Urban life is often defined by its energy—fast-moving, restless, and ever-changing. Yet within the heart of the world’s great cities lie rare sanctuaries that balance this intensity with calm, beauty, and refinement. Urban Sanctuaries celebrates these havens of design, where architecture and interiors transform daily living into something extraordinary. As the much-anticipated successor to Urban Mansions & Apartments (2020)—a volume that quickly sold out in print—this book continues the journey into contemporary urban living. Featuring 31 magnificent residences, from penthouses and lofts to townhouses and historic renovations, it offers an intimate look at how the best architects and interior designers elevate private spaces above the rhythm of the streets. Each residence tells its own story. From the sweeping views of a Manhattan penthouse to the quiet elegance of a Brussels townhouse, from the refined tranquility of a Dubai villa to the richly detailed character of a Brooklyn retreat, these homes embody the diversity of urban design today. They are more than dwellings: they they are expressions of personality, artistry, and vision.
An elegant photographic book highlights BFF’s new headquarters. Viale Scarampo, in Milan, saw the inauguration in 2025 of the BFF Banking Group’s new headquarters, a building whose transparent airiness and environmental and social sustainability ensure it provides an entirely original contribution to the city’s skyline. Designed by OBR (Open Building Research), the structure places the accent on the brightness of its interior and does not seek to compete in height with the skyscrapers of the nearby City Life district. The book is organized in a series of alternating photographs and text, drawing attention not only to the architectural features and the building’s functional characteristics, but also to the aim of creating a working environment that is intimately linked to its surroundings, in contrast to the traditional view of corporate architecture.
Casa BFF is not only the headquarters of a B2B bank, it is also a building that embraces the neighborhood and the city as a whole, starting with the museum it houses, which is accessible to all and contains the BFF Collection of post-war Italian art. Here the visitor will find works by Valerio Adami, Franco Angeli, Enrico Baj, Alberto Burri, Lucio Del Pezzo, Lucio Fontana, Gianfranco Pardi, Mario Schifano, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Giò Pomodoro and Emilio Tadini. The Bank inaugurated the museum with an exhibition dedicated to Enrico Baj’s series of 40 etchings inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The book does full justice to the exhibition spaces, as well as to the works that hang on the building’s walls.
Text in English and Italian.
Tracing a crescent from Cairo to Khiva, art historian and archaeologist Karen Polinger Foster takes us on four unforgettable journeys East of the Moon – to Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and Central Asia – exploring commonalities and differences in thought and belief, art and architecture, language and literature, tradition and innovation. As her travel experiences unfolded, overarching themes emerged, often from serendipitous inspiration and encounters. From these she has fashioned a beguiling kaleidoscope of photo essays which tessellate into a compelling whole. With a remarkable gift for the telling detail and a photographic eye at once incisive and discreet, Foster’s elegant text and stunning images invite us to a place which, in her words, ‘exists in the atlas of the mind, at the intersection of image and imagination’.
Bonnard drew on the Japanese printmakers, especially Hiroshige, to convey the essence of Paris not through its monuments or vistas, but with scenes of bustling daily life observed from idiosyncratic angles. But unlike the Japanese artists, he worked with a painterly sense of texture and color that remains as astonishing today as when it was first published. This is one of the three hugely original portfolios of etchings brought out in 1899 by the great dealer Ambroise Vollard, and printed by the master craftsman Auguste Clot. The other two are by Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis, and all three are being published simultaneously by Pallas Athene.
“One of the world’s greatest authorities on wine.” – Raymond Blanc OBE
“The finest nose in Europe.” – Daily Telegraph
“A true wine legend who gave so much to so many, both personally and professionally.” – Decanter
“The godfather of British sommeliers … he was not just universally respected, but universally loved.” – Imbibe
Gérard Basset was one of the most influential and authoritative sommeliers of his, or any, generation. Tasting Victory charts Gérard’s astronomical career in his own words. It recounts in detail how he managed to earn his unprecedented sequence of qualifications. He was one of the first individuals to hold the famously difficult Master of Wine qualification simultaneously with Master Sommelier and an MBA in Wine Business. But it is his pursuit of the most important award of all that forms the core of this book – how, at his seventh attempt, Gérard Basset was crowned the Best Sommelier of the World. This memoir is also a record of how fine dining in England grew from stale and unexciting to world-leading. Above all, it’s about succeeding against great odds: when he was diagnosed with cancer, Gérard responded in typical fashion, by deciding to write Tasting Victory, which he completed shortly before his death in January 2019.
– Autobiography of a true legend and much-missed character in the world of wine.
– Inspirational life story of a rise to prominence from modest beginnings.
-Updated commemorative edition with chapters from Gérard’s widow, Nina, and son, Romané, exploring Gérard’s legacy in the six years since his death.
– Features memories of Gérard from major figures within the wine world.
The most luxurious of Parisian gastronomic guides, the most exclusive. The most timeless: with the QR code accompanying each review, the book becomes eternal and is permanently updated. Albert Nahmias knows his business well (and that of others). A star restaurateur in the 90s with Olympe, the happy few flocked to his table. From the art of hosting, he moved to the other side of the counter to cultivate the art of being hosted, and now he delivers his judgments. Whether they are favorites or criticisms, it’s an elegant and incredibly useful book. Like a gourmet and travelling Ulysses returning to his Ithaca rich in sensory and gustatory images, Paris becomes an odyssey-city that constantly attracts poets and ambitious individuals… Its chefs are also poets. In Paris, the true gourmet is a traveler from elsewhere who comes to taste its charms; like Ulysses, one simply needs to choose a neighborhood, a welcoming restaurant according to their mood, age, or fortune… This guide gives meaning to daily urban wandering, in the labyrinth of over a thousand establishments. No one knows them all. So many dives, bistros, and restaurants for a people of Parisian navigators for whom it’s a bit of a secret sport. Less so now.
Text in English, French and Chinese.
The Nordic people are often said to be hard-working, dutiful, open to innovation and equality, and trend-sensitive, with a ‘less is more’ attitude when it comes to clothes, furniture and interior design. Nordic histories and cultures have been intertwined for centuries, but what created their distinctive character? Was it the experience of Northern Europe’s four seasons, with cold, harsh dark winters, unreliable springs, bright summers when the sun never sets and beautiful autumns?
In this book we meet 32 individuals, neither kings nor queens, but real people whose life stories give insights into historical events and everyday life in the Nordic countries over 500 years. Nordic Stories reveals much about the lives, beliefs and customs of Nordic people from the 16th century to the present day. It is based on diaries, letters and other personal testimony, illustrated with objects from Nordiska museet’s astonishing collection.
More than a drink, coffee is a culture — a daily ritual, a craft, and a global story of taste and connection. Coffee unfolds the rich history of the world’s most beloved beverage, tracing its origins from ancient Ethiopia to modern specialty cafés. Through stunning photography and insightful writing, the book explores roasting traditions, brewing methods, and the artisans and farmers who shape the flavors we love. From the elegance of an espresso to the calm precision of a pour-over, each page celebrates coffee as both science and art. A tribute to aroma, ritual, and craftsmanship — the essence of coffee, captured in print.
Calling the Birds Home by Cheryle St. Onge is an intimate meditation on memory, nature, and loss. Born from the experience of her mother’s illness and death, the work delicately traces the shifting roles of mother and daughter, transforming the act of caregiving into a poetic dialogue with the landscape. Through luminous, contemplative photographs, St. Onge captures the rhythms of waiting, the textures of daily life, and the fleeting presence of light and nature as signs of continuity. Her writing and images move between fragility and resilience, evoking how love and grief shape our perception of the world. Designed by Teresa Piardi (Maxwell Studio) and published by L’Artiere, the book is both elegy and renewal—a tender testament to the enduring ties between generations and the quiet power of photography to keep what is gone within reach.