These days, road-tripping offers a way to enjoy sightseeing again. Thanks to Canada’s wealth of architectural talent, there are standout structures from coast to coast to left the spirit and bring beauty back into the everyday.

During the global pandemic, countless industries have been impacted by the restrictions and protocols aimed at keeping the world’s citizens safe. Perhaps, no other sector has been hit as hard as travel. From business trips to family visits and luxury vacations, travel has been restricted more than ever with closed borders and flight cancellations —keeping us all closer to home. As the cold temperatures begin to break, now is the moment to step outside, hit the road and marvel at the wonders of design —in our own Canadian backyard.

Egypt is a nation celebrated for its preservation of artifacts and antiquities; however, no one museum has ever highlighted such a comprehensive collection as the Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM, which broke ground in 2012. After numerous delays due to construction, finance, logistics, and the global pandemic, the long-awaited opening will occur this year.

“Less is more.” That was the edict of one of modern architecture’s patron saints, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and is still a guiding principle for many contemporary practitioners. Geometric shapes, a lack of ornamentation, open, efficient floor plans, and seamless indoor-outdoor living are hallmarks of modern masterpieces. But above all, materials—glass, steel, and concrete—shape the designs.

Few other architects can claim to have influenced the distinctive aesthetic of Napa Valley the way Howard Backen has. The award-winning designer’s work is regularly described as subtly luxurious, elegantly rustic, and filled with a sense of intimacy, warmth, and stylish informality—all traits for which wine country is beloved the world over.

In March, for only the fourth time in its 43-year history, the Pritzker Architecture Prize was awarded to a woman—two women, in fact. Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara were named the 2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates, a designation that reflects the important work being done by women across the world to bring new perspectives and boundary-defying vision to the buildings that influence our skylines.

But women in architecture are not an exception to a rule: they have been changing landscapes for decades. Farrell and McNamara are co-founders of Grafton Architects, a firm they established in 1978. Specializing in rationalist architecture styles and sustainable design, their selected works include the Universita Luigi Bocconi in Milan—named the World Building of the Year in 2008—and the Medical School at the University of Limerick. They also served as the co-curators for the 16th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia in 2018.

Circular homes make a striking statement.

These high-design residences are often one-of-a-kind, with interiors as novel as their curving facades. “When you’re buying luxury, you don’t want it to be a cookie-cutter home,” says Michael Pallier, the managing director of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty. “You want something unique. A distinctive home means something to a buyer.”

Round residences certainly qualify. They are also somewhat rare, according to Pallier, giving them a rarified vibe. He is currently representing the Oculus, an “interstellar” Sydney, Australia, home that melds an expansive circular entertaining area with a more traditionally shaped wing that encompasses the kitchen and bedrooms. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home was by architect Frank Fox in 1961. The circular entertaining area is at the center of Fox’s design.

On 1.45 acres at the base of Mount Tamalpais, just north of San Francisco and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, this unprecedented five-bedroom residence—the result of years of dedication on the part of Quezada Architecture and a team of designers, engineers, and contractors—was built in 2014 and has been lovingly maintained by its sole owners. Composed of classic contemporary lines formed from oxidized steel, cedar, glass, and metal, it seems to jut forth, a dramatic extension of the land that surrounds it.

Neon is reinventing itself as a 21st-century art form; residential layouts are flexing their nontraditional muscles; and furnishings are flaunting their curves. Here are the latest trends in art, architecture, and design.

Less is More: 8 Minimalist Interior Design Trends | True minimal design is all about letting the design elements in a space speak for themselves. Whether you’re looking to completely renovate your home or simply update one room, these minimal interior design ideas will help you maximize the impact of your next project.

Wide Open Spaces: 5 Homes Perfectly Positioned for Stargazing | When life gets hectic, there’s no better way to put things into perspective than by simply looking up at the stars. With light pollution in urban centers, it’s not always easy to see the night sky in all its glory, let alone make out any constellations. Luckily, these secluded properties around the world offer respite from the brilliance of city life and the opportunity to truly admire the heavens.

Engineering the World’s Tallest Building | In this era of megatall skyscraper construction around the world, Jeddah Tower is the first that aims to exceed the previously undreamed-of one-kilometer threshold.

When it is completed in 2020, the 1,000-meter tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, designed by architect Adrian Smith, will become the world’s tallest building, easily eclipsing Burj Khalifa, the 830-meter-tall Dubai skyscraper, also designed by Smith.

Architecture With A Personal Touch | Since joining the Office of Metropolitan Architects—founded by Rem Koolhaas—in 1998, Shohei Shigematsu has designed cultural venues including the Quebec National Beaux Arts Museum and the Faena Arts Center in Miami Beach. He has also worked on collaborations with artists such as China’s Cai Guo Qiang, Marina Abramovic, and Kanye West.

Brutalism Evolves | Stark and unadorned, Brutalist architecture is a touchstone of postmodernism. And although the style has detractors, it’s getting a lot of attention from modern audiences.

Social-media apps like Instagram have united Brutalism fans, and accounts posting photos of landmarks in the style have tens of thousands of followers. Books on the subject abound as well, from the exhaustive Atlas of Brutalist Architecture, which made The New York Times list of best art books in 2018, to art historian Chris van Uffelen’s Massive, Expressive, Sculptural: Brutalism Now and Then.

Reality Checks | In every major market across the country the prime communities share similar attributes — easy access to downtown, proximity to green space and prestigious schools. With so many of these factors tied to geography and static city planning, the best areas can appear set in stone. Luckily, new construction projects and the ever-changing real estate market means that there is hope for buyers to get into the neighbourhood of their choice in these Canadian cities.

Wall Power | If your world appears a lot more colourful of late, thank the muralists. Over the past several years, murals have emerged as an attention-getting art form with a lot of cachet, taking over entire walls inside and out at galleries, restaurants, hotels and public spaces across the country. What’s even better is that it’s a genre where female artists are leading the charge — a visual manifestation of the current cultural zeitgeist.

Splendor in the Grass | Beautiful gardens are a border-blurring tapestry of strategic design, strong silhouettes, and thoughtful palettes. They elevate the architecture of a home as much as they enhance the lifestyle of its residents. Professional landscaping services in the U.S. alone is a multibillion-dollar industry. From backyards to balconies, and from classic gardens to modern vertical ones, these spaces allow homeowners to outwardly personalize their surroundings.

Natural Beauty | Ornamental grasses, lavender and echinacea sway with the breeze in the weathered-steel planter box fronting the work studio of landscape designer Joel Loblaw. The rusted metal’s warm orange, the earthy browns of fading perennials, errant red and gold fallen leaves — the planter is in sync with the season and it looks perfect, perfectly natural.

Paint it Black | Shading your walls in black may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re considering paint colors. But black has a daring all its own that can bring character and chicness to your space.

“The result is both unexpected and incredibly sophisticated,” says Andrea Magno, a Benjamin Moore color and design expert.

“Black has an interesting effect on the walls of a room because the corners and shadows are obscured more than if a midtone or pastel color is used,” Magno says. “This can be used as a visual trick to give the space a less-defined appearance and can make a room feel a bit more expansive.”

What’s New in Art, Architecture, and Design | Whether we’re talking trends in art, architecture, or design, it’s all about seeing the beauty of traditional materials used in new ways. It’s looking at ordinary objects in a different light. It’s rethinking the purpose of conventional spaces. But most of all, it’s about being open to possibilities.

To understand the latest trends in art, architecture, and design, you have to go back to the time when objects were handcrafted, bricks were hand-molded and every element in the house was a work of art. Rediscovered and burnished by a new generation, these old ideals are setting a new style.