Although the “seven wonders” concept has seen a lot of play in the last year, I was happy to see Condé Nast Traveler take an edgier approach in its April new seven wonders list, which includes one of my favorite spots in Washington, D.C.: Kogod Courtyard.

It’s an unusual public space for D.C.: An expansive, zen-like courtyard punctuated by four shallow pools of water and an undulating glass and steel roof designed by British architect Norman Foster. To my mind, it’s proof that at least a few artistic visionaries lurk behind the capital’s granite facades.

Few tourists seem to have discovered the courtyard, which links the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, but it’s a good spot to take a breather from gallery-hopping (there’s a decent café and free wi-fi). And the pools of water—flush to the ground—are irresistible to anyone who walks through. On a recent weekday afternoon, I watched a silver-haired lobbyist trail his wingtips through the current with the glee of a three-year-old—you don’t see a lot of that on K Street.

CNT’s new seven wonders also include the cube-like New Museum in New York’s Bowery district, London’s redesigned Wembley Stadium and a curious red ribbon steel bench that snakes through a riverside park in Qinhuangdao, China. I’ll admit I was perplexed by this last one until I saw photos of the bench illuminated at night, when it gives off an ethereal glow.

Photo by FHKE, via Flickr (Creative Commons).