GG Magazine 2/23 (english)

THE NOMAD ISSUE

THE NOMAD ISSUE

Adventures ahead! Personalities who left their comfort zone and followed an unusual path to international success

Adventures ahead! Personalities who left their comfort zone and followed an unusual path to international success

MAXIMILIAN EICKE

MAXIMILIAN EICKE

Hot! The German designer’s journey via Bali and New York IN DIAN FOSSEY’S FOOTSTEPS

Hot! The German designer’s journey via Bali and New York IN DIAN FOSSEY’S FOOTSTEPS

Exciting! A visit to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda

Exciting! A visit to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda

JAY SHETTY

JAY SHETTY

Inspirational! From monk to admired life coach No. 2/23

Inspirational! From monk to admired life coach No. 2/23

YOUR PARTNER FOR PRE-OWNED AIRCRAFT

WITH HERREOS AVIATION, CLIENTS KNOW THEY’RE GETTING NOT ONLY FIRST-CLASS KNOWHOW BUT ALSO TRADITIONAL FAMILY BUSINESS VALUES. THEY KNOW THAT OUR AIM IS NOT JUST TO MAKE A CLIENT, BUT TO KEEP ONE.

YOURS EBERHARD HERR

In November, paintings and sculptures from the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen sold for a record-breaking $1.5 billion at Christie’s in New York. It was the biggest art auction sale in history. In this period of recession and rising inflation, news like this may appear somewhat surprising. But other art auctions have proven equally lucrative, while the success of premium brands like Cartier and Gucci are testament to the resilience of this market segment. In the first nine months of 2022, for example, the luxury goods company LVMH, which owns brands like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Dior and Louis Vuitton, reported a 28% increase in sales to € 56.6 billion.

What explains this fascinating trend? First of all, the luxury segment continues to exert a great fascination. After two years in which life was severely restricted by the pandemic, many people want to enjoy it again. The ongoing uncertain economic and political situation is further encouraging people to make the most of the present moment. And in times of extremely volatile stock markets, works of art and other premium goods provide investment alternatives – a popular choice to protect your assets.

At Engel & Völkers, we have also recognized this trend and observe a great resilience in the premium segment of the real estate market. Demand has remained high in recent months, in both the popular primary residence markets and international vacation hotspots. As in the fine art market, emotion is an important factor in real estate decision-making, alongside investment criteria. The connection between a home and art is a perfectly natural one because the furnishings and fittings you choose reflect your own unique personality.

If you’re looking for something special, chances are that you’ll find the cover story of GG magazine as fascinating as I did. The designer Maximilian Eicke creates works that straddle the line between sculpture and furniture, which is extremely exciting and inspiring, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy reading and discovering!

Sincerely,

Christian Völkers

PHOTO: CHRISTIAN SCHOPPE

Out of the comfort zone...

With the increasing digitalization of our current world, more and more people are setting off in new directions, straying from the track of their past lives, heading for new adventures. Stepping out of the comfort zone is a route that has helped many known personalities find their true calling. Like Maximilian Eicke, who turned into a soughtafter furniture designer after backpacking around the world and spending more and more time in Indonesia. Having conquered the U.S. with his unique glassware designs, he is now setting his sights on Europe. Or Jay Shetty, who lived for three years in an Indian monastery before moving to Los Angeles and becoming an inspiring self-help coach with 50 million people following his various social media channels. Follow me on my exciting journey to the mountain gorillas of Rwanda in the footsteps of Dian Fossey, the courageous U.S. researcher without whom these rare animals would be extinct today. Or read our interview with hotelier Gregor Gerlach, who, after having specialized in urban hotels, today runs Finolhu, the first German-owned five-star luxury resort in the Maldives.

Enjoy your read!

Michaela Cordes

My true bucket list adventure – visiting mountain gorillas in Rwanda! You’ll find more impressions and videos of my trip on my Instagram account @mischicord (or just scan the QR code!). A big thank you to wildlife photographer David Yarrow, who provided the wonderful black and white photographs of these stunning animals for my travel report starting on p. 40.

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN SCHOPPE (1), MICHAELA CORDES (PRIVATE)

Björn Wallander

Born and raised in a small port town in southern Sweden, photographer Björn Wallander now lives in New York City. If you follow him on Instagram, you’ll have also met his dog Kajsa. Björn’s work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Harper’s Bazaar and WSJ. Magazine among other publications. He has also done commissions for Ralph Lauren, the Tribeca Film Festival and American Express. Turn to page 30 for his portrait of furniture designer Maximilian Eicke in the Hamptons.

Anke Schaffelhuber

The owner of a PR agency for sustainable tourism and a photo artist with intimate knowledge of Africa, Anke Schaffelhuber has traveled the southern part of the continent more than 30 times. She organized our editor in chief’s extraordinary journey to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda (page 40).

Sandra Sofio

She knows Uruguay and its booming real estate market better than most: Sandra Sofio is a longtime Engel & Völkers license partner based in Punta del Este, the exclusive seaside town often compared to Monaco or the Hamptons. This is where our stunning For Sale property is located (page 70). Sandra began her career as a trainee with Engel & Völkers on Mallorca in 2005.

Robert Gallagher

Robert Gallagher took the portraits that appear on the first and second double-page spreads of our story on inspirational life coach Jay Shetty (page 50). Both men are originally from the U.K. and both currently reside in Los Angeles. The award-winning photographer is known for his candid portraits, which he often shoots in black and white.

Maximilian Eicke

PLAYGROUND

14 COOL CITY Authentic, laid-back, cosmopolitan: Lisbon draws digital nomads like few other cities.

16 ART & DESIGN Using fabric to illustrate science: Temperature Textiles present climate change data in a very aesthetic way.

18 INTERVIEW After years of portraying people, Lars Beusker has become one of the world’s best wildlife photographers.

20 NEWS FROM THE CEO Sven Odia, CEO of Engel & Völkers, on trends in the international real estate market.

22 WOMAN Fresh colors for a good start to spring.

24 MAN Go on, put a little swing in your routine.

26 BOOKS Three books to set you dreaming.

162 PERSONAL A house that rethinks inside and outside space.

AT HOME

30 MAXIMILIAN EICKE How the furniture designer found success via Bali and the Hamptons.

40 MOUNTAIN GORILLAS In Dian Fossey’s footsteps: An amazing visit to the endangered species in Rwanda.

50 JAY SHETTY He lived as a monk for three years. Today the British self-help coach has nearly 50 million followers online.

56 FINOLHU A German hotelier creates a relaxed desert island atmosphere in his five-star luxury resort in the Maldives.

FOR SALE AD SECTION

70 NEW HOME Vientos del Este is an elegant country home situated in the fashionable Punta del Este resort in Uruguay.

78 RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Villas, mansions & office space – the world’s most beautiful real estate.

ALWAYS

6 FOREWORD A preface to the new issue.

8 EDITORIAL Out of the comfort zone.

160 ADDRESSES Names, addresses and manufacturers.

161 STAFF Masthead.

Street art with a difference: Glazed ceramic tiles known as azulejos adorn the facades of many buildings in Lisbon.

City of desire

Lisbon, Portugal’s exciting, cosmopolitan and authentic capital city, has suddenly become a magnet for young people and digital nomads.

WORDS: Merle Wilkening ILLUSTRATIONS: Asia Orlando

Lisbon’s treasures

1 LX FACTORY This former factory in the Alcântara district has been given a new lease of life and is now a trendy cultural spot.

2 TAPISCO RESTAURANT Spanish tapas and Portuguese petiscos – Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa specializes in food for sharing.

3 PONTE 25 DE ABRIL

The design of the red suspension bridge over the Tagus River was based on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

4 STREET ART A stroll through the side streets of Bairro Alto and Alfama is a great way to discover some amazing murals.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

ituated on the banks of the Tagus River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is Portugal’s largest city, with a population of around 545,000. It is also one of Europe’s oldest cities. Seeing the location’s potential for trade, the Phoenicians settled on its shores in 1200 B.C. A good two millennia and many rulers later, Alfonso III moved his royal court to Lisbon in 1255.

In 1755, a devastating earthquake and a large fire virtually destroyed the city, killing tens of thousands of people. Yet within a few years, the citizens had rebuilt it. The chessboard of streets in the Baixa district still bears witness to the work carried out at the time.

Bairro Alto, a neighborhood of painters and writers in the upper part of the city, was largely spared. Here, you’ll find restaurants packed tightly together in the narrow streets. A labyrinth of colorful passageways also awaits visitors to the old town of Alfama. Lisbon’s authentic life and slightly morbid charm are some of the characteristics that many people love about the city. When walking through Lisbon, keep your eyes peeled for the typical, ornate azulejo (tiles) that adorn the façades of many of the houses and squares.

Like Rome, Lisbon is built on seven hills and is a city of steps. The historic Santa Justa elevator climbs vertically to connect Baixa with the Chiado and Bairro Alto districts. The famous yellow tram reliably transports both locals and tourists through the steep streets.

Make sure to hop aboard Line 28, as it passes a number of famous sights: the Sé Patriarcal Cathedral, known to the locals simply as Sé, the monastery of São Vicente de Fora and St. George’s Castle. The castle dominates the old town and has viewing platforms between the towers and castle walls. The Jerónimos monastery and Belém Tower are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In the past few years, Lisbon has become the go-to place for digital nomads working in co-working spaces – at least when they’re not looking for the best pastéis de nata in town. Lisbon heads the most popular spots on Nomad List, a global community platform for digital workers. With good internet, a relatively low cost of living, plenty of sunshine, a good social life and hospitable locals, the city is attracting young people.

Anyone wishing to stay for longer than 90 days can take advantage of the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa that was introduced at the end of 2022 to make it easier and simpler to work remotely in the country for up to a year. In the evenings, international guests and locals gather in the narrow streets for dinner.

The sound of Lisbon is a chorus of voices speaking in Portuguese, Spanish, English, French and German. Restaurants serve traditional local specialties like bacalhau (salted cod), sardines, piri-piri chicken and port wine. If you’re not sure what to eat, you’ll find plenty to sample in the Mercado da Ribeira market hall.

Chef José Avillez at the Belcanto serves twostar cuisine. The only thing needed to round off a warm Lisbon night is a cocktail – at sunset in the Park rooftop bar or by the SUD Lisboa infinity pool on the banks of the Tagus River.

Would you like to know more?

Cristo Rei

Castel de São Jorge

Sé de Lisboa Santa Justa

Praça do Comércio Mercado da Ribeira

LX Factory

Ponte 25 de Abril

SMAAT Torre de Belém

Data carriers

At first glance, they are colorful, patterned blankets. It’s only when you take a closer look that the neat design concept is revealed: Temperature Textiles from Dutch design studio Raw Color show data on climate change. The blankets highlight the main causes and consequences of global warming in an aesthetically pleasing way. Changes in emissions and temperature levels are depicted in warm hues, while the rise in sea levels is shown in cool blues, purples and greens.

In addition to large blankets, the collection includes scarves and socks with climate data-based patterns.

Each finely woven line depicts a year from 2000 to 2100. The diagrams are based on four different scenarios modeled by the IPCC, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Raw Color team, led by Daniera ter Haar and Christoph Brach, also consulted the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. The result: a synthesis of science and art! But the merino wool blankets are more than just a visual representation of global climate change – they also keep you snug and warm.

MADE TO TOUCH. DESIGNED TO CONTROL.

LS 990. MATT GRAPHITE BLACK.

JUNG.DE/GRAPHITE-BLACK

Photographer: Constantin Meyer, Interior: Design Post Cologne

Wildlife up close

Photographer Lars Beusker found his passion taking portraits of wild animals. Nature photography has changed his life.

After 25 years as a fashion and advertising photographer you began taking pictures of wild animals five years ago. What happened?

Those years as a fashion photographer were exciting ones, but eventually I got tired of it. The industry was becoming more and more difficult to navigate and in the end, I lost my passion for photography. In February 2018 I traveled to East Africa for the first time. After years of doing only commercial work, I started taking pictures just for fun and fell in love –with the country, the people, the natural scenery and the animals.

What has changed for you since then?

My life has taken a 180-degree turn. I travel as often as I can but without the pressures of an assignment. I alone decide which animals to photograph, where and when. I feel far more balanced and enjoy my everyday routine, even when I’m not on a photo safari. Each trip into the field is an overwhelming experience that I’m very grateful to have had.

You were named Nature Photographer of the Year at the International Photography Awards in New York last October. What inspires your work?

In my portraits, I try to capture the unique nature of animals, to raise awareness for the incredible preciousness of what our earth still holds. My intention isn’t to wag my finger, it’s to show beauty – and awaken the desire to rethink the way we treat the Earth and say: Let’s take care of our planet.

All your animal portraits are shot in black and white. Why?

Colors are something that we’re raised with in Western cultures and they subconsciously influence what we like and consider to be harmonious. When I take them away, all that’s left is the animal’s expression.

Which animal would you like to photograph next?

Polar bears. I haven’t so far encountered one face-to-face. My third attempt will be on an expedition to Spitzbergen this June.

WORDS: MERLE WILKENING; PHOTOS: LARS BEUSKER

Would you like to know more?

Animals come within a few meters of him. For the perfect photo, Beusker waits to make eye contact.

Portugal’s real estate market is breaking records

Sometimes you have to let the figures speak for themselves. For the Portuguese residential real estate market, 2022 was an absolute record year. In the third quarter, transaction volumes were 83.5 percent higher than in the previous year. Demand, particularly from foreign buyers, remains high.

Buoyed by the strong influx of international customers, real estate prices in Portugal have risen steadily for the past five years. In 2022, prices rose by about 5% compared to the previous year. Sought-after regions such as the Algarve, however, enjoyed significantly higher growth, and Engel & Völkers saw prices nearly doubling here. International buyers, mainly from France, the U.K., Brazil, Germany and China, currently account for around 63% of all transactions in Portugal.

There are many reasons for the boom in the Portuguese residential real estate market. Prices – compared with many other European countries – are still moderate and there are attractive entry opportunities for investors. What’s more, the warm climate, the low cost of living and the stable security situation make Portugal the ideal place for a first or second home throughout the year.

Located on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is considered one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world. According to the Global Peace Index, it ranks sixth out of the 163 countries indexed and ahead of Japan, Switzerland, Canada and Germany.

Portugal is working hard to increase its popularity with international buyers. Since 2012, the country’s Golden Visa program has enabled foreign investors to obtain permanent residency and citizenship by investing in real estate worth at least €500,000 and keeping it for five years.

Real estate is particularly sought-after

in the capital Lisbon, Portugal’s political, economic and cultural center. Some of the city’s best residential locations include Santo António, Estrela and Avenidas Novas. Santo António, which is right next to the picturesque old town of Bairro Alto, is known for its many historic monuments, traditional shops and trendy bars.

In the first quarter of 2022, apartments here were selling for up to €12,500 per square meter, while detached and semidetached houses were fetching around €3.36 million, with exceptional properties going for as much as €15 million.

In the coastal regions, traditional Mediterranean-style villas with a sea view, pool and, preferably, proximity to a great golf course, are experiencing high demand from international buyers. The most popular coastal locations are Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo along the Algarve, where asking prices can reach as high as €20,000 per square meter for apartments and €14 million for exclusive villas.

While the coastal town of Comporta near Lisbon hasn’t caught the eye of too many international buyers yet, it is currently gaining in popularity and is unlikely to remain an insider tip for much longer.

I am particularly proud of the success that Engel & Völkers has already achieved in Portugal. Since entering the Portuguese market in 2002, we have enjoyed tremendous growth and established a strong brand presence. Today, we have 17 real estate shops all over the country, with more planned for this year, including in Sintra.

Source: U.S. News & World Report

“The real estate market in Portugal rests on two strong pillars: the high demand from abroad and the increased national interest created by the pandemic.”

SVEN ODIA, GLOBAL CEO OF ENGEL & VÖLKERS

RANKING 18TH, PORTUGAL HAS MADE IT INTO THE TOP 20 OF THE “BEST COUNTRIES TO START A BUSINESS IN 2022.”

WHICH CITIES ARE MOST POPULAR WITH EXPATS WORLDWIDE?

LIVING ON THE EDGE

In her book “Living on the Edge: Houses on Cliffs,” author Agata Toromanoff has assembled a collection of fascinating properties from all around the world, built with the aid of innovative technology in spectacular spots that would normally be considered “unbuildable.” A must for architecture enthusiasts.

FOLLOW ME ON

WILD, WILD WEST

Atypical properties are on trend, and Engel & Völkers is currently marketing one such property in the Canadian province of Alberta . Situated on 480 acres of land, “The Ranch at Fisher Creek” provided the location for the fictional Wild West town of Big Whiskey in the Oscar-winning film “Unforgiven,” directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The Hollywood star also lived on the ranch during filming.

The popular vacation resort of Punta del Este is located in the south of Uruguay. For many years, the “Monaco of South America” has attracted the North and South American jet set as well as vacation property buyers from all over the globe. And we’ve spotted a new trend: More and more of our customers, including many with families, are moving their primary residence to this paradise on the Atlantic. The majority – some 70% – of buyers are from abroad. They value the low population density, the political and legal stability and the picturesque surroundings.

InterNations, a network of people living or working abroad, publishes a list of its members’ favorite cities every year. The Expat City Ranking 2022 is based on a survey of 11,970 members in more than 180 countries.

In full color!

Bye-bye gray, hello spring! Feel-good items in bright hues to accompany you on your next adventure.

1 FLORAL REVIVAL Curtain up on bold flower prints! All-over look in pink and blue from the spring/summer collection 2023, Andrew GN, price on request. 2 GAME OF PATIENCE A miniature work of art comprising 800 pieces, the Cubist-inspired “Escape The City” puzzle was designed by French artist and illustrator Claire Prouvost. Jiggy Puzzles, approx. € 48. 3 BACK TO THE FUTURE Fiberglass meets upholstery

in the “T4 Single Seat” from the modular furniture collection by Holloway Li for Uma. Color shown here: Cream Soda. Price on request.

4 SKYLINE DESIGN An homage to the setting sun reflected in New York City skyscrapers: room divider “Tramonto a New York” by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce for Cassina, price on request.

5 UNIQUE PIECE Hand-cut gems and finely wrought symbols submerged in baroque pearls.

Charm collection by MoonTree, from € 340. 6 GOOD NEWS A notebook sporting a smiley face is guaranteed to make your day. Gilt-edged paper bound in embossed lambskin. Smythson, approx. € 110. 7 SYMBIOSIS Art and fragrance merged into one: James Turrell is the first artist ever to collaborate with French crystal maker Lalique. Limited edition perfumes “ Range Rider“ and “Purple Sage.” Prices on request.

Let’s groove

1 HEAD-TURNER Shimmer and shine in true retro style: Tom Ford, spring/summer collection 2023, price on request. 2 GOOD VIBE A skateboard adorned with one of Keith Haring’s numerous untitled works. Through the sale, THE SKATEROOM honors his legacy and supports social projects. Available from Mr Porter, € 220. 3 IRRESISTIBLE Sweet, pungent, woody: These joss sticks go by the seductive name of “ The Sweetest

Taboo.” Who could possibly resist? Unifrom, € 25.

4 CLASSIC With its double exposure setting and self timer, the “Now i-Type” instant camera attains new heights of coolness. Polaroid, approx. € 130.

5 EXPERIMENTAL Enjoying music takes on a new dimension with the unconventional, app-driven “Stepping Out of the Slate” devices by Yamaha Design Laboratory. Price on request. 6 IN FOCUS

The ultra-stylish Ultravid 8x32 “Edition Zagato“

binoculars, a cooperation between Leica and Italian design studio Zagato, are all about attention to detail. From € 3,450. 7 CONJURING TRICK With hints of peat and salt, each golden sip calls to mind Scotland’s Isle of Islay: “Laphroaig 10 Year Old,” approx. € 37. 8 EYE-CATCHING Piotr Sierakowski’s fine designer piece boasts pear tree, ebony and ash marquetry. “Autumn Cabinet,” Invisible Collection, price on request.

A sweet selection of designer pieces and products to put a little swing in your step.

THE SMART ENTRY TO YOUR HOME

DoorBird is your smart video intercom in over 50 different materials and colors. See and speak with visitors and open the door using your smartphone.

DoorBird combines exclusive design with innovative IP technology in the field of door communication.

The Getaways

At home on four wheels – more and more people are dreaming of living “the van life.” The term encompasses an entire lifestyle, with as many as 14 million people following the hashtag on Instagram. It holds out the promise of freedom – traveling the roads of the world, getting to know countries and people and leaving the daily grind behind for a life of adventure. What this can look like in practice is revealed in this collection of converted vans, illustrated maps, practical tips and, of course, pictures of the most beautiful campsites that inspire you to get in your van and hit the open road.

gestalten, approx. $ 60

No Signal

Can you imagine living cut off from the rest of the world, without the internet and perhaps even without electricity or running water? To produce this illustrated book, French photographer Brice Portolano traveled the globe to find and portray ten people who have dared to make a radical new start –away from civilization. The subjects include dog sled drivers in Lapland, self-sufficient farmers in Cumbria, lighthouse keepers on a small Norwegian island and reindeer herders in Mongolia, all of whom have chosen to drop out and live a self-determined life in harmony with nature and themselves.

Brice

Portolano, teNeues, $ 60

Remote Experiences

Belgian photographer David De Vleeschauwer has spent the past two decades exploring remote areas of the world far from places with any kind of access to the internet. He traveled on an icebreaker through Antarctica, explored the plains of Botswana on safaris, encountered Buddhist villages in the foothills of the Himalayas, and went on a horse safari at the tip of the Americas in Patagonia. This photo journal shows twelve extraordinary and unexpected travel destinations. The images document experiences and memories of places that have (so far) rarely been seen by anyone.

David De Vleeschauwer, Taschen, € 50

SmartPool. SmartLife.

Experience maximum natural vitalizing pool water and perfect operating comfort. Our innovative SmartPool technology Ospa-BlueControl® 5 Web controls your oasis of well-being fully automatically and energy-efficiently. Worldwide via WebApp –fantastically simple. www.ospa.info

Photo: pool-aesthetics, S.L.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN VIVID BLUES AND GOLDEN HUES

There’s no better time and no better feeling than Curaçao. This tropical oasis, located in the Dutch Caribbean, is an island that warms your spirit.

It boasts over 35 beautiful beaches, perfect year-round weather for activities above and below sea, and a colorfully vibrant energy unlike any other.

NOMADS

Personalities like furniture designer Maximilian Eicke, life coach Jay Shetty or even legendary gorilla researcher Dian Fossey made it their mission to go against the mainstream.

PHOTO: BJÖRN WALLANDER

Following his inner compass, Maximilian Eicke moved from Düsseldorf to New York to the island of Bali.

THE NOMAD

PHOTO: TOMMASO RIVA AND LISA SCAPPIN

Chiseled edges, minimalistic, a reduced palette: Maximilian Eicke is influenced by the Bauhaus to this day.

His unusual glassware put Maximilian Eicke – aka Max ID NY – on the map. But his road to success took many detours. The story of a German-born individualist and furniture designer who left his home to manufacture his dreams and is now working via Bali and New York.

WORDS: Michaela Cordes

PHOTO: BJORN WALLANDER

PHOTO: TOMMASO RIVA AND LISA SCAPPIN

“I’m very introverted and tend to withdraw when I’m working on new designs.”

MAXIMILIAN EICKE

Inspired by Balinese rice terraces: Eicke’s Dukuh house consists of five buildings, a pool and a koi pond.

“On Bali they say the island either loves you or it spits you out. I was lucky!” MAXIMILIAN EICKE

He is regarded as a super-hot name in the design and fashion world right now: Maximilian Eicke, the man behind the brand Max ID NY. With his faceted Ghost glassware the furniture designer gained a dedicated following by the U.S. style set. Kendall Jenner is a fan, as is model Elsa Hosk, who both have posted his chic creations, much to the delight of their millions of followers. A success story that took many twists and turns – from Germany to Bali via New York.

When you see Maximilian Eicke for the first time, you could quite easily mistake him for Ben Affleck’s younger brother: tall, tousled brown curls, casual clothes and a winning smile. “Hi, how’s it going?” he says smiling, extending his hand. We have arrived at his design studio and showroom in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons, a good two hours’ drive from Manhattan. This is where Maximilian Eicke went to school after moving to the U.S. from Düsseldorf with his parents and sister in 1998. At first glance, it looks idyllic: carefully manicured box hedges, vast green meadows, delightful cottages – it’s no coincidence that many New Yorkers consider this neighborhood a dream destination, and the prices per square foot are among the highest in the country.

But not all of Maximilian Eicke’s memories of his first years at school here are happy ones. “At first I was thrilled when my parents told us that we’d be moving to the U.S. permanently.” Up until that point, Elfi and Michael Eicke had run their Sag Harbor art gallery, Christy’s Art Center, mainly in the summer months. They would travel to the U.S. with their kids for the long school break, when the Hamptons are at their busiest.

Because Ross School – which would have been his parents’ first choice – only took girls at the time, 10-year-old Maximilian had to attend the local public school and soon became increasingly introverted and miserable. “Because I was German, I was really badly bullied by the other kids. At times it was so bad that my parents seriously considered moving back to Germany. Today I think that time of my life taught me a valuable lesson: Above all else you have to be happy with yourself, your own best friend. The way I see it today, it’s even possible that the experience boosted my creativity, because even now I like to withdraw – sometimes it’s cost me friendships because I do sometimes cancel evening plans so that I can focus on my work or a new design instead.” When Ross School changed its rules and started admitting boys a few years later, a new chapter started. And Max thrived! “That

school is known for encouraging creativity,” he says, “and I loved it there.”

After graduating from high school, Maximilian Eicke applied to one of the few colleges that offered an interior design program – in Ireland. “It was really important to me not to stay in America because the memories of my time at a U.S. public school were still fresh. All my friends were eagerly applying to several colleges and getting letters of acceptance from various places. I would describe myself as extremely lazy, which is why I only applied to a single school, Griffith College, because it had an interior design program – and soon after that I moved to Dublin!”

It was a decision that defined the course of his career from then on. “I connected with people straight away, just like I’d always wanted. Right from the start, I made friends with people who are still close buddies to this day.” But when it came to the curriculum, the talented youngster soon discovered that the program had its limitations. “The second year was all about designing furniture – my favorite subject. Because I was so passionate about it, I developed my designs far beyond the point the college lecturers expected and was the best student in my year. When it came to grades, I automatically did well. But although I was proud of myself, I gradually started wanting more of a challenge.”

As a result, he quit the three-year program early, attempting to console his parents by explaining how much money he would save them by doing so. Then he decided to go backpacking and see the world. But before setting off, there was something the 19-yearold felt he wanted to explain to his professors: “I might be leaving a year earlier than intended, but I still think you should give me a diploma.” He’d passed all the necessary courses for it, after all. Perhaps that’s what gave him the self-confidence to argue his case: “One day I’ll be famous and then I’m sure you’ll want me to tell everyone that I graduated from your college.”

His plan came off. With his diploma in his pocket, he spent three months traveling

The design scene has a new star: Maximilian Eicke and his studio Max ID NY. He moved to Bali to turn his visions into reality. Left: his pool.

PHOTO: TOMMASO RIVA AND LISA SCAPPIN

Minimalistic, no doors. The sofa is set into the floor to create different levels.

“I have wonderful mentors in the U.S. and on Bali. I owe my success to them.“

MAXIMILIAN EICKE

PHOTO: TOMMASO RIVA AND LISA SCAPPIN

“Max ID NY – that’s the guy with the nice glassware. And I’ve been designing furniture for 10 years...”

MAXIMILIAN EICKE

Although Eicke has been designing furniture for over 10 years, it was his Ghost glasses that made him famous.

around the world – from Europe to Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and back to New York. “The trip was a gift from my parents for graduating college. At the time, I did everything I could to put off going back to the U.S., because that would have meant me taking over my parents’ gallery. And I just wasn’t ready for that.”

His time at college in Ireland had changed him. “I really sensed that the introverted young man I’d once been had turned into an adventurer looking for new challenges.” When Maximilian returned from his extended trip, friends of his parents helped him find a threemonth internship at an iron factory in the little town of Lüdinghausen in Germany’s Münsterland region. “I had to get up at four in the morning every day and sweep the floor. But a few weeks later – because of my disciplined work ethic – I was allowed to work with the master craftsman in charge of the more elaborate, interesting projects.”

Shortly before the end of his internship, his total fluency in English earned him the chance to accompany a colleague to an important business meeting at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. “I still remember thinking how incredible the whole thing was. I was only 20 years old, and yet my boss trusted me to land one of the biggest contracts ever – the interior design for all of Apple’s European stores.” It was during this internship that Maximilian Eicke fell in love with metal. And once he was back in the U.S., he used the €3,000 he’d received as a thank you for the unpaid intern job to buy his first welding unit. He laughs: “What followed was a total obsession with metalworking. I have to admit I’m not a very patient person: I like things to move fast, that’s why I fell in love with this particular material. Wood is a totally different story, there are so many different steps: You have to machine it, glue it, and then wait 12 hours. Working with iron is a lot quicker.”

Maximilian spent the months following his return to the Hamptons making 10 metal prototypes and helping at his parents’ gallery. “One day an acquaintance came by, looked at my prototypes and suggested I display them.” Other customers expressed interest too, so he started looking for a U.S. producer who could make his furniture. “But my euphoria soon evaporated. Once the manufacturers explained the kind of budget I would need if I wanted them to produce my furniture, I soon realized that I just didn’t have the necessary finances.”

Feeling frustrated, the young designer started making plans for another backpacking tour once the summer season in the Hamptons was over, and in fall 2010 he traveled to Southeast Asia – with the intention of looking

for cheaper production options there. “It was almost time for me to fly back to the U.S. when I got the chance to visit an acquaintance on Bali who knows a lot about factories and furniture production on the island.”

He stayed with his parents’ friend for two weeks and visited several factories. “There’s a saying on Bali: The island either welcomes you or it spits you out. It was my first time there, and I immediately felt as if things were moving in the right direction. At the time there were still power outages every three days, and in the evenings you needed a flashlight to find your way home in the dark. But I felt the pull straight away – it was fascinating!”

Maximilian returned from his meeting with the first factory with a signed contract in his pocket: He had ordered a container with 100 smallish pieces of furniture for a fraction of the price he would have paid in New York. “But my second meeting was even more incredible!” Chris Ball, the boss of the second factory, said he only wanted to see the really unusual designs – and promptly offered to go into business with their creator! “The fact that he had so much faith in me was obviously a huge boost for my self-confidence as a designer. I was totally honest and told him I didn’t have the budget it would take to have my most elaborate designs produced. But that didn’t bother him: ‘Don’t worry about that,’ he said, ‘I’ll pay, and you can give me the money once you’ve sold the stuff.’”

Just four months later, Maximilian Eicke started displaying all the pieces he had made in Bali in a little corner of his parents’ gallery in Sag Harbor. “We were sold out in no time.” He used the proceeds to fly back to Bali that winter, and ordered twice the amount of furniture.

Five years later, he and his Bali-made furniture took over the entire gallery. “We’ve been combining my designs with my parents’ art ever since.” Although just 24 at the time, the young designer grew bolder with every collection and began exploring more adventurous materials.

In 2012 he landed his first major coup and got his name in the New York Times: a flatpack-compatible table made of carbon fiber, Kevlar and titanium, which Eicke had produced in Germany and exhibited at Manhattan’s Jonathan Burden gallery. The price tag: $68,000! His name was suddenly the talk of the design scene and various celebrities (whose identities he declines to reveal) became loyal customers. “The article in the New York Times took my career to a whole new level.”

Since then, the now 33-year-old designer has divided his work into two categories: Continued on page 66

No longer “critically endangered” but still endangered, mountain gorillas can only survive in the Virunga Mountains in East Africa.

A VISIT TO THE WORLD OF DIAN FOSSEY

She passionately cared for the animals she loved most and paid for their protection with her life. For the first time in 37 years, since Dian Fossey’s death, the numbers of mountain gorillas in Rwanda are increasing. A visit to a fascinating country that has found a whole new identity in the wake of the 1994 genocide and today practices policies based on welfare, love and respect.

WORDS: Michaela Cordes BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY: David Yarrow

“When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.“

DIAN FOSSEY

A mountain gorilla female with its young. The shape of their noses helps scientists differentiate between them.

h look! There’s a rustling in the bushes behind us, and I suddenly see a hand covered with thick black hair reaching out for a bamboo branch, followed by a satisfied smacking sound. “Stay very still,” says Ignacius, my guide, making a deep, rolling mhhh-mhhhh noise. That’s gorilla language and means: I feel good and won’t hurt you. While the big silverback is munching on his favorite plant, a smaller gorilla takes up a position right behind me.

I slowly turn around to face him. He gives me a shy but interested look and then walks on all fours back into the rainforest. “Come on!” says Ignacius, following the blackback (a male gorilla that will turn into a silverback when it is older) through the thicket. He uses his machete to clear a path through the tangled undergrowth. I follow, lowering my head to avoid the prickly leaves but shudder a little at the sight of the machete. It was the weapon of choice for the poachers who used to kill countless mountain gorillas in Rwanda until very recently; it was also used in the brutal killing of a million people in just 100 days during the tragic genocide here roughly 29 years ago.

It is the darkest chapter in this country’s history in which nearly everyone lost at least one relative. But despite the pain, the people of Rwanda are making a conscious effort to turn away from the hatred toward a brighter future. As a result, Rwanda has developed into one of Africa’s most modern countries: Women hold 65% of the seats in parliament, the capital Kigali is the cleanest city on the continent – plastic bags were banned here as early as 2008 – and the protection of mountain gorillas has become a top priority.

“We have chosen forgiveness over revenge,” says my driver Emmy, as we travel from Kigali to Bisate, where the gorilla tracking I’m about to do originally began. On our way there Emmy points out the many modern speed cameras, which I am familiar with from Germany. Located a few kilometers apart, even on country roads, they are responsible for bringing down the high numbers of traffic fatalities. There are also over 200 genocide memorials scattered throughout the country, proclaiming to the world that what happened here must never happen again.

Rwanda has undergone an equally transformative change of heart about its most treasured inhabitants. Dian Fossey, who carried out an aggressive campaign against the country’s lax attitude to poachers in the 1970s and warned that the mountain gorillas would be extinct by the end of the 20th century, is today celebrated as a hero.

So it’s hardly surprising that if you want to visit the mountain gorillas, you need to be patient. Because this experience is so unique, it is highly sought-after and there is a long waiting list. Only 12 of the existing 20 gorilla families can be visited by tourists. And only eight people are allowed per family for one hour. “We have guests booking up to two years in advance,” says Ingrid Baas, operations manager at Wilderness Rwanda. Opened in 2019, the company’s beautiful Bisate Lodge in the Volcano National Park is booked continuously and regarded by experts as one of the finest lodges for gorilla trekking. After a short, restless night in my pleasant, tastefully decorated lodge – one of several protruding from the hillside like beehives – I got up at five, packed my waterproofs and gloves (for protection from thorny bushes) into my backpack and pulled on the waterproof hiking boots and gaiters (to prevent insects crawling up into my shoes). I then met my driver Emmy again who drove me by jeep to the gorilla tracking meeting point, where I was assigned to one of the 12 groups.

Equipped with a (beautifully carved) walking stick, a lunch box and water bottle we began our ascent. Led by three guides, our group of eight walked across fields of beans and potatoes that had been planted by local farmers at the foot of the 3,669-meter-high Sabinyo volcano. A fact that makes transparent how far humans have encroached into the mountain gorillas’ habitat. Mount Sabinyo is one of eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains and extends into Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The three adjoining countries are where the mountain gorillas live. The last official count identified 1,060 of them in the Virunga Mountains. This is a gratifying result as there were only 250 left during Dian Fossey’s time.

It is nearly lunchtime on this sunny December day in the Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda, which is now home to 20 mountain gorilla families. It’s 24 degrees Celsius and there isn’t a rain cloud in sight. Just before we encounter the gorillas, we are urged to put on our masks to protect these rare animals, which share up to 98 percent of their DNA with us humans. Ignacius: “Since we made mask-wearing obligatory, our gorillas have been ill much less frequently. And not just because of the COVID

PHOTOS: DAVID YARROW (1), LIAM WHITE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (1)

While studying gorillas in Rwanda, Dian Fossey raised two orphaned gorilla babies, which ended up making friends with her dog Cindy.

“The man who kills the animals today is the man who kills the people who get in his way tomorrow.”

DIAN FOSSEY

pandemic. The gorillas are susceptible to other common human diseases too.”

Mountain gorillas are plant eaters and have their first meal around 10 in the morning after leaving their night nest. They spend about five minutes each evening building a new nest from branches and leaves (for hygienic reasons, as they also use their nest as a toilet). The time window after their first meal is the best time to visit the gorillas. That’s when they are satisfied and tired, which is hardly surprising, as a fully grown, 1.70-meter-tall silverback can polish off as much as 30 kilograms of plants in a day.

Nowadays, the large primates have no predators to fear – unlike in Dian Fossey’s day when their main enemies were corrupt game hunters who went out to hunt for baby gorillas. In her detailed articles in publications like National Geographic, the American researcher brought this brutal slaughter to the attention of the international public.

Gorilla families – one should know – will fight ferociously to protect their young. Because of this, poachers often had to kill an entire family to capture a single baby gorilla, which they would then sell for the best price to a Western zoo. A family can consist of as many as ten to twenty members, which goes a long way to explain the drastic decline in the mountain gorilla population during Fossey’s time. “Luckily, since those times, zoos have learned that mountain gorillas cannot survive anywhere else than here – in their native habitat,” explains Ignacius.

This is also why the government of Rwanda has put all of its energies into protecting the mountain gorillas, introducing severe penalties for poaching and publicly supporting the Karisoke Center that Dian Fossey founded in 1967. Since renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, countless celebrities have donated generously to the preservation of these endangered animals. The most famous one is TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who was so impressed and touched by her first mountain gorilla adventure that she had an ultramodern museum dedicated to Dian Fossey built in Bisate called The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in honor of the mountain gorillas and to help educate visitors about them. After opening in February 2022, personalities like Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Harrison Ford have been humbled by their encounters with the mountain gorillas.

Today, the foundation gives 10% of its tourist income to the state, which in turn lets every inhabitant of Rwanda participate in the gorilla tourism revenues, thus thwarting the poachers. On top of that a team of local scientists and doctors works round the clock to

expand our knowledge of mountain gorillas. Eight of the 20 gorilla families living here are observed exclusively for scientific purposes.

To follow the gorillas, the “gorilla trackers” – specialists who also document the health and habits of these animals on a daily basis – look out for the Kwisanga gorilla family, which I am allowed to visit today. Ahead of us, and using walkie-talkies, the trackers tell our guides exactly where we need to hike in order to find the family.

Kwisanga means “feel at home” and the name is derived from the family’s remarkable history. “What is unusual about them is that there are two silverbacks in this gorilla family. They arrived here from Congo 15 years ago and never returned,” explains Loyce, the assistant manager of Wilderness Bisate Lodge, speaking to me later that evening. She previously spent 11 years working as a guide at the Volcanoes National Park. To become a gorilla guide, she says, you have to undergo extensive training and meet very high standards. Only 17 out of 1,000 applicants make it to the final selection each year.

We notice the vegetation becoming wilder as soon as we enter the rainforest at the foot of the volcano. There are also elephants and buffalo living here who can sometimes become a threat to tourists. “Yesterday, while I was leading a group, one of the guests got nervous and tried to run away when the elephants came charging towards us,” one of the trackers tells me. Unexpected things can happen if visitors reach the gorillas before the trackers do. “You have to remember that these are wild animals,” warns Loyce, who has only ever once encountered a really aggressive gorilla family during her years as a guide. “We later learned that the baby of that family had been caught in an antelope trap, which left the whole family in agony.”

There are no signs of any disturbance when we finally catch our first glimpse of the Kwisanga family that I am visiting today. Instead, I sense a kind of harmonious fatigue. Just as it begins to rain, up on a lush green hill, I spot a fluffy baby gorilla, relaxed and yawning as it snuggles up to its sleeping father – the second silverback in the family. A few seconds later another young gorilla comes stumbling out of the bamboo bushes and sits down right in front of me. As a visitor, you’re asked to keep a distance of at least seven meters. But if the animals approach you, just stay where you are, Ignacius explained to us during the hike here. So I stay very still and maintain my position. Suddenly, I find myself so close to the teenage gorilla that I could reach out and touch it. But unlike Dian Fossey, who documented her amazing work with mountain gorillas

PHOTOS: DAVID YARROW (1), WILDERNESS (1)

in her best-selling book “Gorillas in the Mist,” we are strictly forbidden to touch the animals. I am reminded of her impressive documentaries as I watch the young gorilla turn onto its back and start playing with its feet like a human baby, watching me closely the whole time. When it starts to rain harder, the young gorilla’s mother swiftly appears out of the bushes, gathers her children up and takes them to lie with her under the protection of a tree, very close to the sleeping silverback. The other silverback remains sitting stoically, almost defiantly, in the rain with his arms crossed over his chest. He puckers his lips in what appears to be a gesture of annoyance.

After exactly one hour, our time is up and our unique audience with these majestic animals comes to an end. As if the gorillas can sense this, the sitting silverback stands up, passes very close to me and disappears into the bushes, out of the heavy rain.

Thirty-seven years after her death in 1985, the murder of Dian Fossey, who fought so passionately to ensure the survival of these creatures, remains unsolved. Perhaps it was poachers. Today humans are still the only threat to

Wilderness Bisate Lodge, which will soon be entirely surrounded by rainforest due to a big reforestation project.

the mountain gorillas. The loss of their natural habitat is one of the most serious challenges that these animals face today. This is why Wilderness is working hard to make the villagers feel an integral part of the enterprise. The annual naming ceremony of the newborn gorilla babies is a memorable event in Bisate village life. The villagers are already very proud of the ambitious Wilderness undertaking and supportive of the large reforestation project around Wilderness Bisate Lodge, which will significantly expand the mountain gorillas’s habitat. “Our goal is to substantially extend the boundaries of the national park to provide more space for the mountain gorillas to spread out. Our lodge will then be right in the heart of the rainforest,” says Ryan, who manages Wilderness Bisate.

Before I leave, I am allowed to plant a tree, an African redwood with a lifespan of up to 250 years. It is one of the mountain gorillas’ favorite trees. To monitor the progress of the reforestation project, Wilderness has set up cameras around the lodge. The first two mountain gorillas were spotted exploring the area just two days before my arrival!

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PHOTO: ROBERT GALLAGHER/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES

VIRAL WISDOM

Ancient teachings reinterpreted: How the former Hindu monk turned into a dedicated life coach. Today Jay Shetty is a social media star with an online following of more than 47 million. His first world tour to promote his new book “8 Rules of Love” is filling halls and stadiums from Singapore to Paris. WORDS: Silke Bender

“I owe everything to the lessons learned as a monk.” JAY SHETTY

The Jay Shetty phenomenon broken down by numbers: Through Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, he has reached more than 47 million people. His videos have received more than ten billion clicks. On Purpose is the world’s most successful podcast in the health and wellness sector and “Think Like a Monk,“ his first book, was a number one New York Times bestseller. Jay Shetty has even officiated Hollywood weddings. Who is this man and what is his secret?

With his pale gray eyes, medium stubble and a boxing glove tattoo on his neck, Jay Shetty, 35, is something of a poster boy for ancient Indian wisdom with a contemporary twist. Part guru, part pop star who grew up on the internet, his motivational speeches fill stadiums across the U.S. Never before has someone with such sex appeal so entertainingly offered philosophical advice on how to live a full and meaningful life. Whether it’s people’s dreams, aspirations, anxieties or disappointments in situations connected with their love life, family or work, smart, beaming Jay Shetty always finds the right words of encouragement. Why am I still single? How can I improve my self-discipline? Why should I never compare myself to others? How do I find my true vocation?

Depending on the medium, Shetty packages his wisdom in easily digestible nuggets: short aphorisms, lengthier podcasts consisting of interviews with celebrities or highly professional video clips. On several occasions, Google, HSBC, Facebook and Nasdaq have all invited him to come and speak. At first glance, the inspirational tidbits he offers don’t appear to have much more substance than a calendar quote. In his book “Think Like a Monk,” for instance, he writes: “When we look for the good in others, we start to see the best in ourselves too,” and on Instagram: “You can’t be in a committed relationship with someone who is inconsistent with you,” after which he adds, “Read that again.” In a caption, he puts: “Love is a daily effort. Some days it may come easier than others and that’s OK, but what should always stay consistent is the respect and admiration you have for your partner’s values and goals.”

But when top model Gisele Bündchen commented with a “praying hands” emoji, U.S. tabloids published several articles speculating on whether this meant she was finally divorcing

her football-star husband Tom Brady. What Jay Shetty says and the way famous people react has a very real effect. Hollywood in particular appears to hang on the Bollywood sage’s every utterance. Will Smith used Shetty’s podcast series on YouTube to philosophize about the price of success, and Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck chose Jay Shetty to officiate the ceremony when they got married for the second time.

The art of storytelling is probably the oldest and most successful marketing strategy in the world, and Shetty is a master storyteller. The short version of his life story goes something like this: Once upon a time there was an unpopular and unhappy teenager with Indian roots growing up in North London. While at college studying business administration, he heard a Hindu monk speak, upon which he left the U.K. immediately after graduation to live as a monk in India for three years. Returning home with a suitcase full of wisdom but unable to find a job, he began sharing his thoughts and the story of his failure on social media. Then he met the woman of his dreams, became a celebrated star and started earning millions virtually overnight.

This type of story has always been received enthusiastically in the U.S., and in Hollywood in particular. So it’s hardly surprising that British-born Shetty achieved his breakthrough there and now lives in Los Angeles – the global capital of self-marketing, where wealth and success are as much an obsession as spiritual growth and the search for meaning. Yoga was elevated to a national sport in L.A. by the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS ) demographic in the early 2000s, followed closely by meditation and vegetarianism. All three of these practices originate in India, and they provided fertile spiritual ground for Jay Shetty’s success. Not only can he explain ancient Indian philosophy in a fresh and inspirational new way but as the authentic face of diversity – whether ethnic, secular or cultural – he is the perfect person to do so. Shetty isn’t just a marketing genius and an extraordinarily good speaker, he also has the right aura and an excellent sense of timing.

His first major TV appearance was on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he described his career to the queen of queer television in the following words: “I grew up in London, in an Indian family where you could become one of three things – a doctor, a lawyer or a failure. My family was convinced I had chosen option three: Instead of attending my business school graduation ceremony, I headed to India to become a monk.”

For three years, he says, he got up at 4 a.m. every morning, meditated for four to eight hours, studied philosophical writings and dedicated his life to to the service of

Shetty’s new book “8 Rules of Love” (Simon & Schuster) came out in late January. His world tour kicked off in the U.S. in February.

Last summer, Jay and his wife Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, a nutritionist, launched Joyo Tea – a sparkling, gluten-free, vegan, low-calory, organic, adaptogenic drink. Adapto-what? Adaptogens are plant substances that are thought to help the body cope with with stress. Facing page: Jay Shetty as a monk.

others. He describes the most important lessons that he learned during this period like this: “The value of material things was considered little to none. Mastering the mind wasn’t an option, but a necessity for well-being. Discipline was a joyful and powerful force of selfcare. Empathy, peace, mindfulness and love were the only paths to abundance and success.” One of his teachers eventually urged him to share what he had learned with others rather than continue living as a monk himself, so at the age of 26 and heavily in debt, Shetty returned to London, moved in with his parents and proceeded to try to find employment. Of the 40 applications he sent out, all 40 were rejected.

Evidently, corporate personnel managers couldn’t have cared less about his experiences as a monk, but several of Shetty’s former fellow students felt quite differently. After graduating from university, some of them had started working for big companies, but were unhappy in their jobs and suffering from stress. So they invited Shetty to coach them on how to improve their well-being, set goals and practice mindfulness. In this roundabout way, Shetty found a job with the corporate consulting firm Accenture as head of social media.

When Shetty began posting private motivational videos on Facebook, he drew a lot of attention. He also caught the eye of journalist Arianna Huffington, who offered him the job of producing videos for her New-York based news portal The Huffington Post. Crossing the Atlantic gave his career an extra push. Good-looking Jay Shetty and his equally attractive wife Radhi Devlukia-Shetty – freshly married –were welcomed to the U.S. with open arms.

In 2017, Forbes Magazine included Jay Shetty in its annual 30 Under 30 Europe list, naming him a game changer in the media sector. In 2018, after being viewed 380 million

times, Shetty’s video “Before You Feel Pressure” made number one on Facebook.

Shetty’s future certainly looks golden. The spiritual self-help business is a booming industry in the U.S. with annual growth figures in the double digits every year. Valued at roughly $2 billion in the U.S. today, this lucrative market is expected to expand to around $9 billion worldwide by 2027.

A host of celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon: Talkshow diva Oprah Winfrey and singer Alicia Keys have teamed up with alternative medicine guru Deepak Chopra to produce a multiple-session meditation app that addresses things like The Divine Feminine or Inner Peace. At $50 a session it is even relatively affordable. And after collapsing from exhaustion herself, Shetty spotter Arianna Huffington founded Thrive Global, a startup dedicated to mental health and preventing burnout. So far, it has raised $150 million in several rounds of financing.

But Shetty is still the superstar of the bunch, commanding $200,000 a pop for speaking at live events. VIP tickets to his first world tour cost up to $750. This includes meditation and a meet and greet before the show.

Shetty’s image lost a little of its burnish a few years back when saucy Canadian YouTuber Nicole Arbour posted a well-researched video in which she challenged Shetty to refute her claims that not all of his wise words were actually his own but that some of them were plagiarized. Reacting as wisely as a monk, Shetty quietly deleted 113 posts, disappearing them into nirvana. Then he posted the following universal truth on Twitter: “If you can laugh at yourself, you will never run out of things to laugh about.” This time he remembered to attribute the quote – to the Roman philosopher Epictetus.

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Sand and ocean as far as the eye can see. On Finolhu, even hardened city dwellers relish the Robinson Crusoe feeling.

Good vibes only!

Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the wonderfully relaxed five-star resort Finolhu is part of the Seaside Collection — the first hotel in the Maldives owned by a German company.

Once you check into the Rock Star Villa, all your questions evaporate. Except one: Which glitters more – the pool or the ocean?

“Most of our guests are Europeansmainly from Germany or the UK.” GREGOR GERLACH

As you lie in your bed in the Beach Bubble, you can gaze at the stars in the stunningly clear night sky.

“People want to eat Asian food, but not chicken feet. Just not too spicy.” GREGOR GERLACH

The Finolhu spa is a dream in green. Here on your yoga mat you breathe in and out to the rhythm of the waves.

The Indian Ocean is a haven for manta rays and dolphins, the scenery a blaze of vibrant colors. The resort in the Baa Atoll is the tropical pearl in the portfolio of the Seaside Hotel Group, which was founded in the 1970s by Theo Gerlach. Today his son Gregor runs the company together with his sister. We met him at their headquarters in Hamburg.

How does a European hotelier come by a project like this in the Maldives?

We were on the lookout for something suitable because we hadn’t opened a new hotel for almost 20 years; the last one was the Side Hotel in Hamburg back in 2001. The criteria were clear: We wanted to have as many European guests as possible because they’re who we know and understand best. And it was to be a destination where winter is the main season. After looking into Morocco and Venice, we fell in love with the Maldives.

Had you ever been there before? No. And before I flew there for the first time I

said to my wife: I bet it’s boring on a little island like that, surely you run out of things to do after a couple of days. Then, just before Christmas 2018, we heard about this hotel in the Baa Atoll. The realtor said we could still make an offer but only had a few days’ time. Then I flew there with my father on December 22, for 24 hours. He’d just turned 90 at the time. We were immediately captivated by this special little island with its stunning lagoon and endless beaches. We signed the contract in March 2019 and took over in May.

Corona struck a year later. How did you use the time?

We spent almost all of 2020 upgrading, so in terms of timing it couldn’t have been better. The hotel was already two years old at the time but it wasn’t going very well; the way it had been finished was a bit loveless. We worked with a London-based interior designer who advised us to add love and luxury to the mix. The classic Maldive hotels tend to have heavy interiors with lots of dark wood. But we went for an upbeat feel and color instead, which is more in keeping with the European understanding of how you want to feel on vacation.

More of a Mediterranean vibe, then?

Not exactly, no. We tried to interpret it for this part of the world: a Robinson Crusoe

Co-owner Gregor Gerlach (right) had a hand in the design of the Ocean Pool Villa too.

“It’s the most beautiful island I’ve seen in the Maldives so far.” GREGOR GERLACH

feeling, barefoot, easygoing, open air. But from a European angle. It’s the same when it comes to the dining experience: People want to eat Asian food, but not chicken feet. I’m worlds away from serving up traditional German dishes in the Maldives, but the local cuisine has to be right for our clientele; spicy is fine, just not too spicy.

You were booked out over the New Year’s break, so your concept evidently took off quickly? We’ve established a loyal customer base in Germany and are lucky in that a lot of travel agencies recommend us.

Travel agencies? Are they actually all that relevant these days?

It’s rare for somebody to spend so much money via booking.com. As a rule, they book via a travel agent. And particularly when the destination is so far away, it all comes down to trust: Where am I sending my customers? We have far more European guests than most other resorts in the Maldives, especially from Germany and the United Kingdom. Before the war a lot of Ukrainians and Russians came as well, but that’s dropped off now. We often have American guests too.

You have plenty of space… Finolhu consists of four islands. Depending on the season, you can either walk along the sandbank from one to the other or take the boat. On island one there are 125 villas, three restaurants and the spa. Our Crab Shack restaurant is located on island two. Islands three and four aren’t being used right now, but building is scheduled to start soon – and the places will be very roomy! We’re planning seven super-exclusive villas on island three, with prices starting at €5,000 per night. And on island four there’ll be just one villa, all on its own, which will start at €20,000 per night. It will have 1,000 square meters of living space and include a sauna, a cinema, and its own open kitchen.

You’re confident of finding enough guests who’ll be happy to pay for that extreme level of luxury? Yes, we’ve thought about the investment very carefully. We’ve seen that, with our existing suites, the big ones are always really well booked and demand for them is particularly high. What we can offer on these two islands is pretty unique: total seclusion that can be ended at any time if you happen to feel bored. Then you just call the butler, hop on the boat and he takes you to the main island, where the tennis courts and the big spa and the different restaurants are waiting. Or our marine biologist, who goes snorkeling with the kids.

How do you operate such a far-away project on a day-to-day basis?

Finolhu has turned me into a WhatsApp user! And I write emails every day too, of course. Plus I go there every two months. We’ve got our general manager on site, but we’re very much involved as well.

So you know what the tablecloths look like...

Oh yes (laughs)! They’re chosen here, actually. And whenever there are new dishes we try them and award points from one to 10. A dish has to score at least eight points to make it onto the menu. Sometimes my sister is there, sometimes I am. We tried doing it without one of us being there, but it didn’t work because Asians never give fewer than eight points. I never have to question my sister’s scoring. It’s different when you’re dealing with family, you know each other much better. And for both of us, it’s our money that’s involved.

Your father built the company in the 1970s. Today it belongs equally to you and your sister. What was the handover like?

You know how it is with fathers: It’s a long, drawn-out process (laughs). But yes, it worked out well. And of course we’re really lucky that we do so many different things in different places, so we can keep out of each other’s way and then do something together again. We don’t work at adjacent desks day in, day out, but we can still swap our thoughts and ideas. My sister and I don’t really divide things up between us in an official way. Each of us takes care of things wherever they happen to be. My sister is on Gran Canaria more, I tend to be in Germany more, and we both do a bit for the Maldives.

You grew up with hotels. Have you ever seriously considered doing something totally different? I was with McKinsey for a few years. But being at the helm of your own company is a very different story. My sister and I have just got into the cruise market. We founded Riverside Luxury Cruises and are kicking off with five exclusive ships. Our first trips on the Rhine, Rhone and Danube will start in April.

Would you like to know more?

Continued from page 39

on the one hand sculptures, i.e. works that are closer to art and priced accordingly, and on the other commercial design like the recently launched Sloth beach chair – i.e. products that appeal to a broader audience, such as his already famous Ghost glasses.

In 2015, following a particularly stressful year, Maximilian Eicke decided to move to Bali permanently and started looking for a piece of land where he could build his dream house. It was also on Bali that he met his future wife Irina a year later, a model and stylist who now also supports her husband as the brand’s creative director.

In the meantime, Maximilian Eicke hasn’t just built one house on Bali for himself, but also one for his parents. A third one is in the works for his sister. Eike also owns a little house in the Hamptons, which he uses when he opens his gallery during the summer. But Bali is increasingly becoming home for the entire family. “On the island, I can turn what’s always been my dream into reality. Right from the start, my idea has been to do the same thing Frank Lloyd Wright did all those years ago: to design not just a house but everything in it as well. From the furniture all the way to the flatware and glasses.”

It came as a surprise to Maximilian Eicke that, of all things, Max ID NY is going viral with

the glassware. He and his wife Irina had realized the glass project in 2018 and were initially only selling the glassware at the gallery in the Hamptons. But during lockdown, which the couple spent on Bali, Maximilian took his wife’s advice and set up his own online shop. Then Irina had an unusual PR idea: Instead of sending the glasses to the furniture sector, the couple made a list of the coolest fashion firms and personalities – all ones they liked themselves – and sent a lavishly packaged limited edition of the glasses (in dark green) to 120 good contacts from the fashion sector, along with an extensive PR kit.

“We wanted to surprise people with a beautiful accessory for their home,” recalls Irina. Just six weeks later, sales via their online shop exploded. Enquiries from fashion platforms like Moda Operandi and Fwrd followed: They wanted to cooperate with Eicke and are now selling their own limited editions of the Ghost glasses (in white and green). Influencers like Jen Ceballos (@endlesslyloveclub) and Elsa Hosk (@hoskelsa, eight million followers) are sharing his products on social media. He’s definitely made his breakthrough in the U.S. So what’s next? Eicke says: “I’d like to now get into Europe and become even better known internationally.”

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PHOTO: TOMMASO RIVA AND LISA SCAPPIN

Max ID NY stands for glamorous, sculptural furniture and handcrafted glassware.

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Fine authentic Flooring and Fireplaces AACHEN

Edited

by

Inken

Becker

FOR SALE

& Merle Wilkening.

Presented by . Ad section on pages 70 - 159.

Green Latin America: The Vientos del Este estate in the desirable coastal resort of Punta del Este in Uruguay.

OASIS NEAR THE COAST

Stone steps lead down from the main house to the 17-metre swimming pool with its large, wraparound terrace.

The secret is out – Uruguay has become increasingly popular as a hidden and safe world-class retreat. The small coastal town of Punta del Este is a gem. Just a few miles from the Atlantic, you will find this elegant country home Vientos del Este.

TEXT: Merle Wilkening

White wooden floors, lofty ceilings and large windows – the rooms inside the house have a welcoming and airy feel.

The bright, spacious living area looks out over sweeping views of the glorious scenery outside.

“Punta del Este is one of the most exclusive holiday destinations in Latin America.”

SANDRA SOFIO

Built especially for socialising in style: The property boasts a covered gallery that serves as a transitional outdoor space between the garden and the living/dining area. Seating areas and open fireplaces set the scene for conversations in comfort and hours of fun together, both inside and out.

The whole of Uruguay has a population of just 3.5 million people, even though it is half the size of Germany in terms of land surface area. With its stable political conditions, a dependable democracy, advanced digitalisation and affordable healthcare, Uruguay is a shining light in the shadow of its large neighbours Brazil and Argentina – with a level of freedom and security that attracts many expats to the country.

Property owners, who up until now have usually descended here to enjoy the South American summer, are drawn to Punta del Este not only for the level of security but also for its unique location: This peninsula in the southeast of the country is situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean, some 140 kilometres east of Montevideo, Uruguay’s fascinating capital. The house is enclosed by two stretches of coastline offering miles of beaches: Playa Brava with its high waves and Playa Mansa with its calmer waters. Yachts and sailing boats lie at anchor in the shallow waters of the harbour. Idyllic coastal roads lead the way further inland to private villas set in expansive parkland grounds. In the oldest part of the fishing village, the “Iglesia de la Candelaria” church stands resplendently in the most beautiful sky blue. A host of celebrities descend here every year in February to attend and celebrate the annual International Film Festival.

Almost 20,000 residents live in the town all year round – and more and more people are being drawn here. “Punta del Este has long had a reputation among the international jetset as one of the most exclusive resorts in Latin America. More and more business profes-

sionals from all over the world are opting to relocate to Uruguay, both to set up their private homes here and operate their businesses. The legislative stability, favourable tax conditions, high quality of life and beautiful natural surroundings have seen Punta del Este evolve from what was once a purely holiday and second home market into a market for primary residences,” says Sandra Sofio, Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Punta del Este. In the wake of the pandemic, increasing numbers of homeowners are now opting to use their second home not only as a summer retreat but as a year-round residence.

In one of the most prestigious areas of Punta del Este, a good 20 minutes from the harbourfront, just five minutes from the former artists’ colony of La Barra, lies Vientos del Este. The owner Paola Marzotto – whose family owns the traditional Marzotto textile group, which at times has included the fashion labels Hugo Boss and Valentino – has created an elegant country house here in the peaceful hinterland of this coastal resort so sought after with the jet-set crowd. The property extends over five hectares of parkland grounds, all blending in harmoniously with the rural surroundings. The subtle pastel colours, ranging from white to soft sandy tones and the light grey of the rooftops, contrast with the lush green of the immediate scenery. The property, whose name translates as “East Winds”, consists of a main house with interiors spanning more than 1,000 square metres, in addition to a pool house, a house for service and security staff, and two guest suites.

The main house is divided by a north-south axis, connecting two wings that are open to the east and west. The hallway flows onto the expansive, octagonal living room. In the north wing, another intimate living space with the same shape adjoins the large dining room.

The kitchen is elegantly complemented by a home office space that features access to the wine cellar. The south wing has a second entrance, as well as four suites each with outdoor terraces. The first floor plays host to a large master suite complete with a dressing room and bathroom. Harmonious natural tones and lofty ceilings, visually accentuated with light wooden beams, bring a charm to each of the interiors. Designed to make the most of the climate, the covered terraces set a stylish scene for al fresco living and smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor home life.

Uruguay, South America

Price USD 13 mill.

Interior approx. 1,000 m²

Land approx. 5 ha E&V ID W-02B569

The garden grounds cover several acres of land.

Left: The bright master suite on the first floor.

Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America, as well as one of the safest. Over recent decades it has evolved into a desirable retreat for people from all over the world. The coastal resort of Punta del Este, among the most sought-after destinations in the whole of Latin America, has turned into a playground for wealthy homeowners who have flocked here in even greater numbers since the pandemic.

Pompano Beach

Oceanfront Living Amidst the Stunning Beauty of Pompano Beach, Florida

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Fort Lauderdale (US)

Contact Francisco & Niliana Garcia Tel. +1 561 722 8905

E-mail francisco.garcia@engelvoelkers.com

Florida, United States of America

Price from USD 1.8 mill.

Interior approx. 1,085 – 3,934 square feet

No. of rooms 1 – 4 E&V ID AM-253803

Quintessential Indoor-Outdoor Living with Sleek, Luxurious Finishes Throughout

North

Price USD 875,000

Interior approx. 3,266 square feet

Land approx. 33 acres

ENERGY

Vancouver

A Rare Offering in Vancouver’s Idyllic West End District

Whistler

Exquisite Modern Home in an Enviable Slopeside Location

Contact

Tel.

E-mail

British Columbia, Canada

Price CAD 17.95 mill.

Interior approx. 6,025 square feet

Land approx. 21,781 square feet

E&V ID AM-251809

Marbella

ʻThe Galleryʻ by Minotti Marbella –An Exclusive Gated Community of Luxury Villas with 5-Star Amenities

Andalusia, Spain

Price EUR 2.85 – 3.6 mill.

Interior approx. 821 – 958 m²

Land approx. 1,075 – 1,391 m²

E&V ID D-000HIP

Majorca

Mediterranean Villa with Direct Access to a Charming, Hidden Beach and the Sparkling Sea

Balearic

ENGEL

+41 41 410 66 91

E-mail

Lucerne, Switzerland

Price on request

Interior approx. 246 m²

No. of rooms 5.5

Königstein

An Enchanting Jewel – A Period Home in Idyllic Upmarket Neighbourhood

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Königstein (DE)

Tel. +49 6174 959 00

E-mail koenigstein@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with new legislation from 23.12.2020.

Hesse, Germany

Price on request

Interior approx. 537 m²

Land approx. 1,795 m²

E&V ID W-0032QY

Engel & Völkers Immobilien Deutschland GmbH – Georg-Pingler-Straße 11 – 61462 Königstein / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Überlingen

Lake Constance on the Doorstep – Modern Minimalism Right on the Lakefront

Baden-Württemberg,

Oberstdorf

Outstanding Property Surrounded by Beautiful Mountain Scenery

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Kempten (DE)

Tel. +49 831 960 79 00 E-mail kempten@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with new legislation from 23.12.2020.

Bavaria, Germany

Price EUR 8.5 mill.

Interior approx. 560 m²

Land approx. 10,496 m²

E&V ID W-02NPK2

EV Kempten GmbH & Co. KG – Klostersteige 3 – 87435 Kempten / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Inning am Ammersee

Prestigious Family Villa with a Magnificent View of the Lake

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Starnberger Fünf Seen Land (DE)

Contact Maximilian Brühl

Tel. +49 8151 36 89 70 E-mail maximilian.bruehl@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with new legislation from 23.12.2020.

Bavaria, Germany

Price on request

Interior approx. 539 m²

Land approx. 1,341 m²

E&V ID W-02OYLO

EuV Fünf Seen Land GmbH – Hauptstraße 9 – 82319 Starnberg / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Price USD 6,975,000

Interior approx. 7,500 square feet

Land approx. 0.5 acres

E&V ID AM-230912

Engel & Völkers Cayman Islands – 18 Earth Close – George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1201 / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Americas, Inc.

Caribbean, Cayman Islands

George Town

Grand Cayman Opulence – Stunning Luxury Beachfront Home

The Bahamas

Waterfront Retreat Offering Stunning Water Views in Exuma

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Bahamas (BS)

Contact Jenny Kettel

Tel. +1 242 357 0712

E-mail jenny.kettel@engelvoelkers.com

Exuma, The Bahamas

Price USD 5 mill.

Interior approx. 4,000 square feet

Land approx. 18,000 square feet

E&V ID AM-246538

Engel & Völkers Bahamas – Lyford Manor, East Building, Lyford Cay – New Providence, BH / Real estate company

Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Americas, Inc.

Oregon, United States of America

Price USD 1,150,000

Interior approx. 2,654 square feet

Land approx. 0.35 acres

E&V ID AM-252180

Las Vegas

Modern Living Meets Mountain Retreat

Nevada, United States of America

Price USD 3.9 mill.

Interior approx. 5,872 square feet

Land approx. 0.37 acres

E&V ID AM-222636

Montana, United States of America

Price USD 1,995,000

Interior approx. 2,008 square feet

Land approx. 20 acres

E&V ID AM-249658

Iconic Paradise Valley Home with Yellowstone River Frontage

Gallatin Gateway

Montana, United States of America

Price USD 6.25 mill.

Interior approx. 6,004 square feet

Land approx. 20 acres

E&V ID AM-238376

Paradise in the Mountains with Trout Pond & Room to Roam

Montana, United States of America

Price USD 2,145,000

Interior approx. 4,120 square feet

Land approx. 0.34 acres

E&V ID AM-242295

Exquisite Montana Estate

ENGEL

Contact

Tel.

E-mail

Conner

Montana‘s Medicine Hot Springs

Montana, United States of America

Price USD 5.9 mill.

Interior approx. 10,864 square feet

Land approx. 119 acres

E&V ID AM-248835

Billings

Luxury Craftsmanship & Artistry Amongst the Rimrocks

Montana, United States of America

Price USD 1,999,500

Interior approx. 7,629 square feet

Land approx. 0.82 acres

E&V ID AM-251858

Denver

Elegant Colonial Revival Home in Park Hill

Tel.

Colorado, United States of America

Price USD 4.8 mill.

Interior approx. 7,485 square feet

Land approx. 11,928 square feet

E&V ID AM-252641

Colorado, United States of America

Price USD 2,995,000

Interior approx. 2,306 square feet

No. of bedrooms 4

E&V ID AM-249831

Snowmass

The Summit at Meadow Ranch

Lake Austin

Wonderful Contemporary Home on Shores of the Lake

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Austin Westlake (US)

Contact Michele Turnquist

Tel. +1 512 431 1121

E-mail michele.turnquist@engelvoelkers.com

Texas, United States of America

Price USD 16,999,999

Interior approx. 7,159 square feet

Land approx. 4 acres

E&V ID AM-251539

Missouri, United States of America

Price USD 679,000

Interior approx. 2,989 square feet

Land approx. 10,699 square feet

E&V ID AM-238630

Lee’s Summit

Luxury New Construction by Walker Custom Homes

Contact

Florida, United States of America

Price USD 5.5 mill.

Interior approx. 8,542 square feet

Land approx. 56.96 acres

E&V ID AM-241041

Leesburg

Legacy Lakefront Estate

Michigan, United States of America

Price USD 2,125,000

Interior approx. 5,216 square feet

Land approx. 61.56 acres

E&V ID AM-249457

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Brooklyn Cobble Hill (US)

Contact Donald P. Brennan, Jr.

Tel. +1 917 568 6525

E-mail donald.brennan@engelvoelkers.com

Brooklyn

Magnificent Townhouse Powered by Solar Energy

New York, United States of America

Price USD 3,295,000

Interior approx. 4,091 square feet

Land approx. 2,250 square feet

E&V ID AM-246406

Interior approx. 7,296 square feet

Land approx. 35,241 square feet E&V ID AM-250645

Pender Island

Clam Bay Oceanfront Estate, Vineyard & Farm

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Victoria (CA)

Contact Scott Piercy PREC & Jim LeBlanc PREC

Tel. +1 250 940 2770

E-mail leblancpiercygroup@engelvoelkers.com

British Columbia, Canada

Price CAD 20 mill.

Interior approx. 7,000 square feet

Land approx. 105 acres

E&V ID AM-251677

Engel & Völkers Victoria – 735 Humboldt Street – Victoria, BC V8W 1B1 / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Canada Inc.

Western Cape, South Africa

Price ZAR 67 mill.

Interior approx. 1,346 m²

Land approx. 7,785 m²

E&V ID ENV158001

Praia

Oeste, Portugal

Price EUR 1,495,000

Interior approx. 394 m²

Land approx. 1,751 m²

E&V ID W-02O1WL

Execuprop, Lda. – Avenida Dom Pedro Primeiro, Nº 24, Loja A/B – 2510-451 Óbidos / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

d ’ El Rey Villa with Golf Course Views in Walking Distance to the Atlantic Ocean

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Lisboa MMC (PT)

Tel. +351 210 20 04 90

E-mail lisboa@engelvoelkers.com

Lisbon, Portugal

Price EUR 5.85 mill.

Interior approx. 486 m²

Land approx. 1,072 m²

E&V ID W-02MO73

EV MMC Portugal - Mediação Imobiliária Unipessoal Lda. – Avenida Liberdade 196, 7º andar – 1250-147 Lisbon / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Lisbon

Alcoutins Villa – Comfort, Luxury & Technology in Lumiar

Algarve, Portugal

Price EUR 2.6 mill.

Interior approx. 645 m²

Land approx. 2,115 m²

E&V ID W-02Q2GF

Carvoeiro

Impressive Five-Bedroom Villa with a Contemporary Design

Luis Palma Santos Lda. – Estrada de Vale Rabelho – 8200-428 Guia Albufeira / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Lagos (PT)

Tel. +351 282 24 95 17

E-mail lagos@engelvoelkers.com

Lagos

Casa da Eira – Exceptional Property by the Sea

Algarve, Portugal

Price EUR 12 mill.

Interior approx. 524 m²

Land approx. 29,931 m²

E&V ID W-02OVKL

Gran Canaria

Canarian House in Las Palmas

Canary Islands, Spain Price EUR 1.5 mill. Interior approx. 352 m²

No. of bedrooms 7

ID W-02QNBR

Traditional

Balearic Islands, Spain

Price EUR 8.5 mill.

Interior approx. 455 m²

Land approx. 35,000 m²

ID W-0227LQ

Price EUR 2.35 mill.

Interior approx. 540 m²

Land approx. 2,040 m²

E&V ID W-02Q82Q

Sotogrande

Unique Luxury Mansion Just Next to La Reserva Club Sotogrande

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Sotogrande (ES)

Tel. +34 956 10 03 25

E-mail sotogrande@engelvoelkers.com

TRADING,

Cádiz, Spain

Price EUR 4,895,000

Interior approx. 1,950 m²

Land approx. 3,490 m²

E&V ID W-026QQU

– Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande Edificio D, local 5 – 11310 Sotogrande / Real estate company

Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Valencia, Spain

Price EUR 425,000

Interior approx. 86 m²

No. of bedrooms 2

E&V ID W-02QEAN

Valencia Designer Penthouse in Eixample

Madrid

Madrid, Spain

PHOTOS: RÜDIGER GIERAHN –ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE IS NOT AVAILABLE –ENERGY SOURCE: GAS –YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 1998

Aargau, Switzerland

Price CHF 3.29 mill.

Interior approx. 410 m²

Land approx. 929 m²

ENGEL

+41 56 200 88 77 E-mail

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Zürichsee Freienbach (CH)

Tel. +41 43 888 11 11

E-mail zuerichseefreienbach@engelvoelkers.com

Altendorf

Impressive Home with Unobstructable Lake Views

Schwyz, Switzerland

Price CHF 10.2 mill.

Interior approx. 429 m²

Land approx. 1,248 m²

E&V ID W-02PSQX

Seeperlen Immobilien AG – Rebstockstrasse 4 – 8808 Pfäffikon SZ / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Wohnen Schweiz AG

Zurich

Loft Home for Lovers of Urban Living & Design

Canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Price CHF 2.43 mill.

Interior approx. 118 m²

No. of rooms 3.5

E&V ID W-02QS3K

Zürich Urban Living AG – Claridenstrasse 43 – 8002 Zurich / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Wohnen Schweiz AG

Zurich

Sculptural Atrium House with Lake Views

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Zürich Paradeplatz (CH)

Tel. +41 43 888 11 22

E-mail zuerichparadeplatz@engelvoelkers.com

Canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Price CHF 11 mill.

Interior approx. 220 m²

Land approx. 1,450 m²

E&V ID W-02OWDS

Zürich Urban Living AG – Claridenstrasse 43 – 8002 Zurich / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Wohnen Schweiz AG

Lower Austria, Austria

Price EUR 6.49 mill.

Interior approx. 395 m²

Land approx. 1,118 m²

E&V ID W-02QPUL

The

Baden bei Wien

Salzburg

At Eye Level with Fortress Hohensalzburg

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Salzburg (AT)

Tel. +43 662 20 90 06

E-mail salzburg@engelvoelkers.com

Salzburg, Austria

Price EUR 26 mill.

Total surface area approx. 876 m²

Land approx. 13,456 m²

E&V ID W-02QCX7

EV Salzburg GmbH – Neutorstraße 22 – 5020 Salzburg / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Paris XVI

Île-de-France, France

Price EUR 6,909,000

Interior approx. 274 m²

No. of bedrooms 5

E&V ID W-02QG79

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Côte d ʼAzur MMC (FR)

Tel. +33 4 93 54 93 42

E-mail cotedazur@engelvoelkers.com

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Renovated Villa with Sea Views in the Hills of Villefranche

Côte d ʼAzur, France

Price EUR 3.5 mill.

Interior approx. 225 m²

Land approx. 5,350 m²

E&V ID W-02QNZT

EV MMC France S.A.S. – 1, avenue Denis Séméria – 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat / Real estate company

Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Trentino, Italy

Price EUR 3.5 mill.

Interior approx. 359 m²

Land approx. 700 m²

E&V ID W-02P3MM

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Desenzano del Garda (IT)

Tel. +39 030 990 73 76

E-mail desenzanodelgarda@engelvoelkers.com

Charming Property with Lake Views in the Old Village of Cecina

Lombardy, Italy

Price EUR 3.2 mill.

Interior approx. 320 m²

Land approx. 3,360 m²

E&V ID W-02Q173

Golden House Real Estate Srl – Piazza Malvezzi n° 51 – 25015 Desenzano del Garda / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Italia S.r.l.

Lake Garda

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Brescia (IT)

Tel. +39 030 38 10 56

E-mail brescia@engelvoelkers.com

Brescia

Prestige & Elegance in the Historic Centre

Lombardy, Italy

Price EUR 1.75 mill.

Interior approx. 390 m²

No. of bedrooms 4

E&V ID W-02IPT6

Euroconsult 2000 S.r.l. – Via Crocifissa di Rosa 90 – 25128 Brescia / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Italia S.r.l.

Piedmont, Italy

Price EUR 1.15 mill.

Interior approx. 334 m²

Land approx. 13,288 m²

E&V ID W-02QZI0

ABITARE 4 S.A.S. di Gianfranco Lerda & C. – Via Carlo Emanuele Terzo, 32 – 12100 Cuneo / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Italia S.r.l.

Former Farmhouse Dating from the 12th Century

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Luxembourg MMC (LU)

Tel. +352 28 26 17 27

E-mail luxembourg@engelvoelkers.com

Redange, Luxembourg

Price EUR 4,975,000

Interior approx. 530 m²

Total surface area approx. 1,750 m²

E&V ID W-02OFZU

Exceptional & Exclusive Apartment

North Holland, The Netherlands

Price EUR 2.17 mill.

Interior approx. 171 m²

No. of bedrooms 2

E&V ID W-02QMNM

Kellinghusen

Exclusive Gem – Restored with Heritage Sensibility

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Elmshorn (DE)

Tel. +49 4121 262 47 77

E-mail elmshorn@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Price EUR 4.95 mill.

Interior approx. 508 m²

Land approx. 8,041 m²

E&V ID W-02P6XK

EuV Wohnen GmbH – Holstenstraße 6 – 25335 Elmshorn / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Kiel

Historic Canalfront House in Holtenau

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Price EUR 1.59 mill.

Interior approx. 276 m²

Land approx. 999 m²

E&V ID W-02QPNP

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Kiel (DE)

Contact Nelson Sommer

Tel. +49 431 240 02 60 E-mail kiel@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Tangstedt

Uniquely Picturesque Home with a Thatched Roof

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Norderstedt (DE)

Contact Ralf Klebs

Tel. +49 40 23 84 59 44 E-mail norderstedt@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Price EUR 1,495,000

Interior approx. 291 m²

Land approx. 3,489 m²

E&V ID W-02Q19A

Hamburg Südost Immobilien GmbH – Langenhorner Chaussee 683 – 22419 Hamburg / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Hamburg

Elegant Home at Upmarket Bergedorf Address

Hamburg, Germany

Price EUR 3.65 mill.

Interior approx. 397 m²

Land approx. 2,733 m²

E&V ID W-02QZTR

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Hamburg Bergedorf (DE)

Tel. +49 40 22 63 05 10

E-mail bergedorf@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Hamburg Südost Immobilien GmbH – Mohnhof 19 – 21029 Hamburg / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

–

Hamburg

Visionary Bauhaus Villa with Guesthouse in Wellingsbüttel

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Hamburg Wellingsbüttel (DE)

Contact Sven-Oliver Böhning

Tel. +49 40 532 03 60 E-mail wellingsbuettel@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Hamburg, Germany

Price EUR 6,995,000

Interior approx. 527 m²

Land approx. 5,876 m²

E&V ID W-02NY61

Engel & Völkers Alstertal GmbH – Wellingsbüttler Weg 117 – 22391 Hamburg / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Hanover

Architectural Gem with Luxury Amenities in Groß-Buchholz

Lower Saxony, Germany

Price EUR 2.5 mill.

Interior approx. 252 m²

Land approx. 656 m²

E&V ID W-02Q5EJ

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Hannover Mitte (DE)

Contact Claudia Sieck

Tel. +49 511 36 80 20 E-mail hannover@engelvoelkers.com

fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Berlin Mitte MMC (DE)

Tel. +49 30 20 37 80

E-mail berlinmittemmc@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Berlin

The Epitome of Elegance & Finesse – Townhouse in Mitte District

Berlin, Germany

Price EUR 13.5 mill.

Interior approx. 453 m²

Land approx. 178 m²

E&V ID W-02QH5Q

Engel & Völkers Berlin Mitte GmbH – Charlottenstraße 4 – 10969 Berlin / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Berlin, Germany

Price EUR 6.2 mill.

Interior approx. 326 m²

No. of rooms 6

E&V ID W-02QVTI

Berlin

Beautiful Old Apartment on Fasanenstrasse in Charlottenburg PHOTOS:

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Berlin Hohenzollerndamm MMC (DE)

Contact Kathleen King von Alvensleben

Tel. +49 30 203 46 15 00 E-mail berlinhohenzollerndamm@engelvoelkers.com Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Engel & Völkers Immobilien Deutschland GmbH – Hohenzollerndamm 114 – 14199 Berlin / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Minden (DE)

Contact Kerstin Friedrich

Tel. +49 571 88 91 19 10 E-mail minden@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Lübbecke

Two Outstanding DAVINCI Homes

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Price EUR 2.06 mill.

Interior approx. 315 m²

Land approx. 2,287 m²

E&V ID W-02QO5S

Andreas Schneider Immobilien e.K. – Hufschmiede 9 – 32423 Minden / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Witten

Price EUR 3.5 mill.

Interior approx. 280 m²

Land approx. 1,841 m²

E&V ID W-02QIX0

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Witten (DE)

Tel. +49 2302 91 46 10

E-mail witten@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

EV Witten Immobilien GmbH – Ruhrstraße 37 – 58452 Witten / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Villa with Pool in a Prime Location

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Dortmund Süd (DE)

Tel. +49 231 950 29 00

E-mail dortmund@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Dortmund

Central, Exclusive & Unique

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Price EUR 1,379,000

Interior approx. 196 m²

No. of rooms 4

E&V ID W-02PUJP

EV Dortmund Immobilien GmbH – Hagener Straße 295 – 44229 Dortmund / Real estate company – Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Aschaffenburg

Consummate Home for Realising Visions in Hösbach

Bavaria, Germany

Price EUR 2.29 mill.

Interior approx. 356 m²

Land approx. 1,500 m²

E&V ID W-02QBMP

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Aschaffenburg (DE)

Tel. +49 6021 580 14 80

E-mail aschaffenburg@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Dr. Ahner & Freyler Immobilien GmbH – Weißenburger Straße 36 – 63739 Aschaffenburg / Real estate company Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Büchenbach

Outstanding Residence in Unique Surroundings

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Schwabach (DE)

Tel. +49 9122 99 99 60

E-mail schwabach@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020.

Bavaria, Germany

Price EUR 1,275,000

Interior approx. 300 m²

Land approx. 846 m²

E&V ID W-02QEGA

EV Schwabach Roth Immobilien GmbH – Rosenberger Straße 13 – 91126 Schwabach / Real estate company

Licence Partner of Engel & Völkers Residential GmbH

Fürth

Upscale Living in an Elegant Duplex Loft

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Fürth (DE)

Tel. +49 911 787 45 80

E-mail fuerth@engelvoelkers.com

Commission fee split between buyer and seller in accordance with legislation from 23.12.2020. EV Real Estate

Bavaria, Germany

Price EUR 1.4 mill.

Interior approx. 306 m²

No. of rooms 6

E&V ID W-02Q4QN

CREDITS

PHOTO: Björn Wallander

WELCOME

EDITORIAL page 6 WILDERNESS, www.wildernessdestinations.com

PLAYGROUND

COOL CITY page 14

LX FACTORY, www.lxfactory.com

PONTE 25 DE ABRIL, www.lusoponte.pt

TAPISCO-RESTAURANT, www.tapisco.pt

ART & DESIGN page 16

RAW COLOR, www.shop.rawcolor.nl

INTERVIEW page 18

LARS BEUSKER, www.larsbeusker.com

WOMAN page 22

ANDREW GN, www.andrewgn.com

CASSINA, www.cassina.com

JIGGY PUZZLES, www.jiggypuzzles.com

LALIQUE, www.lalique.com

MOONTREE, www.moontreejewels.com

SMYTHSON, www.smythson.com

UMA, www.umaobjects.com

MAN page 24

INVISIBLE COLLECTION, www.theinvisiblecollection.com

LAPHROAIG, www.laphroaig.com

LAST MINUTE

Be adventurous! These items are just the thing to put you in a good mood. Perhaps one of them will even become a new favorite.

LEICA, www.leica-camera.com

MR PORTER, www.mrporter.com

POLAROID, www.polaroid.com

TOM FORD, www.tomford.com

UNIFROM, www.unifrom.com

YAMAHA DESIGN LABORATORY, www.yamaha.com

BOOKS page 26

GESTALTEN, www.gestalten.com

TASCHEN, www.taschen.com

TENEUES, www.teneues.com

AT HOME

MAXIMILIAN EICKE page 30

MAXIMILIAN EICKE, www.maxidnystore.com

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS page 40 WILDERNESS, www.wildernessdestinations.com

JAY SHETTY page 50

JAY SHETTY, www.jayshetty.me

FINOLHU page 56

FINOLHU, www.finolhu.com

PERSONAL page 162

CABIN ANNA, www.cabin-anna.com

1 Cognac collection “The Drop,” POR, www.louisxiii-cognac.com

2 Vase “Oggian Giuggiolo,” € 249, www.qeeboo.com

3 Chair “Dinner for One,” POR, osandoos.com

4 Airpods case “Crab,” Loewe, € 390, www.mrporter.com

5 Socks “Slub Panel Crew,” € 35, www.anonymousism.com

is published four times a year by GRUND GENUG Verlag und Werbe GmbH PUBLISHING COMPANY

GRUND GENUG Verlag und Werbe GmbH, Vancouverstraße 2a, 20457 Hamburg, Germany, represented by Managing Director Sven Odia

EDITORIAL OFFICE

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PUBLISHER

Christian Völkers

EDITORIAL TEAM International & Local

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Senior Editor STEFFI KAMMERER steffi.kammerer@gg-magazine.com

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Translation & Proofreading (Editorial & Real Estate)

Caroline Rott (ES), Susana Silva Ollet (ES), Catherine B. Fischer (FR), Marie-Christine Fischer (FR), Rachel Kretz (EN), Robert Smales (EN), Katja Iseler (IT), Jan Willem Papo (NL), Alex Valk (NL) & Lektornet GmbH Contributors to this issue

Uta Abendroth, Silke Bender, Alison Du Bovis, Robert Gallagher, Stephen McLuckie, Mariko Obermeier, Asia Orlando, Naira Zoe Raike, Björn Wallander, David Yarrow

Responsible as defined by German press law Michaela Cordes, Vancouverstraße 2a, 20457 Hamburg, Germany

ADVERTISING

Responsible for advertising HABIB FEROGH, Tel. +49 170 227 16 38 habib.ferogh@gg-magazine.com

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REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING PRESENTED BY ENGEL & VÖLKERS

International & Local

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GG Hamburg

Publishers NICLAS GYLLENSVÄRD, PHILIP BONHOEFFER AND LENA SOYKE Advertising & Coordination RACHEL STERN rachel.stern@engelvoelkers.com NADINE WILBRANDT nadine.wilbrandt@engelvoelkers.com

GG Madrid

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Marketing Manager MONTSE LAVILLA montse.lavilla@engelvoelkers.com

GG Barcelona

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GG Berlin Publishers CHRISTIAN VÖLKERS, RACKHAM F. SCHRÖDER* AND NICOLAS JEISSING*

Advertising Manager RACKHAM F. SCHRÖDER rackham.schroeder@engelvoelkers.com

Advertising & Coordination ANKE FORTKAMP a nke.fortkamp@engelvoelkers.com

*Managing directors of Engel & Völkers Commercial Berlin GmbH & Co. KG

GG Rome

Publisher HELIO CORDEIRO TEIXEIRA

Advertising & Coordination BENEDETTA PESCI benedetta.pesci@engelvoelkers.com

GG Munich/Kitzbühel

Publishers AIANE LINDEN, FLORIAN HOFER UND MARIA RAUSCHER

Advertising & Coordination BARBARA WEGER barbara.weger@engelvoelkers.com

SALES

International & Local

Global Head of Administration Management

INKEN BECKER inken.becker@gg-magazine.com

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PRODUCTION

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Digital Prepress

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PRINT

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

International

An annual subscription of four issues costs € 43 in the U.S., € 32 in Europe and € 24 in Germany. Subscriptions will be renewed for a further year unless cancelled in writing six weeks prior to expiry. Reproduction of any content requires written permission from the publisher. Care has been taken to produce this magazine with as much accuracy as possible, but no liability shall be accepted for factual errors, inaccuracies or misprints should they occur. Furthermore, no liability shall be accepted for the accuracy or completeness of property descriptions and specifications as these are not produced in-house. Nor shall liability be accepted for non-availability of properties featured in this magazine.

A commission shall be charged on all properties with the exception of those marked with a "P."

ISSN 0941-5203, GG · No. 2/23 · 35th year

MANAGEMENT

Sven Odia

The next issue of GG comes out June 2, 2023 www.gg-magazine.com

At one with nature

A wooden cabin that slides apart on rails: Cabin ANNA combines a love of design with being outdoors.

Almost silently, with a soft clickety-clack, the timber and glass walls glide along the rails and the roof gradually parts to reveal the sky. The birdsong seems louder, and the sun’s rays feel warm on your skin. The morning dew is still glistening on the leaves. Imagine waking up like this, with nothing but a blue vault above you, surrounded by forests, meadows and silence. There cannot be a more idyllic way to start a day.

Dutchman Caspar Schols has created a place that sets new standards in indoor-outdoor living. When it is closed, Cabin ANNA is an unassuming wooden chalet. But when it is opened, a new sense of space is revealed and indoors and outdoors merge into one. It is a flexible concept that follows the rhythm of nature. The house and its shells adapt to the weather – like clothing.

Schols designed the cabin for his mother Anna when she asked him to build her a garden cottage. Although fascinated by design and architecture, he had no training in the field but looked for a design that would bring her closer to nature. He spent nine months building the cottage next to the pond in his parents’ back yard from Douglas fir. A report in the design magazine Dezeen brought the project to the attention of the world. Having won various awards and completed a design degree, Schols began to elaborate and perfect his innovative concept.

Since 2021, ANNA Origin, the first prototype after the private garden cottage, and four follow-up models have been available for rental in Holenberg in the Maashorst nature reserve in the Netherlands. Hidden away in the forest, these cottages are fully equipped with a double bed, heating stove, small kitchen, bathroom –and a bathtub sunk into the floor.

Working with its partner Rewilding Europe, Cabin ANNA plans to open new locations in several other European countries. If you’d rather not wait that long, two cabin models – ANNA Stay and ANNA Meet –can be purchased (prices available on request) and erected almost anywhere.

Would you like to know more?

Spending the night beneath a starry sky – a dream come true.

WORDS: MERLE WILKENING; PHOTOS: WWW.CABIN-ANNA.COM