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Daily tours run by local volunteer enthusiasts from the South Beach architectural preservation society. Excellent on history of art deco buildings and styles, visits to some buildings and gives a great intro to SoBe.
Ocean Drive, South Beach
Umami is a unique experience, based on the philosophy of Japanese cuisine of natural, seasonal ingredients, accentuated by the substance and tradition of French cuisine. With an international flavour, Umami offers the very best in modern Japanese cuisine and interior design.
The bar is well stocked with the finest booze known to mankind and excellent cocktails.
St. Kongensgade 59
1264 København K
Tlf. +45 33 38 75 00
mail@restaurantumami.dk
This is a Scottish Episcopal Church which was built in 1818. It was not until the 1850s, however, that stained glass designs were incorporated into the windows, and this practice continued into the Twentieth century. In the mid-1980s all the glass was taken out, cleaned and repaired.
The church is a fine building and its stained glass is remarkable for the consistency of its design. Most of the windows were made in the studios of Ballantine and Allen of Edinburgh. Where the appearance of most churches has evolved over many centuries, St John the Evangelist offers a concentrated view of largely Nineteenth century Scottish style and design.
Church of St John the Evangelist, Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 4BJ. Most buses stop alongside the church, which is at the far end of Princes Street gardens.
www.stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk
In the Marais district get away from the non-ending 18th-century embellishment and discover some of the finest 20th-century Scandanavian design and furniture. A modernist oasis.
When recently in Montmartre we found a tiny shop called Manani, Rue des Trois Frères, selling bags made with the most beautiful African prints before making our way down to Fuxia which is such a simple and beautiful deli.
If ever you find yourself on Rue des Martyrs take a peek at their amazing array of wine, pastas, salads and vegetables. The beautiful waitresses are also very knowledgeable about the best bars and places to dance in Paris. Try happy hour at Fluid (same street), charming waiters and beautiful music, the perfect place to become a regular.
A friendly shop that my son thought was actually someone's house.
1 Malling Street, BN7 2RA
Tel: 01273 471269
Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Pedrera, Güell Parc and Palau Güell are staple Gaudí monuments that give Barcelona its magic.
But here are some of Gaudí's lesser-known, beautiful contributions to design and architecture in Barcelona:
-Fountain of the Three Graces in Placa Reial
-Gigantic fountain in Parc de la Cuitadella
-The amazing wrought-iron embellished street lamps that line the streets are 125-year-old originals in the heart of the city. In Plaza Reial, by Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia and the old port entrance.
This gallery opened in 2002 and shows the visual arts and design of the 20th and 21st centuries. It was designed by Stephan Braunfel. It is spacious, full of natural light from a huge rotunda, and offers both a permanent collection and changing exhibitions. It is a pleasure to visit. The design work in particular is imaginatively displayed, on ramps, on huge open lifts that revolve in the air, or suspended at eye level from the high ceilings. Like the other nearby museums, it has a good cafe, and an attractive shop that sells both mementos of your visit and scholarly material. The entry fee was 9.50 euros but that covered all the shows offered in the gallery.
Museum District; tram 27 from Karlsplatz (Stachus) www.pinakothek-der-moderne.de
I got in touch with this hotel through their website, and I made a reservation. They answered that they were under construction, and the lobby and cafe were still undone. So they offered me a great deal to stay with them.
What can I say? The service was excellent! Since we were 4 guests in the whole hotel, we had an extremely personalised service. They were very nice to us. The manager herself took our breakfast every day to our room.
The hotel is gonna be great when they open it, because the concept is the design. The rooms are big and the decoration is very nice.
But the best thing is the attention.
Thanks to all the staff of Urbanica Suites for providing us with the best holiday in Buenos Aires!
www.urbanicasuites.com.ar
It's in Montañeses 2585, Buenos Aires.
In a very nice neigbourhood, called Belgrano. Nearby you have a great shopping area! But the area is in general quiet and very classy.
This, unfortunately, is only for those who understand Portuguese, but if you're into excellent graphic design, this Sao Paulo-based magazine is also for you. Trip magazine was founded in the 80s by some São Paulo surf nuts and has grown into a beautifully designed and utterly admirable publication. The magazine is not a lad mag, nor a style mag, or a surfing magazine, or a lifestyle magazine - it's all these things but overall, it's just Trip.
Trip was the magazine that inspired me to give up smoking by refusing to accept tobacco advertising and, for a change, challenging the usual boorish magazine standpoint on how to live by encouraging surfing and good health rather than a Loaded-style agenda espousing a rampantly hedonist culture. Part of their anti-smoking campaign featured a 'Frankenstein's Monster', a montage of pictures of ciggie-ravaged body parts.
Trip also houses the wonderful Gonzo-inspired writer Arthur Verissimo, now a television reporter and famous in his own right in Brazil, whose amusing escapades include going from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro - not the short distance you'd imagine - using only municipal bus tickets for the poor and students called Vale Transportes.
Then we have the 'Trip Girls' and 'Show It' sections, which some European sensibilities might not like - 'Trip Girl' is what it says it is: a section in which a young model is tastefully photographed partially clothed (ok, partially undressed); the 'Show It' section shows off the alpha females of Sao Paulo's elite in their habitats on the state's social scene or on the beach. Both sections, however, simply reflect the sensual and relaxed Brazilian attitude to the body beautiful.
One issue a year features the female staff of Trip itself in an artfully-shot edition of their own. The women get their own back in the form of TPM - or 'Trip Para Mulheres' (Trip For Women). TPM is Portuguese for PMT, by the way - you can't fault their humour ... can you? Add to this the various columns of entertaining intelligence from founder and editor Paulo Lima as well as various correspondents in Brazil, the USA and the Old Continent and you get a slice of the confident, brash but very wordly vibe that makes São Paulo the city you'd be best advised not to underestimate, even less patronise. Should you go to Brazil, this magazine alone is a reason to learn Portuguese.
It's available all over Brazil from good newstands ... but Trip is a São Paulo state of mind.
www.revistatrip.com.br
The home of the Bauhaus design school from 1926 to 1932, this fantastic building is a must-see for fans of modernist design.
Bauhausstrasse, 10 minutes walk from railway station. Visit www.bauhaus-dessau.de and for travel tips www.creen.demon.co.uk/travel/dessau.html
Da>Space is China's first and only street art gallery, and it's also a stylish shop selling t-shirts and design toys. It's a new concept for China, a meeting place for young Chinese creatives and a fun place to hang out whenever the hectic city gets too much! The owners are friendly and speak Chinese and English.
84 Fujian Zhong Road (at the cross road of Guangdong Road) on the 2nd floor (look up!);
www.da-space.com
Novocaina is a traditional Italian restaurant, newly opened in the heart of Wroclaw's market square.
It's a unique experience; a balance between outstanding tradtional cuisine and a stylish contemporary approach to interior design... not so modern in style... you can find there a mixture of Baroque and Art Nouveau, simply feel the rhythm of wood, brass, patina gold and the majesty of claret filling the view.
All the flavours are a link between fully organic ingredients, ancient recipies, hard work and passion. Created in a tradtional sandstone stove eg. pizza rustica.
The menu is quite colorful, still growing and changing the flavours, love the pasta menu... a dinner menu for 2 (with wine and drinks) is about £20-30, a pint of beer is only £1 !!! A really rich selection of drinks and cocktails (cheap as well)... my favourite NOVOCAINA (whiskey, amaretto, espresso, cream).
A place for people who love Italian cuisine, great ambience with a hint of chillout and lounge music... it's a fab place to be, to meet and to enjoy...
Rynek 13, Wroclaw, Poland
Tel 00 48 71 3436915
novocaina@novocaina.com
A stone's throw from the town hall square, the Danish Design Centre showcases all that is hot in Danish design. There's always an exhibition on and their shop is guaranteed to tickle your fancy with its wealth of cutting edge design wares.
Entree: 40 kroner (20 for students)
H.C. Andersens Boulevard 27. Just south of the Town Hall.
Tel +45 3369 3369
www.ddc.dk/
Ironic isn't it? The design hotel phenomenon was late in coming to this Mother of All Design Nations. But Hotel Sankt Petri has got the whole concept wrapped up. Housed in an old department store, the hotel offers an über modern hotel experience. In short, it's the urban resort of choice for the demanding, travelling urbanite. There's a bar, brasserie and a cafe.
Prices start at 2,100 kroner.
Located in the heart of town.
www.sktpetri.dk/
The digital festival is a month long series of events covering digital art, technology and design. dSCAPE, a three day digital showcase, opens the festival and treats its audiences to a peek at the most exciting work in the industry. This is Brighton at its very best and it shows why the city has a reputation for being full of creative people. All that fresh air must be good for them!
Trendy design store selling linen and fabrics. Quite a large colour scale to choose from. If you like your table linen simple and not too ornate this place is highly recommended. Reasonable prices.
Monday - Saturday 10-18
Sunday 10-16
Vene 12 and Suur-Karja 2
A new club created by international Mega-DJ Sven Väth. Its design is pretty spectacular. It features, I'm quoting from the website "a 100m long white membrane wall that completely wraps around the main Floor. Its sponge-like structure gives you the impression of a living organism. Computer animated projections bring the textual surface to life, causing it to move in sychrony with the music".
U.F.O Building
Carl-enz-Strasse 21
60386
www.cocoonclub.net/main/en_swf.jsp
Classic interior design store on Strandvagen, Sweden's elegant waterfront boulevard. Founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, an art teacher and pewter designer (Svenskt Tenn means Swedish pewter), it's home to an amazingly eclectic mix of classic furniture, lamps and porcelain.
Austere modernism clashes with Swedish bourgeois cosiness, often to startling effect.
Ericson collaborated for many years with Austrian designer Joseph Frank. His exuberant and sumptuous textiles are the highlight.
Bring home a Frank cushion, an Ericson pewter jug or a quirky candleholder.
In November 2005 a Svenskt Tenn shop opened in Liberty's in London - but don't miss the original.
Strandvagen 5, Stockholm
+46 8 670 1600
www.svenskttenn.se
Eight designers have opened up their workshop to include a groovy boutique. Modern design in every form; jewelry, furniture, clothes, ceramics, glass, metal, you name it.
Keep your finger on the pulse by visiting. Chat with the designers who on location. Cool.
Bus 6A from the Central Station.
Vesterbrogade 137
Tel: (+45) 33 24 94 93
www.dzoo.dk/
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