From My Readings from Discoverer.com
Residential, commercial, or industrial, we love it when architects go to town with an original design. Whether they build something quirky, unique, or just plain funky, witnessing their creative vision brought to life is one of the reasons we love to travel. Here are our picks for the 10 coolest buildings from around the world.
1. Bosco Verticale, Milan
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in today’s world. In Milan, it’s hoped that
the groundbreaking Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) will become a template for similar
projects. Located in the Porta Nuova area of the city, the award-winning site comprises
two towers, each with staggered balconies. Around 800 trees are incorporated into their
façades, alongside 5,000 shrubs and countless perennials. This green cloak helps to
regulate the blocks’ microclimate filtering the sun’s rays, producing oxygen, and
absorbing carbon dioxide in the process. The vegetation changes with the seasons,
making this a dynamic architectural environment that begs to be visited multiple times.
2. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
Spain's grittiest northern industrial town upped the glam factor when it welcomed the
Guggenheimto the banks of the Nervion River. This Frank Gehry classic was inaugurated
in 1997 and has been a favorite with locals and visitors ever since. Inside, you'll discover
modern and contemporary art, but it's the external design that wows visitors. Its random,
titanium-clad curves catch the light, leading the New York Times Magazine to praise its
"mercurial brilliance." Various sculptures have been placed around the building, itself a
work of art. Arachnophobes beware: one of them is Louise Bourgeois’ magnificent
Maman – a bronze, marble and stainless steel spider that stands more than 30 feet tall.
3. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona
Striking in its simplicity and making use of its gorgeous natural setting, this church in
Sedona is a staple of the American West. The Catholic church rises out of the red rock
face, its stained-glass windows glittering in northern Arizona's near-constant sunshine.
The idea came about in the 1930s when local rancher Marguerite Brunswig Staude,
inspired by the Empire State Building, commissioned a project to be built in Hungary.
The project ran into difficulties – not least the outbreak of WWII – so it relocated to
Arizona. Completed in 1956, the church has become a growing attraction in an area
already characterized by gorgeous scenery.
4. Dancing House, Prague
The distinctive shape of the Dancing House makes it one of Prague’s most recognizable
buildings. The result of a collaboration between Croatian architect Vlado Milunić and
acclaimed Canadian-American Frank Gehry, it occupied a prominent gap where an
apartment building had been bombed during WWII. The design needed to be something
special. First nicknamed Fred and Ginger after the famous dancing duo, it polarized
opinion in the city. The then-president Havel loved it, but some of Prague's residents
felt it was incongruous against the city's many Baroque and Gothic structures. Love it
or hate it, you have to agree the Dancing House makes quite a statement.
5. The Oculus at the WT Center, New York
The Oculus is designed to resemble a phoenix in mid-flight. This powerful symbolism
was as intentional as it is dramatic, as Santiago Calatrava’s brief was made more
complex by its location, close to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The building, a
transport hub, had to show sensitivity to the area’s recent past while creating a functional
space for Manhattan commuters. The finished structure, built from glass, steel, stone
and concrete, houses the World Trade Center PATH station, numerous subway lines
and a plethora of retail, dining and office spaces. On September 11 each year, the sun
aligns to send a shaft of light down through the atrium from 8:46 am, when the first
plane hit, until 10:28 am, when the second tower collapsed.
6. Mezquita, Córdoba
Proving that a building doesn't have to be new to be cool, Córdoba's Mezquita is a treat
for the eyes. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the finest examples of Islamic
architecture anywhere in the world. Hundreds of repeated arches create the illusion of
space even when tourists crowd its cavernous interior. Originally a mosque, it was
converted to a cathedral in 1236. Christian worshippers originally used it in its unaltered
state, but during the reign of King Carlos I in the 16th century, an altar was inserted
which was later fitted with a jasper and red marble retable. The mahogany choir stalls
date from the 18th century.
7. Lotus Temple, New Delhi
The award-winning Lotus Temple has been a crowd pleaser since it opened in 1986.
This elegant Bahá'í place of worship features 27 petals, with trios forming a nine-sided
flower. The marble was quarried in Greece and shaped in Italy before being shipped
and assembled on site. The temple’s elegant design and graceful curves aim to
accentuate soulfulness and spirituality. With a capacity for 2,500 people, the building
has attracted visitors from all over the world, making it one of the most visited buildings
in India. But it’s also a functioning place of worship where believers gather to hear
the Bahá’í teachings.
8. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
There's a glut of cool buildings to pick from in the United Arab Emirates, but we'd be
remiss if the tallest building in the world didn't make it onto this list. Burj Khalifa rises
828m meters into the sky above what was, until a relatively short time ago, untouched
desert. It's been the world's tallest building since its completion in 2010, but it also holds
six other accolades: the tallest freestanding structure, the highest number of stories
(160), the highest occupied floor, the highest outdoor observation deck, the elevator
with the longest travel distance and the tallest service elevator in the world.
9. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
The 57th floor infinity pool that connects the top of the three towers of the Marina Bay
Sands hotel is the world’s largest outdoor elevated body of water. As such, it was
guaranteed to capture the world’s imagination when it was unveiled more than a
decade ago. After all, who but the audaciously talented Singaporeans could even
contemplate, let alone pull off, such a remarkable feat of engineering? This five-star
resort hotel is just one of the anchor projects of the city’s Marina Bay area, sitting
alongside the dazzling illuminated Supertrees of the Gardens of the Bay, the
lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum and the Helix Bridge, inspired by human DNA.
10. Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Brasilia
You don't have to look far in Brazil's capital city to stumble upon an example of acclaimed
architect Oscar Niemeyer's work. When it comes to achingly good design, the
hyperboloid format of his white cathedral sets the building apart. Sixteen concrete
columns give the place its iconic shape and it's been featured in lists such as this since
it topped out in 1970. Inside it’s just as jaw-dropping. Three angels suspended on steel
cables, the largest measuring more than four meters long, hang in the nave. Above
them, a stained glass window floods the space with blue, green, white and brown light.
About the author: Julia Hammond | Travel Writer
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