Miscellaneous

📍 Hong Kong International Airport's Alchemist Café, by Minus Workshop, spans 3,358 sq ft, using HK Tram Green (Pantone 3415 C). Inspired by 1940s tram paint, it embraces local culture with bamboo pavilion micro-zones and a blend of traditional and modern design. Collaborative efforts with Hop Keung and artist Eunis Cheong highlight the decor. Lighting draws from wet markets and vintage items, while flooring showcases "money flower" and tiger tattoo motifs, enhancing the café's local storytelling.

🏡 Located in La Jolla, San Diego, Fleurette is a restaurant designed by Studio UNLTD, showcasing chef Travis Swikard's Southern Californian and French Riviera influences. The venue features a sail-like ceiling, rust-colored steel exterior, and an elliptical travertine bar. The interior includes blue velvet seating, terrazzo floors, and oceanic stone accents. Fleurette offers a glass-enclosed wine room and greenhouse dining area, enhancing the maritime theme with dynamic fabric lighting and intimate dining spaces.

☕ In July 2025, Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain, boasted over 22,000 stores domestically and approximately 4,000 internationally. China’s branded coffee outlets surged by 58% last year, surpassing the US with over 49,000 locations. Luckin Coffee's collaboration with Moutai led to the viral success of the Jiangxiang Latte, selling 5.42 million cups on launch day, featuring Moutai liquor-flavored milk with 0.5% alcohol, embracing the Guó Cháo movement.

🏖 Discover why repeat visitors are crucial for destinations. Many locations prioritize new arrivals, neglecting the loyal guests who return. These loyal visitors don't depend on ads—they return for the familiar experience they love. Ignoring return rates can lead to constant spending on new visitors, which isn't growth, but churn. Track repeat visits to foster lasting tourism success; cultivating loyal guests costs less and stabilizes demand over time. Prioritize loyalty, not just arrivals.

🏠 Casolare Scarani in Puglia, Italy, was transformed by Studio Andrew Trotter from a 19th-century school into a serene home, retaining its original vaulted ceilings. Mourning Dovecote in Sonoma, USA, was designed by Neal Schwartz with a chapel-like extension featuring a skylight. Vaulting Loft in London, UK, by Mata Architects, boasts cathedral-like wooden ceilings. In Hong Kong, NC Design & Architecture transformed a six-storey residence with arches and marble. A2 Architects designed Gate Lodge in Navan, Ireland, with a cruciform plan.

📋 Airbnb offers stays at Barlochan Cottage in Torrance, Canada, starting March 3, 2026. Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Tin Building in New York closed due to low market foot traffic after opening in August 2022. MIT launched NYC's first pedestrian movement model. Gen Z drives analog music and print book sales, with 80% of 14-25-year-olds preferring print books. HD Expo features design activations, including a Gensler homage to the Grand Hotel.