Ivan attended Monocle’s annual Quality of Life Conference which this year took place in Istanbul. Unlike previous conferences in Paris and Munich, this felt different. Istanbul’s links to the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Middle East shaped its citizens on geopolitics, trade, and design in distinct ways.

It was a proud moment for me as a Maltese citizen to listen to Professor Richard England on the podium being interview by Nic Monisse. He drew links between his poetry and his profession when he said that good architecture needs to “touch the soul”.

The hosts and stars of the conference are Tyler Brule, Editorial Director & Chairman and Andrew Tuck, Editor in Chief, who keep us gripped to our seats all day and entertain us in the evenings.