with the idea.
Find out more about the giant space blanket ›
Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye sunk in Danish fjord
August
In the summer, artist Asmund Havsteen-Mikkelsen chose to make a statement about the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s election by sinking Villa Savoye, one of Le Corbusier’s most famous buildings, in a Danish fjord.
The artist described the project as a symbol for how the values of modernity have been swamped by technology.
Find out more about Flooded Modernity ›
Panasonic’s human blinkers help people concentrate in open-plan offices
October
This prototype device by electronics brand Panasonic is designed to limit your sense of sound and sight, helping you to focus on what’s directly in front of you.
Tapping into the growing debate about the future of office design, the product is intended for people who work in busy spaces or open-plan offices.
Find out more about Panasonic’s human blinkers ›
“Breathtaking” off-grid Lochside House wins RIBA House of the Year 2018
November
This year’s RIBA House of the Year was one of the most popular architecture projects on Dezeen in 2018, with readers applauding its simple aesthetic and off-grid credentials.
RIBA president Ben Derbyshire described the house, which is located beside a lake in Scotland, as “the perfect addition to this dream landscape”.
Find out more about Lochside House ›
Living Coral is Pantone’s colour of the year for 2019
December
This month’s biggest news came from colour expert Pantone, which named Living Coral as the big shade for 2019.
We rounded up six interiors that show what you can do with the shade. Meanwhile Dezeen columnist Michelle Ogundehin declared it a naive choice, when real coral reefs are being devastated by global warming.
Find out more about Living Coral ›
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