93Art in the depths
UNDERWATER MUSEUM OF ART,
SOUTH WALTON, FLA.
An ancient
forest reborn
AMANYANGYUN,SHANGHAI
When Chinese businessman
Ma Dadong discovered that a
forest of ancient camphor trees
was to be destroyed in China’s
Jiangxi province, he embarked on a
mission to relocate thousands of them
to the outskirts of Shanghai—800 km
away—where they now surround 24
Ming Dynasty–style suites and several
villas at Amanyangun, which opened
in January. The lodging itself also nods
to the past, making use of recycled
timber and brick from centuries-old
homes. Facilities include a club lounge,
indoor and outdoor swimming pools,
a spa and a variety of sumptuous
dining spaces, including a 200-seat
banquet hall. Calligraphy lessons and
tea ceremonies are available to help
Most public memorials exalt
history. Deep in the American
South, a powerful space pays
homage to its victims. At a low
angle, the roof of the National Memorial
for Peace and Justice appears to be
held up by columns. Draw closer, and it
emerges that the more than 800 Corten
steel slabs are in fact hanging from the
ceiling. Inscribed on each is the name of
a county, followed by dates and names
of persons, some markedUNKNOWN.
They honor approximately 4,400 black
Americans who were murdered in
lynchings between 1877 and 1950. The
irst-of-its-kind memorial was created
by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a
legal advocacy group founded by Bryan
Stevenson, in collaboration with MASS
Design Group; EJI also runs the nearby
Legacy Museum, devoted to the full
gamut of America’s racial history. Both
sites are resonating: more than 100,000
people have visited since they opened
in April.—M.F.Half a nautical mile from the coast
of Florida’s panhandle and 60 ft.
below the lapping waves, an 8-ft.-tall
stainless-steel pineapple reaches
its spiky leaves back toward the sky. It’s one
of the seven sculptures placed in America’s
irst underwater museum, which opened this
summer. But the
pieces are meant
to do more than
look pretty, says
Jennifer Steele, the
executive director
of the Cultural Arts
Alliance of Walton
County (CAA). “The
purpose is for them
to become part of
the environment,
enhancing it and
stimulating the
ecosystem,” she explains, noting that new
designs will be added each year. Although
visitors who want an up-close experience need
be trained scuba divers—or ish themselves—it
is possible to sneak a peek from the surface.
CAA just asks that boats not anchor nearby; they
wouldn’t want you disturbing the art.—K.M.
guests feel part “of this monumental
story,” says Roland Fasel, chief
operating oicer of Aman. The cost
of such inner cultivation starts from
around $750 per night (excluding
taxes).—Casey QuackenbushA long-overdue
memorial
THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR PEACE
AND JUSTICE,MONTGOMERY, ALA.
SPLASHY STAY
IL SERENO,
LAKE COMO, ITALY
The irst new hotel
in decades to open
on the shores of
Lake Como made
a splash in 2016
with its clean,
modern aesthetic—
the work of Spanish
designer Patricia
Urquiola, whose
custom furnishings
appear throughout.
Equally stylish
are the sleek Riva
boats that let
guests zip James
Bond–style across
the lake and work
up an appetite for
Il Sereno’s newly
Michelin-starred
restaurant Berton
al Lago.—J.H.BRINGING
SPACE TO SEA
VIKINGORION
Cruisegoers looking
for an out-of-this-
world experience
will ind one aboard
theOrion, a new
space-themed cruise
ship that features
a planetarium (the
most advanced on
an ocean ship), a
collection of vintage
NASA photographs
and a resident
astronomer, Howard
Parkin, who leads
lectures and
stargazing sessions.
The ship began its
maiden season
navigating the
Mediterranean this
summer.—Alejandro
de la Garza