Only Here

A dull architectural uniformity is sweeping the globe. Walk into many a new building and a numbing sense of airport lounge creeps in. You could be anywhere except your destination. Some cities prove the exception to the rule.

- BY SPENCER BAILEY

Milan, home to Mr. Armani and Ms. Prada, to Teatro alla Scala and the Duomo, relishes the history of its villas and palazzi, layering innovation on top of patrimony. It's a form of design pentimento, where what came before informs what comes next.