How Adidas won the super-shoe war

Is IKEA's new collection too good to be true?

Why is everyone talking about a giant new data centre planned for the Utah desert? Is IKEA's new collection a wake-up call for the design industry? And why do Parisians hate tall buildings? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker [https://www.dezeen.com/author/nat-barker/] and design editor Jennifer Hahn [https://www.dezeen.com/author/jennifer-hahn/] begin by discussing a project to build a huge data centre in a remote part of Utah [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/15/stratos-data-center-designs-gensler-utah/], including the local backlash. Then, they react to IKEA's new PS collection [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/13/ikea-ps-collection-furniture/], and consider how it's possible for such nice design to cost so little. Finally, they talk about what might prove to be Paris's last ever skyscraper [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/11/tour-triangle-skyscraper-herzog-de-meuron-tops-out-paris/].

Is parametricism the defining architecture style of the 21st century?

In the latest episode of Dezeen Weekly [https://www.dezeen.com/podcasts/dezeenweekly/], we give listeners a crash course in parametricism [https://www.dezeen.com/parametricism/], from its origins to its much-disputed claim of being the most significant architectural style since modernism. We debate some of the most pressing questions surrounding the movement: Did Patrick Schumacher's association with the style actually torpedo its success? How much agency lies with the architect when using parametric design tools? Would Schumacher ever design an extension for the home of Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft [https://www.dezeen.com/author/tom-ravenscroft/]? And is parametricism really, as Schumacher claims, the defining style of our time? Ravenscroft [https://www.dezeen.com/author/tom-ravenscroft/] and design editor Jennifer Hahn [https://www.dezeen.com/author/jennifer-hahn/] also break down some of the earliest and most important parametric buildings to know, from the Yokohama International Port Terminal by Foreign Office Architects [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/08/yokohama-international-port-terminal-foa-parametric-architecture/] to Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/05/heydar-aliyev-centre-zaha-hadid-parametricism-case-study/], Azerbaijan.

How Adidas won the super-shoe war

What was special about the shoes on the feet of the record-breaking runners at the recent London Marathon? Is the Met Gala an important design event, or just about money and celebrity? And why is a new addition to a 930-year-old French cathedral so controversial? In this week's episode, Dezeen's design editor Jennifer Hahn and features editor Nat Barker plot a brief history of the race to create the first shoe capable of breaking the hallowed two-hour marathon barrier. Then, they reflect on this year's Met Gala, and whether it has any relevance for design as a whole. Finally, they discuss the response to Kengo Kuma's new entrance to the medieval Angers Cathedral.

What's so bad about brands taking over Milan design week?

In this episode of Dezeen Weekly, we reflect on the major trends from this year's Milan design week, and discuss whether the festival has reached peak "brandification". Why did food and inflatables have such a big presence in Milan this year? Could there be a link to the geopolitical issues gripping the globe? Also, did this year mark a tipping point for corporate installations? And is the involvement of fashion houses and other brands at design week a problem? For this, episode Dezeen features editor Nat Barker was joined by deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and design and interiors reporter Jane Englefield.

Why architecture has a large gender pay gap

Why are there so few women in top architecture jobs? What's the deal with the world's first kilometre-high skyscraper, currently under construction in Saudi Arabia? And why do major building projects stall? In this episode, Dezeen features editor Nat Barker [https://www.dezeen.com/author/nat-barker/] is joined by architecture reporter Amy Peacock [https://www.dezeen.com/author/amy-peacock/] and editor Tom Ravenscroft [https://www.dezeen.com/author/tom-ravenscroft/]. They discuss the most recent gender pay gap figures for the biggest UK architecture studios [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/04/20/gender-pay-gap-uk-architecture-2/], and the issue of unequal salaries in the profession. Then, they talk about Jeddah Tower [https://www.dezeen.com/tag/jeddah-tower/], which is steadily rising to become the world's tallest building after a series of setbacks. To finish, with the White House East Wing currently an inactive building site [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/04/10/trump-white-house-lime-bikes-marc-newson-dezeen-weekly-podcast/], the team considers other famous cases of buildings that have faced mid-construction delays.