Conrad Washington, DC

A contemporary luxury hotel where a soaring sinuously curved skylit atrium floods the third-floor lobby with natural light, the space conceived as a modern interpretation of an early American village square.

Natural walnut walls and an oversized fireplace create warmth against the sleek glass-and-steel architecture designed by Herzog & de Meuron, while every guest room frames downtown views through floor-to-ceiling windows that make the city feel suspended in brightness.