5 cool places with cool design
hi-5
our top 5 picks … for everything design-related & more!
march 2021
“Ideally, travel broadens our perspectives personally, culturally, and politically. Suddenly the palette with which we paint the story of our lives has more colors.”
- Rick Steves
It’s been a year since most of us have done any significant travel and this anniversary has us dreaming about cool places with equally cool design.
We very much look forward to getting to travel again to see family and friends, but also to check out all the inspiring places in the world.
We’re looking forward to adding a bit more color back into our lives, how about you?
barcelona
photo credit: design 2 order
Situated between the sea and the mountains, Barcelona is a colorful city, rich with cool design. The city serves as a museum for the work of Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. His organic designs with colorful mosaics are full of whimsy and movement, while also being a testament to committing to a vision. Gaudi’s most notable work is the La Sagrada Família, which is still unfinished almost a century after his death. He also has many other amazing works sprinkled throughout the city, each one more impressive than the next.
In addition to the iconic architecture (old and new), the restaurant cuisine and street markets (food and crafts) will not leave you disappointed.
italy
photo credit: canva
On the cool scale, Italy has much to offer, it is hard to narrow the focus to one location.
With a wide variety of design styles - Classical (think domes, vaults, arches), Gothic (think flying buttresses, pointed arches), Renaissance (think domes, symmetry, order), and Baroque (think grand, opulent, contrast between light and shadow), Rome, Florence, Siena, Venice, Milan, showcase these styles in very different settings and landscapes.
In addition to architecture, Italy is rich with delicious food, wines, iconic art, and fashion.
chicago
photo credit: design 2 order
America, while unable to compete with Europe on the ancient design front, has plenty of cool cities to offer.
We opted to focus on Chicago, a city that rose up from the ashes of a 19th-century fire into a modern wonder. The city was home to the world’s first skyscraper, revolutionized commercial design through the promotion of steel frame construction. The skyline is one of the most recognizable in the United States.
In addition to the variety of styles of skyscrapers, Chicago is where Frank Lloyd Wright developed his vision for a modern way of American living. There are many Wright buildings in and around Chicago. The city is also home to a vibrant art and cultural scene, sculptures, parks, museums, good food, it has it all!
dubai
photo credit: canva
A truly contemporary city, Dubai has been completely transformed to the “city of the future” over the past two decades. The city boasts the tallest building in the world, a “7-star hotel,” and man-made archipelagos, one in the shape of the world! If that isn’t cool, I’m not sure what is!
The building boom in the city has attracted the top modern architects - Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, SOM all have made contributions to the skyline of Dubai.
It is a city of modern luxury that caters to tourists with extravagant shopping, a vibrant nightlife, festivals, and delicious Arabic cuisine.
vancouver
photo credit: canva
Nestled in the southwest corner of Canada, Vancouver offers spectacular natural beauty with the surrounding ocean and mountains. It is a hip, environmentally focused, culturally rich community.
Local architect, Arthur Erickson, left an influential mark on the city with concrete designs that were meant to reflect the natural surroundings, such as the Museum of Anthropology.
The city boasts many examples of sustainable design - the Vancouver Convention Centre West and Beaty Biodiversity Centre both have living roofs, innovative curtain wall systems, energy-reducing features.
Vancouver has many public art displays which sprinkle interest and surprises throughout the urban landscape. The Livingspace store, a 19,000 square foot building, is an interior design showcase with lighting, furniture, and accessories by international brands.
Where do you hope to travel to next?