Films — Business

Frankfurt's biannual motor show is where the big guns roll out their great hopes for the future. While quality and newness are touchstones, global warming was the hot topic and "hybrid" the buzz word. Monocle's Robert Bound reports on the 62nd International Motor Show.

Everyone loves an urban village but few cities know quite how to get the mix of retail, services and residents right. Monocle has taken inspiration from its favourite neighbourhoods to engineer the perfect precinct.

Poltrona Frau are one of Italy's most interesting groups, and certainly didn't disappoint at 2007's Salone del Mobile, with a massive stand and strong product range. Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé talks to CEO Matteo di Montezemolo about the importance of the Salone to the group, and their broader ambitions.

The Gantenbein Winery, in Fläsch, Switzerland, has been the prototype for an entirely new approach to bricklaying: using modified industrial robots. Traditionally, the promise of industrial robots has been that they would replace the human workforce. But these projects, led by the Architecture and Digital Fabrication laboratory at ETH Zürich, demonstrate a different result: architects are free to create designs and patterns of a precision that simply could not be achieved by hand. Monocle spoke to Professors Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler, who have been collaborating on the project with partners Keller AG and Bearth & Deplazes, about what it means for both building and buildings, and the industry's initial reaction to a prospective army of robot builders.

Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego started life in the wooden toy business. Derived from the Danish words 'leg' (play) and 'godt' (well), the company's play-well concept has turned Lego into one of the most recognised premium toy brands in the world, and one of Denmark's most iconic companies. An assault from the electronic gaming industry and evaporating play time in Lego's key age groups means that both Lego and its competitors are having a tough time on shop shelves. Monocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé talks to Lego CEO, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, at the company's innovation centre in Billund, Denmark.