Design
99 Amazing Buildings
99 Amazing Buildings
Built and Yet to be Built That's the only rule to this article. The greatest inspiration is unlikely to come from the plain two storey house next door - the best inspiration will come from imaginative designs that are not always viable for any number of reasons. 10. National Library, Minsk, Belarus
Opened in 2006 the building can accommodate 2,000 readers and has a 500 seat conference hall. Its main architectural component has the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron. It turns blue at night. 13. Dancing House, Prague, Czech Republic
The Nationale Nederlanden building was designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić, with the input of Frank Gehry, in 1992 and was completed in 1996. Gehry nicknamed it Fred and Ginger, because it looks like two dancers. 16. Cube Houses, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The cubic houses, or Kubuswoningen as they are known, were designed by architect Piet Blom and were created with the "living as an urban roof." |
11. Manchester Civil Justice Centre
The expressionist inspired building was opened in 2007 and was nominated for RIBA's Stirling Prize. It was also acclaimed as one of the "Best British buildings of the 21st century" by Blueprint magazine in 2011. 14. Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik, Iceland
At 244 feet high, the church is the 6th tallest building in Iceland. Architect Guojon Samuelsson's concept was commissioned in 1937 and he designed it to look like the basalt lava flows of Iceland's landscape. 17. Dupli Casa, Ludwigsberg, Germany
Described as the most futuristic home in the world, the villa has three floors which houses protruding bedrooms and windows that are angled to reveal great views of the surrounding landscape and buildings. |
12. Ryugyong Hotel, Pyonyang, North Korea
Construction of what would have been the tallest hotel in the world began in 1987. It's not yet finished, and it is unknown whether visitors will ever be allowed to stay there. 15. Science Centre, Bremen, Germany
The Universum Bremen opened in September 2000 and covers 4,000sq ft. It includes 40,000 stainless steel scales and resembles a cross between a whale and mussel. It was designed by locally born architect Thomas Klumpp. Many of the exhibitions are fully interactive. 18. Nakheel Tower, Dubai, UAE
After the financial troubles that beset Dubai, construction of the $32bn project was put on hold indefinitely of a construction that would have dwarfed the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. |