Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice

1 October 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month, Shopping Reading Time:  12 minutes

© Freddo213/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Freddo213/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a historic building in Venice, Veneto, Italy, is situated along the Grand Canal, close to the iconic Rialto Bridge. It was a hostel and a warehouse for the city’s German (Tedeschi) merchants and their imports. After being destroyed by fire in 1505, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi was rebuilt in a Renaissance architectural style. It not only endured but also continued to serve its original purpose. Today, this building is used as a luxury mall located on Venice’s Grand Canal.   read more…

Persepolis in Persia

1 September 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Queen's Quarter, entrance to the museum and central office © Davide Mauro/cc-by-sa-4.0

Queen’s Quarter, entrance to the museum and central office © Davide Mauro/cc-by-sa-4.0

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BC). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros Mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   read more…

São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil

1 August 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  5 minutes

Lina Bo Bardi (left) and Pietro Maria Bardi (right) buildings © flickr.com - Mauro Cateb/cc-by-sa-2.0

Lina Bo Bardi (left) and Pietro Maria Bardi (right) buildings © flickr.com – Mauro Cateb/cc-by-sa-2.0

The São Paulo Museum of Art (Portuguese: Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or MASP) is an art museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered a landmark of the city and a symbol of modern Brazilian architecture.   read more…

Teatro Massimo in Palermo

1 July 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month, Opera Houses, Theaters, Libraries Reading Time:  6 minutes

© flickr.com - kuhnmi/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – kuhnmi/cc-by-2.0

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its inauguration, it was – with its area of 7,730 square metres (83,200 sq ft) – the third largest opera house in Europe after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna), renowned for its perfect acoustics.   read more…

Eastgate Centre in Harare

1 June 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Architecture, Bon appétit, House of the Month, Sustainability, Shopping, Environment Reading Time:  6 minutes

© David Brazier/cc-by-sa-3.0

© David Brazier/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Eastgate Centre is a shopping centre and office block in central Harare, Zimbabwe, designed by Mick Pearce. Designed to be ventilated and cooled by entirely natural means, it was probably the first building in the world to use natural cooling to this level of sophistication. It opened in 1996 on Robert Mugabe Avenue and Second Street, and provides 5,600 m² of retail space, 26,000 m² of office space and parking for 450 cars.   read more…

Presidential library system in the United States

1 May 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month Reading Time:  14 minutes

The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, Mount Vernon, Virginia © mountvernon.org/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, Mount Vernon, Virginia © mountvernon.org/cc-by-sa-4.0

In the United States, the presidential library system is a nationwide network of 16 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These are repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials of every president of the United States since Herbert Hoover, the 31st president from 1929–1933. In addition to the library services, museum exhibitions concerning the presidency are displayed.   read more…

Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires

1 April 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month, Opera Houses, Theaters, Libraries Reading Time:  6 minutes

Concert hall and stage © HalloweenHJB/cc-by-sa-3.0

Concert hall and stage © HalloweenHJB/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Teatro Colón (English: Columbus Theatre) is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leading international opera and orchestra directors, the Teatro Colón has the room with the best acoustics for opera and the second best for concerts in the world.   read more…

Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast

1 March 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, Bon appétit, House of the Month Reading Time:  7 minutes

© geograph.org.uk - Aubrey Dale/cc-by-sa-2.0

© geograph.org.uk – Aubrey Dale/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Crown Liquor Saloon, also known as the Crown Bar, is a pub in Great Victoria Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Refurbished in 1885, and at least twice since, it is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and one of Northern Ireland’s best-known pubs. It is owned by the National Trust and is leased to Mitchells & Butlers who run it as a Nicholson’s pub.   read more…

Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi

1 February 2025 | Author/Destination: | Category: General, House of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

Louvre Abu Dhabi © Boubloub/cc-by-sa-4.0

Louvre Abu Dhabi © Boubloub/cc-by-sa-4.0

Saadiyat Island (for “Island of Happiness”) is a natural island and a tourism-cultural environmentally friendly project for Emirati heritage and culture that is located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The project is located in a large, low-lying island, 500 metres (1,600 ft) off the coast of Abu Dhabi island. A mixed commercial, residential, and leisure project is currently under construction on the island. When completed, Saadiyat Island is expected to become Abu Dhabi’s cultural centre, mostly for the Island’s Cultural District that is expected to include eight museums. Due to the Corona pandemic, some projects have fallen noticeably behind schedule, but are now on the way to completion.   read more…

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