Whitewall’s Summer 2023 Impact Issue is always one of my favorites to put together. We start on it not too far after the new year, when the possibility of big ideas and change on the horizon feels like that first sip of coffee in the morning. Its focus on sustainability and social responsibility feels more and more urgent with each edition, with more and more industries joining in on the conversation.
A Focus on Sustainable Design for the Whitewall Summer 2023 Impact Issue
Of course, we look at design, fresh from events like Salone del Mobile in Milan that were brimming with the new, now, next. And you’ll find highlights from the city’s design week in these pages. We also hear from fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, whose sustainability commitment includes a robust repairs program, helping to keep treasured bags and accessories in our lives and out of landfills. Then there’s the São Paolo–based hub AYA, which recently launched as Brazil’s largest low-carbon business coalition. It argues for a new model, driven by the Global South, showcasing that a green approach to industries across categories is not only environmentally sound, but economically advantageous.
David Chipperfield
One of the issue’s cover stories, David Chipperfield, was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize just before our interview with him took place. He took the momentous occasion to stress the need for architecture to address environmental impact and social inequality. He urges the next generation of designers to stay to true to idealistic visions and, above all, to have courage. After decades of designing around the world, he shared with us why he remains optimistic about the power and possibility of architecture.
Lina Ghotmeh
Lina Ghotmeh, whose work À table can be experienced this summer in London for the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, spoke to us as well, about the future of architecture. She anchors her Paris-based practice between us and nature, past and future. With each project, Ghotmeh—also on our cover— looks to the natural surroundings for their resources and history. That process of digging into a site results in ethically built environments that connect to place and community.
Ernesto Neto
Artist Ernesto Neto’s massive, immersive installations act as offerings to both nature and humanity. Transcendental and spiritual, they are handcrafted with a crochet technique the artist turned to in his studio in order to greater connect to the energies within us. Awe-inspiring and beautiful, they are also a call to action to address issues of climate change, to reconsider our relationship with the earth. Our third cover artist, he sees art as the mediator that allows us to walk together in pursuit of a greater knowledge.
Indeed, art is that great mediator between understanding and inspiration. It has the ability to spark new thoughts and emotions, driving us to make changes. When we see the world anew, as art has the power to do, we can envision the potential for a brighter more just world. The brilliance of the people in the pages may do that for you this season, just as they have for us.
You can download the full issue HERE.
