OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO
1 RIO DE JANEIRO
Brazil
The crazy Carnival may be the first thing that comes to mind when one mentions Rio de Janeiro, but the Brazilian city also shines in another discipline—architecture. Named the first-ever Unesco World Capital of Architecture—a new initiative created with the International Union of Architects—2020 will see the megacity host a year-long celebration investigating architecture’s cultural relevance.
“The aim is to create new synergies between culture and architecture in an increasingly urban world, in which cities are hubs for ideas, trade, culture, science, and social development in particular,” said Ernesto Ottone Ramírez, Unesco assistant director-general for culture, in a statement.
Rio’s striking landscape—it’s blessed with both towering mountains and expansive beaches—is home to several creations of late Brazilian maestro Oscar Niemeyer, who’s considered one of the world’s greatest modernist architects. Highlights include Niemeyer’s own home, Casa das Canoas, which is nestled in the mountainous Tijuca Forest; the recently restored cylindrical skyscraper Hotel Nacional; and the futuristic Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Niterói (pictured).
The eye candy does not stop there—many of Rio’s cultural institutions are built to stand out. Among them are the Carmen Miranda Museum and the Museum of Tomorrow, an imposing skeletal structure by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
2 SIARGAO
Philippines
As surfing makes its debut in the 2020 Summer Olympics, it is high time to explore some of Asia’s surfing hotspots. The best place to do so is Siargao—a teardrop-shaped island in the Pacific, whose year-round, world-class surf breaks have earned it a reputation as the surfing capital of the Philippines.
