From the Colosseum to the Chrysler building, get a dose of
inspiration from 20 of the world's most famous buildings.
Whenever we travel to far-flung places, we're attracted to
famous buildings. It's not that most of us have a deep interest in the
technicalities of architecture. It's more about how the designs of these
buildings reflect the era and culture in which they were built.
Much like a photograph, architectural designs record details of
specific moments in time. But unlike an photograph, physical structures
go on to have a life of their own, becoming a central and functional
part of countless people's lives for hundreds, if not thousands of years
after they were built. Here we have picked 20 of the most famous
building designs from around the world which you can find design
inspiration simply by visiting them and discovering their historical
background.
01. St Paul's Cathedral, London
British architect Sir Christopher Wren took 10 years to finalise his designs for St Paul's
London's most iconic building St Paul's Cathedral was designed by English architect Sir Christopher Wren.
Sitting at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of
London, its famous dome is one of the world's largest, measuring nearly
112 metres high.
The original church on the site was founded in the year 604AD. Work
on the present English Baroque church began in the 17th Century by
Christopher Wren as part of a major rebuilding program after the Great
Fire of London.
Wren started working on St Paul's in 1668, his designs for the
cathedral taking a decade to complete and the actual construction taking
a further 40 years. St Paul's has played an integral part of London
life ever since - as a domineering element in the city's skyline, as a
centre for tourism and religious worship, and most recently as a focal
point for anticapitalist protests.
02. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur
The Petronas Towers are an iconic landmark in Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur
Standing at 170 metres above ground, the Petronas Towers are twin
skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The buildings, which held the
titled of tallest in the world between 1998-2004, are an iconic landmark
of the capital city.
The distinctive postmodern style was created by architects Cesar Pelli and Achmad Murdijat, engineer Deejay Cerico and designer Dominic Saibo under the consultancy of JC Guinto.
The unique Disney-esque St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow was designed by architect Postnik Yakolev
No, we haven't included a piece of Disneyland architecture on our
list, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so. This garish, candy
coloured cathedral is in fact Moscow's most visited tourist attraction.
The famous landmark, shaped to resemble the flame of a bonfire rising
into the sky, is located just outside the Kremlin gates and marks the
geometric centre of the city.
Built between 1554 and 1560, the cathedral was erected during the
reign of Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible). Little is known about the
building's architect Postnik Yakovlev, but he was clearly a fan of onion
domes, sharp spikes and polygonal towers.
06. Empire State Building, NYC
Construction of the world-famous Empire State building was completed in just one year and 45 days
We couldn't put together a list of world-famous buildings without
including this grand Art Deco skyscraper. Once the tallest building in
the world, construction began on the Empire State building on St
Patrick's Day 1930 and was completed just 410 days later.
The building was designed by William F Lamb of architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.
It was declared by the American Society of Civil Engineers to be one of
the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and is known around the world as
an icon of New York City.
The Chrysler building attained the title of world's tallest
in building in 1930 for just one year when the Empire State was
erected. Image Joris Van Rooden
In the early part of the 20th Century, people everywhere were in a
race to build the tallest building. At the time, this gorgeous Art Deco
skyscraper was almost outdone by the Bank of Manhattan but its spire
(which was constructed in secret) enabled it to take the title of
'tallest building in the world' in 1930.
It didn't last long though. Just a year later the Empire State Building was erected. Designed by architect William Van Alen, the skyscraper was commissioned by car manufacturer Walter P Chrysler, hence its name.
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11. Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is the most famous Australian architectural icon
Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as one of the greatest
architectural works of the 20th century. The innovative design came from
architect Jørn Utzon,
who was relatively unknown until January 29, 1957 when his entry to the
‘International competition for a national opera house at Bennelong
Point, Sydney’ was announced the winner.
The beautiful building comprises of three groups of interlocking
shells, which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. A
masterpiece of modern architecture, the opera house has become an iconic
symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.
Now a museum, Hagia Sophia is located in Istanbul, Turkey
Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, Hagia Sophia is a architectural masterpiece. A perfect example of Byzantine architecture, Hagia Sophia is located in Instanbul, Turkey.
The building was built for the first time by the emperor Constantine
the Great (306-337). However, due to many factors, including being
burned down in riots and earthquakes, the ancient cathedral has been
rebuilt many times since. Despite this, Hagia Sophia is widely
recognised as one of the great buildings of the world. And if that
wasn't cool enough, the building also features in the opening scenes of
the latest Bond film, Skyfall.
Built approximately 2000 years ago, the Pantheon continues to inspire architects all over the world
Rome is home to many amazing buildings, and the Pantheon is no
exception. And, like the city itself, it was not built in a day.
Destroyed twice and rebuilt each time, the building started as a
rectangular structure, which, over time, evolved into the gorgeous dome
building seen today.
An inspiration to architects all over the world over the last 2,000
years, the Pantheon roof remains the world's largest unreinforced
concrete dome. There is much debate between historians over which
emperor and architects were responsible for the Pantheon's design
although it is known that this 'Temple of the Gods' was built around
126AD.
17. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
Architect Frank Gehry developed the unique concept for the
museum after winning an architectural competition to design the building
The Guggenheim museum Bilbao is one of the most admired works of
contemporary architecture. California-based Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry created the unique concept after winning an architectural competition to design the building.
Since the museum doors opened in 1997, it has been hailed one of the
most important buildings of the 20th century. Now with over a decade of
success, the museum has homed over a hundred exhibitions and has
welcomed more than 10 million visitors.
18. Flatiron building
Chicago architect Daniel Burnham designed the distinctive
Flatiron building, which is instantly recognisable in New York's skyline
The eye-catching Flatiron building in Manhattan was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham
and built in 1902. The distinctive triangular shape allowed the
building to fill the space located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue
and Broadway.
Another of New York's skyscrapers, it was never the tallest but
remains one of the most memorable and has been a source of inspiration
for artists and architects for over a century now.
19. Villa Savoye
Villa Savoye was originally built as a country retreat for the Savoye family in 1928
Designed by Swiss architects Le Corbusier and his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, Villa Savoye is an early and classic example of the International style - a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 30s.
The property was built in 1928 and, after surviving several
demolition plans, was designated as an official French historical
monument in 1965.
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