FROM THE ARCHIVE:Perched atop a remote cliff in Nova Scotia, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, they stand like a row of silent sentinels at the edge of the world.

Monasteries aren’t what they used to be. Today, we think of them as quiet, modest, even austere places in which monks pursue their relationship with God without the noisy distractions of the world around them. It wasn’t always thus.

A man’s home may be his castle, but in James Stewart’s case, it was also his showcase, workspace, pleasure palace, and personal concert hall.

The Aga Khan Museum, an oasis on the outskirts of Toronto, is North America’s first museum for Islamic Art.

At first glance, it’s unclear whether Fobe House is actually a house at all. It has the usual features of domesticity—doors, windows, rooms—but not in the usual places.

The year was 1966. Hair was growing longer and time shorter. While Canadians prepared for the country’s upcoming centennial celebrations, Americans were embroiled in an increasingly futile and bloody war in Vietnam, as well as race riots at home. Meanwhile, far from the madding crowd, Walter and Leonore Annenberg were putting the finishing touches on the 200-acre estate in Rancho Mirage, California, that they called Sunnylands.

Condos come in all sizes and many shapes, but we rarely think of them as voluptuous. That was before the appearance of Absolute World, better known locally as the Marilyn Monroe towers, in Mississauga, Ontario.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: One Sandy Lane in Barbados stands out because of attention to detail and a dedication to the best of everything. But there’s more going on here than flash and finery; beneath the sun-drenched surfaces of this extraordinary project exists an intelligence that raises it above the merely bespoke.

When visiting Mont-Tremblant for the first time, it can be hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. The landscape—spectacular, solemn—is a combination of mountains, trees, and lakes. This is Group of Seven country: rugged, rocky, and iconic.

Even in a part of the world renowned for its beauty, Borgo di Vagli stands out. Clinging to the densely wooded hills 20 minutes east of Cortona in Tuscany, the humble 14th-century hamlet has been transformed into an exquisite getaway and residence, a place of rare architectural integrity, transcendent views, and delicious food.

Abu Dhabi may not the prettiest city in the world, but it doesn’t have to be; it’s one of the wealthiest. Let’s be honest, that’s why so many of us want to visit. And although Abu Dhabi is no Dubai, which acts like the richest city in the world, who can resist the temptation to check out what untold oil …

A distinguished philanthropist, a member of the Bronfman family, and an illustrious architect in her own right, Phyllis Lambert is one of the world’s leading architectural activists. This native Montrealer has been changing city skylines for decades—and at the age of 80, she continues to be a towering force in the field of architecture.

The big architectural firms are the ones that get all the attention, but often it’s the small ones that deserve it. There’s no better example of this than Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto.