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"Nelson-Atkins Museum | Kansas City, MO In the heart of the city, the original neoclassical 1933 building of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, famed for its Asian art collection, now has a modern alter ego designed by architect Steven Holl. The Bloch Building, which will house a new lobby, cafe and gallery space, is a long, slender structure submerged underground except for five, rectangular ceilings, or &amp;quot;lenses,&amp;quot; covered in translucent and transparent glass rising aboveground. At night they glow like Japanese lanterns. Some lenses have grass on top, where visitors can enjoy the magical combination of landscape and architecture (816/751-1278, Nelson-Atkins.org). Kara Mann | Chicago The River North design district gets an edgy new addition with interior designer Kara Mann&amp;#039;s namesake showroom, a 4,000-square-foot space dedicated to the often rebellious fine furnishing lines she has discovered in her sourcing forays for clients. Pieces include lamps with cast-bronze skulls for bases (from Blackman Cruz in Los Angeles), austere handmade furniture from BDDW and frothy repros\u2014such as this chair (left)\u2014vamped up with graffiti, gilt and attitude by the Swedish-born design duo Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar of Jimmie Martin, their punk-inspired London firm (119 W. Hubbard St., Penthouse; 312/893-7550).  Royal Ontario Museum | Toronto The new wing of the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada&amp;#039;s largest for world cultures and natural history, makes a bold departure from the original fortresslike structure made up of early-20th-century buildings north of Queen&amp;#039;s Park. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal is a 175,000-square-foot aluminum- and glass-covered structure composed of five interlocking prisms nestled within the footprint of the historic buildings. The result: a design that shows how history and innovation intertwine. Inside the Crystal are seven permanent galleries and the soon-to-be-opened Crystal Five Restaurant Lounge (416/586-8000, ROM.on.ca). Nysa | Paris Two 25-year-old Parisians, Laurent Decaux and Louis de Montille, recently opened Nysa, a colorful new wine shop in the Marais, which features an unusual selection of regional organic French wines, also known as &amp;quot;biologique.&amp;quot; Along with the standard pairings for foods such as foie gras, shellfish and chocolate, they also recommend the perfect wine for various emotions and occasions under headings like &amp;quot;A Big Day,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Between Girlfriends&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Love at First Sight.&amp;quot; Choose from a selection of 60 labels ranging from about $5 to $45 (15 rue du Bourg Tibourg; 33+1/42.77.92.39, Nysa.fr).   Dylan | Dublin In the tony South Side area, the cutting-edge vibe reigning in the Dylan hotel would make any scenester from London or L.A. feel right at home. The Fylan Collection took a former 1901 residence for nurses and transformed it into a wonderland of leather- and chrome-studded panel walls and fiber optic lighting. The room perks are true to its boutique status: custom-made furniture by Christopher Guy, memory foam beds, Frette linens, plasma TVs and a pillow menu. Staff uniforms are by a local fashion designer. The vintage silver and crystal pieces, however, are a pure Irish touch. Rooms from $525 (Eastmoreland Pl., Dublin 4; 353+1/660-3000, Dylan.ie). Central | Washington, D.C. Renowned chef Michel Richard of Citrus in L.A. and Citronelle, also in D.C., has brought an exciting venue, Central, to the District. The bright and lively space, punctuated by an open kitchen and a dining bar, was designed by Richard himself with the help of Interior Architects, Group Goetz Architects and kitchen designer Jimi Yui. The American-French menu includes bistro staples such as moules marini\u00E8re and hanger steak but also features a succulent 72-hour short rib and a tuna burger that gets a kick from fresh ginger. Main courses begin at $16 (1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202/626-0015). Mondrian Hotel | Scottsdale, AZ The city now has its own Garden of Eden envisioned by interior designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, who was charged with redoing the interiors of the Mondrian Hotel. The snowy-white lobby, with its cloudlike light fixtures, cherubs and a baobab tree trunk that seems to support the ceiling, evokes innocence, although temptation is suggested in the form of a long, curving serpentine bench. Each of the 194 rooms boasts plasma televisions, 300-thread-count sheets and Noriega-Ortiz&amp;#039;s trademark sleek, modern design. Rooms from $135, May 12 through October 1 (7353 East Indian School Rd.; 800/697-1791, MondrianScottsdale.com). "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/travel/a3772/metro-guide-june-2007-a-32792/>