Lohi Highlights

The art collection of Fondation Maeght is one of the largest of modern art in Europe. The foundation has always been a place for creative people to meet and exchange ideas, and many artists willingly contributed to its realization; Miró created a labyrinth and Giacometti made a sculpture for the court.

Eltham Palace is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of Art Déco. Just outside of London, the luxury villa was built next to a medieval royal palace, designed by some of the world’s foremost designers and craftsmen.

Finn Juhl’s house, today a museum, has been preserved as it was during his lifetime, complete with his collection of books and artworks by Danish artists including Vilhelm Lundstrøm, Asger Jorn, Erik Thommesen and Sonja Ferlov Mancoba. 

For the Barcelona exposition in 1929, the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion was built as a manifestation through architecture of a new Germany; transparent, peaceful, and prosperous.

Leighton House, in West London, is a spectacular example of interiors in the Victorian Era. Lord Leighton was an avid traveller and found inspiration for his continuous expansions of his home in many different parts of the world.

Collection Pinault in Paris is housed in the circular building Bourse de Commerce, its vast space the perfect exhibition site for contemporary artworks.

The one-time courthouse has both been restored and left untouched, with stripped-back plaster, sweeping staircases, old service lifts, humongous houseplants, velvet curtains and faded armchairs. The result is a combination of shabby, sexy, and cinematic, similar to being on a film set, possibly in a film directed by Peter Greenaway.

Throughout his life, Théodore Reinach had been fascinated with antiquity. Villa Kerylos was his attempt at reviving the beauty of an ancient civilization, and can be viewed as his tribute to a past in which the foundation of modern society was built.

Giorgio Armani’s well-known devotion to simplicity is reflected in Armani / Silos. The formerly industrial building now houses a permanent Armani exhibition, together with a space reserved for temporary fashion exhibitions.

Visiting Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences is a transformative experience, the sheer size and scope of the project almost impossible to take in, and the architecture not easy to date. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, the project began the first stages of construction in 1996, inaugurated two years later.

2015 Fondazione Prada’s permanent Milan venue was unveiled, just south of the city. Conceived by OMA, the space functions as a platform for temporary art exhibitions, as well as the permanent showcasing of some of the foundation’s artworks.

Pasticceria Marchesi was established in Milan in 1824. Ever since, it has been the go to-place for Milanese sweets, chocolates, and pastries. Despite changes in trends and habits over the years, Pasticceria Marchesi has maintained its authentic atmosphere, and many of the classic recipes remain the same as the year they first opened.

In a secluded and bourgeois part of central Milan, not far from the city’s fashion district, Villa Necchi Campiglio sits in a large, quiet garden. Designed by Piero Portaluppi at the behest of sisters Nedda and Gigina Necchi, the villa, completed in 1935, is one of the architect’s masterpieces.

At Harrods in London, you can now participate in the Pradasphere even without buying a single garment. In line with the logic of fashion (not a physical commodity but a symbolic value) Prada is here presented in the shape of a café.

Artist Fernand Léger was an optimist and saw great potential in all things modern. His work is instantly recognizable through his very personal interpretation of cubism.

This state-owned museum honours his legacy and brings knowledge of his contribution to the modern art world to the public.

Brewer Carl Jacobsen, a 19th century magnate and Denmark’s greatest art patron, founded Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek to share his collection with the public. Using the profits generated by his brewery, he had built an extensive collection of art and cultural artefacts.

Casa Amatller is a strange hybrid of Gothic and Flemish, and one of the most interesting examples of the Modernist Catalan-movement.

One of the strangest – but also most beautiful – places to visit around Lake Garda is Vittoriale deli Italiani; The Shrine of Victories of the Italians.

At Carl Eldh’s artist studio turned museum, on the outskirts of Stockholm, art and architecture engage in a creative dialogue.

Housed in a building planned for the Fascist government, with spectacular views of the Duomo, Museo del Novecento offers a great introduction to Italian modern art. Don’t miss the restaurant and bar at the top floor.

Designed by Zaha Hadid, the museum offers an almost unique experience to its visitors. The best word to describe a visit to MAXXI is “surprise”, as one can never be sure of what new angle, perspective or play with space awaits around the corner.

Benito Mussolini wanted to showcase the beauty of fascist ideology by creating a city with strong links to Roman building traditions and aesthetic ideals, using the symbols of the past to underpin the strength of his own political movement.

EUR was never completed, and today it instead represents the fast demise of fascism.

In Lisbon, the cultural centre MAAT – where art, architecture and technology intersect – has become a new destination. The curved shape of the main building allows the roof to function as a terraced viewpoint of the river Tagus, while the minimalist interiors offer spacious exhibition rooms.

The museum is housed in a formerly private apartment consisting of eleven rooms, in a building designed by Piero Portaluppi. All rooms are filled with artworks, collected Antonio Boschi and Marieda di Stefano from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Even though its collection includes more than 4,000 artworks, from artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol and Yves Klein, Louisiana is not only appreciated for its art exhibitions but also for its impressive architecture, which merges American, Japanese and European design traditions.

Christian Dior founded one of the most influential fashion houses that ever existed. La Galerie Dior is a new Paris-based museum dedicated to his legacy, as well as to the creative directors that followed in his footsteps.

Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by Frank Gehry and placed in the outskirts of central Paris, resembles a large glass ship, temporarily anchored in the green forest of Bois de Bologne.

Marino Marini was one of Italy’s most popular 20th century sculptors, appreciated for his sense of minimalist shapes and understated silhouettes. In Florence, the museum dedicated exclusively to his work is housed in a former church, redesigned in the 1980s to reflect Marini’s archaic artistry.

The Queen’s House in Greenwich was designed by Inigo Jones and is often considered the starting point of English Palladianism, an influential architectural style (originated in Italy) based in harmony, detail and proportion, which later would inspire the Georgian style.

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is one of the leading museums of the world, with invaluable historical collections, as well as a reputation for producing forward-looking temporary exhibitions. V&A reflects the past as much as it aspires to shape the future.

Antoine Bourdelle’s Paris studio has remained in its original state, and is remarkable to visit, not least for its natural light and verdant garden – a welcome break from the busy Montparnasse.

“Our mission is to make art accessible and open to everyone”, states Fondazione Pirelli HangarBiococca. This is accomplished by showcasing internationally renowned artists, with no admission charge for visitors, and by allowing space for permanent displays of important artists. Not to be missed.

Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the Milan-based Mudec is a museum worth visiting both for its sleek architecture and its excellent exhibitions. Located in a former industrial area, it is hidden in plain sight, integrated into a former factory but nevertheless distinctly independent.

Since 2008, the building that more than any other symbolises Oslo is the Opera House, its angular architecture inviting people to visit both its exteriors (as the sloped roof is a popular meeting place) and interiors, with perfect acoustics for musical performances.

The Stockholm metro is often referred to as the world’s longest art exhibition. The system stretches over 110 kilometres, and travellers can follow the historical developments in the art world as they go from one station to another, from the ideological messages from the 1950s, via the postmodern times of the 1980s to today’s more experimental and explorative period.

Milan’s Nilufar has been a reference point in interior design since the late 1970s, when Nilufar Gallery was first established. Nilufar Depot, slightly outside of the city centre, opened its doors in 2015.

Located in Campo Marzio, only a few steps from Piazza Navona, Palazzo Altemps was built by Girolamo Riario, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. Currently an art museum, its layout creates a harmonious composition, borrowing from and reintroducing solutions used in the design of antiquarian collections.

As part of an initiative from the Basque government, the art museum was built to revitalize the town of Bilbao, attract tourists with an interest in culture while also redefining the formerly industrial city as something else, more vibrant.

Today, Guggenheim Bilbao is equally known for its exhibitions as for its architecture.

The Sert Studio was designed to fit with the terrain’s hillside terraces. It was created through dialogue between the architect and the artist. The building is not to be considered simply a case to fill with art, but should, according to its architect, be viewed along the lines that “Architecture itself can become a sculpture”.

The Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium in Ravello is an architectural masterpiece that reflects the philosophy of Niemeyer; making use of sensual curves rather than inflexible straight lines.

Considered one of the first Mannerist buildings in Portugal, it is not only known for its exteriors but also its Baroque decorations, such as glazed tile panels of its two cloisters. From the terraces, you have the best 360-degree panoramic view of Lisbon.

Carl Milles is famous for his many sculptures, commissioned by institutions around the world, often created with inspiration from the mythology of ancient Greece and Rome.

For fifty years, he worked at developing Millesgården today widely considered the most important artwork of his life.

Poseidon was lord of the sea, worshipped by the navy, merchants and sailors alike. The remnants of his temple are still found at the cliffs of Cape Sounion, south of Athens, having been erected here more than two thousand years ago.

In this forest cemetery, inaugurated in 1940, most of the graves are placed among trees in a deep forest, in this way interlacing human existence with the organic shapes of nature. Skogskyrkogården is an emotional landscape, where the visitors’ sombre mood is softened by diligent and careful architectural planning.

The sorrow after losing someone is met with a softness and serenity in both the layout of the landscape and in the beauty of the buildings.

Tate Britain, London, houses a substantial collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and is the most compressive collection of its kind in the world. It is one of the largest museums in the country, ranked 50th on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.

The name “Artipelag” is made from a combination of the words art, activities and archipelago. Located just south of Stockholm, this art museum – one of Sweden’s largest – invites visitors to spend a whole day, viewing exhibitions, eating at the restaurant, strolingl through the forest or going for a swim.

This modernist masterpiece is not only of great architectural importance, it is also a manifestation of the love between architects Jean Badovici and Eileen Gray: “E” stands for “Eileen”, “10” and “2” for his initials while “7” correlates with the alphabetical position of the letter “G”. It was a house that presented bold new design ideals, but also for the couple to share a life in.

The Gulbenkian collection includes more than 6,000 objects, from all over the world, and holds work by artists such as Carpaccio, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Manet, Degas and Monet. The museum building, inaugurated in 1969, in the north part of the Gulbenkian garden, and is today one of the most famous architectural statements of modern Portugal.

The foundation was created in 2000, and includes an impressive collection of contemporary art, containing more than 300 artworks, including 17 works by Roy Lichtenstein, which makes it the largest private Lichtenstein collection in France.

The massive Danish castle, built in the style of Northern baroque, is a witness to the turbulent history of the region, but it is also the scene for one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Hamlet, about an unhappy and haunted Danish prince.

The Galleria Doria Pamhilj is not only home to one of the largest private art collections in Rome but is also in itself one of the largest private residences in the city. Still today, the princely Roman family Doria Pamhilj considers this their family home. It is equally known for its lavish interiors as for its artistic treasures.

In Ancient Greece, Olympia was home to the gods, as well as the site of the first Olympic Games, held in honour of Zeus, king of all gods. Today, the ruins of this holy sanctuary are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yves Saint Laurent was one of the most influential people in the history of fashion. The Paris museum exhibits the couturier’s body of work on the premises of his former haute couture house

Couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga was widely considered the master of masters. One of the most skilled fashion designers in history, his legacy is now permanently on display in his Basque hometown, only a few blocks from where he first learned the craft from his mother, a local seamstress.

Part of the papal nobility, the Palazzo Colonna in the centre of Rome has been the family’s residence for more than twenty generations. Originally built over the ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, its oldest parts date back to the 13th century.

Florence is divided by the river Arno. On “the other side” of the Arno, Oltrarno, the Palazzo Pitti imposes on the neighbourhood. Warm summer days, both tourists and locals flock to the Giardino di Boboli, the castle’s large park. 

Musée National Picasso Paris is the best place to go for a complete overview of the artist’s work. The museum mirrors the artistic developments of Picasso, his experiments with colour and shapes reflected in the ways that the rooms are laid out.

In Paris, the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa preserves the legacy of the legendary fashion designer, by creating a permanent exhibition of his garments in the same space as he once lived and worked.

Antoni Gaudi was influenced by his three passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion, integrating these themes in ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging, and carpentry. Casa Vicens was his first major project. 

Tate Modern in London is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world. It houses the United Kingdom’s national collection of international modern and contemporary art.

London’s Design Museum is a Kensington landmark. Its aim is to promote awareness of design in education, industry, commerce, and culture, and was in 2018 awarded European Museum of the Year.

Galleria degli Uffizi is one of the world’s most famous art museums.

It holds a mythical place in many people’s minds, a must for art-lovers to visit at least once during one’s lifetime (which can explain why it’s Italy’s most visited museum).

Pinoteca Ambrosiana, one of Milan’s greatest art museums, was founded already in 1618. Its excellent collection (which includes the world’s largest archive of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings and writings) was already from the start made accessible to the younger generation, hoping that its beauty would inspire future artists and intellectuals.

The Cimitero Monumentale is one of the two largest cemeteries in Milan (the other being Cimitero Maggiore). It is noted for its abundance of artistic tombs and monuments. Since it first opened in 1866, it has been filled with a wide range of Italian sculptures in different artistic styles, Greek temples and even a scaled-down version of the Trajan’s Column, celebrating the prominent people who at different times have lived in the city.

The Parisian Museum of Modern Art is housed in a Fascist building. While the museum collection reflects the emerging modernity in art, the building style foreshadowed the outbreak of WWII.

In 1735, inspired by the Chinese porcelain culture, Marquis Carlo Andrea Ignazio Ginori established what is today known as one of the finest porcelain manufacturing companies in Europe. The dinner collection known as “Oriente Italiano”, designed by Gio Ponti in 1946 and recently updated by Alessandro Michele, is a timeless way of decorating your table.

With its nine theme gardens spread out over seven hectares of land on Côte d’Azur, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild has one of the most remarkable parks in France.

To visit Barcelona’s MNAC is to successively learn about the different movements in art from a historical perspective, seeing how one morphs into the other, as you go from one room to the next.

The Marqueyssac Gardens is a spectacular place to visit, often referred to as “the soul of Périgord noir”: over six kilometres of shaded pathways, lined with 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods, offering panoramic views of the entire Dordogne Valley. The paths are built around a small castle, which in its current form dates back to the late 18th century.

One of Italy’s most beautiful parks, the gardens of Villa Cimbrone is a place for serenity, introspection, and peace.

The distinctly postmodern Thames Barrier Park in east London was intended to aid the regeneration of the area by creating an attractive public space alongside residential and commercial developments.

The garden of Villa San Michele on Capri is defined by the changing of the seasons. With its exposed location on the cliffs, several hundred metres above sea level, the garden is an ever-changing experience and worth a visit regardless of time of year.

The promenade connects Roquebrune-Cap-Martin with Menton, offering panoramic views of Monaco’s skyscrapers as well as many possibilities to go swimming in the turquoise waters.

This family-owned vineyard, south of the Dolomites, produces excellent wines in balance with nature, and in the process restores the local ecosystem.

Tuba, a beach restaurant, outside of Marseille, is popular in the fashion crowd. Their easy-going and carefree attitude is apparent in both design and food, locally sourced and prepared with only a few, key ingredients.

The biodynamic vineyard Villa Calicantus, on the eastern border of Lake Garda, is the epitome of slow food and lifestyle. A family-run operation, it sits in beautiful surroundings, making excellent wine in small quantities.

Kew Gardens in southwest London offers a welcome respite from the busy city, known equally for its selection of spectacular plants and historic buildings.

Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera (“the stone quarry”) was the last private residence designed by Gaudi, commissioned by the Mila family, at the time controversial because of its unconventional façade. 

Fundació Joan Miro overlooks Barcelona from the hillside of Montjuïc. You can oscillate between studying the artworks and relaxing on the rooftop or on the small terrace, visiting the shop or stopping for lunch in the restaurant, or enjoying a coffee in the shaded courtyard.