Over the last few years, international travel has taken a knock. Our goal, as always, is to identify destinations that offer interesting reasons for architectural and design enthusiasts to visit over the rest of this year, from major museum openings to blossoming trends worth following. From a new Frank Lloyd Wright road trip to a James Turrell Skyspace in Uruguay, we polled experts and gathered information on the most intriguing cultural attractions for foreign travel around the world. Continue reading for our favorite selections, and start planning now.
Valencia, Spain
Because of its long history of design and progressive public policy, this port city on Spain’s southeastern coast has been selected as the World Design Capital for 2022. The honor comes with a year of public programming honoring design and its power to improve the lives of the city’s residents. Check the Turia Gardens, one of Spain’s largest urban parks, if you go. Valencia is a must-visit destination for summer, what can be better than laying on the beach playing on online casino uk with a cocktail in the other hand.
Procida
Due to its designation as Italy’s Cultural Capital for 2022, this off-the-beaten-path island off the coast of Naples will join Capri and Ischia as a must-see destination next year. It is the first time an island has received the honor, which comes with a one-million-euro prize to be split among 44 projects involving 240 artists. All Street Napoli, a new tour company founded by two Americans residing in Italy, Annie Ojile and Alexandra Lawrence, can arrange day visits to the island from Naples.
Buffalo
The Great Wright Road Trip, which begins in Buffalo and travels through western New York and western Pennsylvania, is comprised of nine historic sites created by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Martin House and Graycliff Estate, which had just undergone a decades-long repair right before the epidemic, are among the five locations in and surrounding Buffalo. Two more reasons to visit include a substantial extension of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for modern and contemporary art, as well as a $2 million renovation and expansion of the historic Colored Musicians Club.
Istanbul
Istanbul Galataport, a $1.7 billion construction on the Bosphorus, is planned to alter Karaköy, Istanbul’s waterfront neighborhood. In addition to a gigantic cruise port (which will contain the world’s first underground cruise terminal), the development will include a new home for the Istanbul Modern Museum, designed by Renzo Piano, and will reopen the promenade to the public for the first time in nearly 200 years. Many ancient warehouses are being converted into stores and restaurants, and Peninsula Hotels will open a magnificent new hotel in three heritage buildings in addition to the new ones.
Oslo
The National Museum of Oslo will become the largest cultural center in the Nordic countries when it moves into its new building near City Hall next year. In the new collection exhibition, the museum will be able to display 5,000 works—twice as many as before—and will include a large new Light Hall at the top of the structure dedicated to rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. In the former headquarters of Oslo’s founding electricity company, the Norwegian capital will also get an amazing new hotel called Sommero.
Paris
There are lots of new reasons to visit the City of Lights if you haven’t been in a while. The Musée Carnavalet dedicated to the city’s history has undergone a major renovation, and there are fabulous new places to stay, including the ultra-luxe Le Cheval Blanc inside the reborn Art Nouveau department store complex La Samaritaine, the recently opened Bulgari Hotel, and the soon-to-open Maisons Pariente property Le Grand Mazarin. Add a night at Airelles Le Grand Contrôle at Versailles for a stay fit for royalty.
Charleston, South Carolina
The International African American Museum will open in the Holy City soon, with the goal of grappling with the history of slavery in the United States and exploring linkages across the African diaspora. The African Ancestors Memorial Garden, in particular, will offer a peaceful space to reflect on the original seashore where many enslaved Africans first set foot in America. The Pinch, a beautifully built hotel in two Victorian-era buildings, is also coming to the city.
Zürich
In 2022, art and design enthusiasts will have a new reason to visit Zürich. The Kunsthaus Zürich is now Switzerland’s largest art museum, according to a recent extension by David Chipperfield. The museum, which is best known for its collection of French Impressionist paintings, is shifting its focus to modern and contemporary art, with the new Chipperfield building focusing on art from 1960 to the present. There’s also a new design store, a garden, and a bar.