01. SUMMER PALACE GARDENS
Bukhara’s Sitorai Mokhi Khosa (or Palace of Moon-like Stars) was originally built in 1917 as a retreat for the last Emir of Bukhara, Alim Khan, to escape the intensity of the region’s hot summer months. Set in a series of rose gardens and overlooking a large reflecting pool, the site blends local architecture with Russian influences, and comprises a palace with an impressive banqueting hall, an ornate guest house and a traditional tea house. The grounds are a key public space for the city today, offering a place to stroll under the shade of large trees. Fountains cool the air while peacocks add colour and visual delight.
02. REGISTAN SQUARE
Constructed under the rule of Timur the Lame in the 14th century, the monumental Registan Square was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand. A large central plaza framed by the grand entrance arches, minarets and domes of three madrassas, it is the perfect place to take in the breadth of the city’s architectural heritage and craftsmanship. There are glazed azure tiles, ornate brick formations and intricate stone carvings, the oldest of which can be seen in the Ulugh Beg Madrassa, dating back to 1420. Visit in the evenings to see these dazzling features beautifully lit up.
IN THE ZONE
The San Francisco live-work space of Indian studio Soft-Geometry provides the perfect place to work, rest and play
RISING STAR
The sky's the limit for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's booming metropolis, where stellar street food, historic alleyways and honking motorbikes now mix with shiny new skyscrapers, minimalist showrooms and upscale patisseries
GOOD MIXER
A site-specific artwork at Hauser Wirth Somerset serves up a cocktail of salvaged materials
UP AND AWAY
New London hotel The Emory presents the perfect showcase of RSHP's signature functionalist style and hospitality group Maybourne's elevated luxury
CABIN CLASS
An elegant escape on a remote Ontario island offers up a contemporary reinterpretation of the local vernacular
RECOVER VERSIONS
British-Indian collector Rajan Bijlani's design collection is inspired by a mission to conserve the Chandigarh legacy
DOTTED LINES
Library Street Collective's new cultural hub in Detroit, designed by OMA New York, is a signature rebuild that makes the most of the site's existing structures
POETRY IN MOTION
An immersive London exhibition takes visitors on an enchanted journey inside the watchmaking world of Van Cleef & Arpels
Talking point
Nice pen.' Two words, but in Steven Zaillian's recent remake of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr Ripley, weighty with symbolism.
Modern love
We take a tour of Caracas' treasure trove of midcentury and brutalist gems