AD’s Top 5 Design Destinations for August
This August there are plenty of reasons to head for cooler climes, and not just to escape the heat. In Aspen, Colorado, a major art fair will draw artists and collectors who normally come to ski. Summer is the perfect time to visit Montreal, and in August the Festival Mode & Design will give visitors a chance to enjoy outdoor installations, fashion shows, and more, just in time to savor jaw-dropping panoramas from a revamped observatory. The Seattle Art Fair will bring art lovers to the Emerald City, where they can be among the first to stay at the sleek new Thompson Seattle. Brussels will spring to life, with locals and visitors flocking to the Grand Place to see the monumental Flower Carpet. Of course, there’s one big reason to head to South America—the summer Olympics in Rio, which has been sprucing up for the occasion.
This content is subject to copyright.1/5Aspen, Colorado
Art Aspen returns August 4–7 and—along with the Food & Wine Classic—proves that this ski town is just as compelling to visit in summer. Travelers will find not only the monumental natural beauty of the Colorado Rockies but also a lively creative scene. Book a room at the Little Nell, a Relais & Châteaux resort designed by Holly Hunt and favored by VIPs, or the Aspen Meadows Resort, a Bauhaus masterpiece filled with midcentury-modern furniture. To see what the country’s top culinary talents are up to, reserve a table at Chefs Club by Food & Wine inside the St. Regis.
Copyright: Bertrand GARDEL2/5Rio de Janeiro
The Summer Olympics are finally here starting August 5, and Cariocas are gearing up for the festivities. If you’re traveling to Brazil’s iconic beach metropolis, you’ll find plenty of luxury hotels, high-design restaurants, stylish bars, and must-see landmarks. Consider staying at the Philippe Starck–designed Fasano or the legendary Belmond Copacabana Palace, a favorite haunt of celebrities like Mick Jagger and Madonna. Be sure to visit the newly renovated Museu Histórico da Cidade, where artist and designer Oskar Metsavaht will have a solo show. Spend some time exploring the massive Tijuca National Park or get off the beaten path with a boat ride to Ilhas Cagarras, an archipelago south of Ipanema Beach.
Getty Images3/5Montreal
Canada’s most creative city comes alive in summer, when locals and visitors mingle outside in the fair weather. Montreal will be especially buzzy August 15–20, when the Festival Mode & Design will put on a host of fashion shows, conferences, and outdoor installations. Book a room at the Ritz-Carlton Montréal, which recently underwent a $200 million renovation, and enjoy the views from the rooftop pool. For staggering vistas, head up to the just-revamped observatory Au Sommet Place Ville Marie and have lunch at the 44th-floor brasserie Les Enfants Terribles. Architecture buffs should visit the Montreal Biosphère in Buckminster Fuller’s 1967 geodesic dome.
Getty Images/Blend Images4/5Seattle
Seattle The burgeoning Seattle Art Fair returns for its second year August 4–7, bolstering the creative cachet of this Pacific Northwest hot spot. Stay at the brand-new Thompson Seattle, a sleek addition to the city’s hotel scene with midcentury-modern–inspired design and rooms overlooking Puget Sound. Art lovers should make a beeline for the Olympic Sculpture Park, run by the Seattle Art Museum, which features a larger-than-life piece by Alexander Calder, and wander through the Chihuly Garden and Glass with its trippy, avant-garde installations. Hungry for great food and design? Head to the Goldfinch Tavern in the Four Seasons, run by acclaimed Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell, for elevated tavern fare made with the freshest local ingredients.
Getty Images5/5Brussels
Belgium’s capital will receive a much-needed breath of fresh air—or rather, floral perfume—when the 20th edition of the Flower Carpet is unveiled on August 12. Composed of over 600,000 blooms, it will take over the Grand Place, accompanied by daily concerts and a sound-and-light show. Bed down right around the corner at the luxurious Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte Hotel in a former prison. Fans of Art Nouveau architecture and design should visit the Horta Museum, in the private home and studio of Victor Horta, and stroll through the historic Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, where you can shop for everything from fine chocolate to jewelry to antiques.
