Design is never just decoration, it's how a city thinks and feels. Our Activity Map rounds up the world's most inspiring design museums, from Milan's Rationalist Triennale to Seoul's sci-fi Dongdaemun Plaza, all a short hop from a 25hours address. Expect Bauhaus icons, Zaha Hadid curves, Nordic minimalism and honest travel times, so museum-hopping actually happens on your trip.
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Milan
Triennial Design Museum
Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121
Milan’s Triennale Milano finds its home inside the elegant Palazzo dell’Arte, a Rationalist landmark surrounded by the lush Sempione Park. Established in 1923, the museum exists to champion Italian design, architecture and visual culture. A highlight running through summer is Casa Lana: a meticulous reconstruction of Italian architect Ettore Sottsass’s mid-1960s Milanese interior, offering an intimate glimpse into what would have been considered radical domestic design for the time.
While not strictly in Zurich, the Vitra Design Museum is a world-leading institute of art and design and sits just one hour’s drive away from 25hours Hotel Zürich West, over the German border. And, trust us; it’s worth the trip. Permanent exhibition Wunderkammer collects hundreds of action figures made post WW2, capturing society’s spirit at the time.
Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza is an architectural marvel. Designed by the esteemed Zaha Hadid and opened in 2014, its flowing aluminium curves and futuristic scale make it one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. By day it hosts design exhibitions, fashion shows and cultural programmes; by night it glows like a sci-fi sculpture. Design lovers come for the building alone but stay for the way it places contemporary Korean creativity front and centre.
The Jameel Arts Centre is exactly that; a bustling, thriving centre for all things creative, ranging from Michelin-starred dining to events spaces and meticulously preened gardens. Contemporary art anchors the collection but there’s an impressive programme of talks and workshops too, such as a kids summer camp through March, where little ones are invited to create in response to the world around them.
This is one of Hamburg’s most interesting design concepts; less a museum or gallery, more a community-focused hub offering weekly industry get-togethers, talks and tours of local stores and studios. If visiting the city, it’s an innovative way to connect with other enthusiasts. Events are released monthly, so keep an eye on the website for what’s coming up. Based in Hafencity, it’s just steps from both 25hours Hotels, and surrounded by cool eateries, new developments and the striking Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
Set inside the ‘Gilded Age’-worthy Carnegie Mansion on New York’s Upper East Side, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is driven by the belief that creative thinking shapes the way we experience everyday life. Founded in 1897, it champions design as a practical force rather than a purely aesthetic one, tracing its evolution through more than 215,000 objects. Book your ticket for Art of Noise explores a century of music and design, from record sleeves to sound systems, via over 300 works, immersive listening rooms and playful installations.
As one of the world’s design capitals, Copenhagen’s Designmuseum Danmark is a no-brainer. While the foundation was conceived in 1890, it wasn’t until 1926 that it moved to a Rococo former hospital building. It’s a pleasure to wander the exhibitions, stylish cafe, library, gift shop and gardens. This year, you can see ‘Belongings: Affection as a Design Strategy’ which explores why we look after objects we’re emotionally connected to.
From 25hours Hotel Indre By: 21 mins From 25hours Hotel Paper Island: 23 mins
Knesebeckstrasse 1, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg, U Ernst-Reuter-Platz
Home to the world’s largest Bauhaus collection, since 1960 Bauhaus-Archiv has been collating works from across this iconic movement, gathering artists, students and enthusiasts, as well as showcasing its incredible structure designed by the father of Bauhaus himself, Walter Gropius. Right now, the main building is being renovated, but a smaller, temporary exhibition addresses contemporary issues of design, architecture and society - and the gift shop is still open! It’s a Berlin rite of passage.
Set inside the Palais de Chaillot, Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine offers one of the most immersive ways to experience a city known for its architecture; Paris. This summer, its permanent galleries are complemented by rotating exhibitions exploring contemporary practice and urban thinking, alongside vast displays of full-scale casts, models and drawings. If you’re interested in practises throughout history, check out the medieval stonework next to modern city-making, showing how architecture has progressed.
One of the largest institutions for applied art in Germany, you’ll find over 250,000 pieces here, spanning the Middle Ages to today. While there’s a varied mix of permanent and temporary exhibitions, design and architecture continue to be the focus. Check out their on-going Art + Design in Dialogue exhibition which features furniture sourced across Early Modernism to Bauhaus and Mid Century styles.
MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna is a treasure for design lovers, not least because its beautifully proportioned building sits proudly on the city’s Ringstrasse, hinting at the rich blend of craft, creativity and design inside. The museum connects historic applied arts with cutting-edge design, architecture and contemporary practice. In 2026, highlights include Vienna 1900 Permanent Collection Textiles and Carpets and ongoing shows such as Hito Steyerl and Helmut Lang: Séance de Travail 1986 - 2005 that explore fashion, media and modern ideas.
