World Architecture

World Architecture

Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin.

The Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland, opened in 2009. It is a cable-stayed bridge.

Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest man-made structure in the world.

British Museum in London.

Inside London's British Museum, the glass-roofed Great Court surrounds the original Reading Room.

D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Australia

A wall of windows gives diners at a restaurant in Woodbridge, Tasmania, stunning views of a giant oak and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.

A grove of 18 "supertrees"—vertical gardens up to 164 feet tall that capture rainwater and filter exhaust—are capped with solar panels that provide energy to light up the trees at night.

Seattle Central Library, Washington.

A showpiece of the Seattle Public Library System, a redesigned Central Library opened in 2004. It has nearly 10,000 pieces of exterior glass and 4,644 tons of steel.

Putra Mosque, Malaysia

The Putra Mosque is a landmark in Putrajaya, the new administrative capital of Malaysia.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China.

Ticket agents await passengers in Terminal 2 of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the busiest global hub in mainland China.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Inlaid flowers wind across the 183,000-square-foot marble courtyard of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates.

Cloud Forest, Singapore

At the Gardens by the Bay complex in Singapore, the Cloud Forest attraction gives visitors a look at life high in the mountains.

Tower Bridge and City Hall, London

A photograph taken at twilight captures London's City Hall aglow and the Tower Bridge drawbridge opening for river traffic

Vatican Museums

At the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) a monumental spiral staircase was designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932. The galleries of the museums house works of art that include entire rooms painted by Raphael and the ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel.

Marie-Elisabeth Lüders House, Berlin

This building in the Bundestag parliament complex, completed in 2003, holds the parliamentary library and archives.

City of Arts and Sciences, Spain

Museums, an opera house, a planetarium, an oceanarium, and more make up the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Built in just six years in the mid-sixth century A.D., Istanbul's Hagia Sophia has been a place of worship for Christians and Muslims. Today it is a museum.

The Reichstag, Germany's parliament building, was retrofitted in 1999 with a new dome that uses glass and mirrors to reflect daylight deep into the main chamber, reducing dependence on artificial lighting.

 

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Built for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, with its record height and panoramic views, didn't do much for the critics, who called it unsightly. Today it's one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.

Hawa Mahal, India

Made of pink and red sandstone, the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) was built in Jaipur in 1799. It forms part of the City Palace complex.

Pisa, Italy

Pisa's famous Leaning Tower casts a shadow over a wide walled area known as the Campo dei Miracoli.

Sydney Opera House

The distinctive roof of the Sydney Opera House is created from interlocking "shells" that form a terraced platform.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

The glass walls of the One New Change shopping center in London frame and reflect St. Paul's Cathedral.

Jama Masjid in Delhi

Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, completed in 1659, is the most important mosque for India's 120 million Muslims.

(Source: National Geographic)