Compendium Volume 8

10 SYDNEY UPPING THE

10 SYDNEY UPPING THE ANTE So emblematic is the Sydney Opera House of the Aussie hub, it’s almost hard to believe she’s turning only 50 this year. October already kicked off quite the birthday party for the architectural and cultural wonder, with more than 200 events in the pipeline, including a production of Peter Schaffer’s acclaimed play Amadeus, special collaborations and festivals, to occur over 12 months Another seminal Sydney institution also has cause for celebration of late. In the wake of a seven-year, 0m effort, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has become the Sydney Modern Project. With the addition of a second, standalone building, the gallery has nearly doubled its exhibition space – and has turned itself into the kind of boldface institution that pairs with worldclass hotels like the Capella Sydney, which arrives later this year to host discerning visitors. PHOTO BENJAMIN GRANT / OVERVIEW; SOURCE IMAGERY: © NEARMAP 30

11 ISTANBUL CITY IN BLOOM PHOTO ISTOCK The delightfully frenetic Turkish city has been aflutter with all manner of upgrades and openings in the past few years, starting, not least, with the 2019 unveiling of its brand-new airport. A pair of hotly awaited hotels are joining the fold, too. The 100-key Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus – crowned 2022’s best new European hotel at the World Travel Awards – resides in the heart of the action with jaw-dropping river views, a Novikov eatery and a signature spa. Downstream, the 177-room Peninsula Istanbul, slated for debut in the first quarter of this year, will woo revellers with a quartet of splendidly refurbished turn-of-the-century edifices. Expect contemporary chic interiors with original artwork and Marmara-marble bathrooms, a destination rooftop restaurant and a beautiful swimming pool abutting the roaring waters of the Bosphorus. 31