The World Monuments Fund has issued its list of the most threatened world monuments for 2010. The WMF calls attention to “cultural heritage around the world that is threatened by neglect, vandalism, conflict, or disaster.” The list contains 93 monuments and buildings from across the world. From the richest nations to the poorest. Each of them [more...]
The CN Tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a communications and observation tower standing 1,815.4 ft. It surpassed the height of the Ostankino Tower while still under construction in 1975. It then was the tallest free-standing structure ‘on land’ in the world. Because the Petronius Platform oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico is [more...]
The Sears Tower is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. At the time it was finished in 1973 it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York City. It is the tallest building in the United States, and the fourth tallest freestanding structure in the world. In summer [more...]
The Empire State Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in New York City. The Empire State Building is legend. Built in the midst of the Great Depression, it was, and still is a testament to American fortitude and ingenuity. It was the world’s tallest building for more than forty years, from 1931 until the completion of [more...]
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in New York City. Near the beginning of the 20th century, the race for the tallest building in the world got underway and the Chrysler Building was the first building to top the then tallest structure, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was the world’s tallest building for 11 [more...]
The Shanghai World Financial Center skyscraper in Shanghai, China. It is the second tallest building in the world and the tallest in mainland China, including Hong Kong. It is currently the world’s tallest completed building by roof. It tops out at 1,614.2 ft. The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture [more...]
Taipei 101 is a skyscraper located in Taipei, Taiwan. The building is the world’s tallest “completed skyscraper” according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is not yet ‘completed.’ Since international architectural standards define a “building” as a structure capable of being fully occupied. The [more...]
Update – – The Burj officially opened in January, 2010 and was renamed Burj Khalifa. It is now officially the tallest building in the world. Burj Dubai is a skyscraper under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Even in its unfinished state, it is the tallest man-made structure ever built. During July 2007, the Burj surpassed [more...]
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis and completed in 550 BC at Ephesus. Only foundations, which are in a rather swampy hole, and some sculptural fragments remains from the temple. Artemis was [more...]
Stalinist architecture, (Stalin’s Empire style, also referred to as the Stalinist Gothic, or Socialist Classicism) is a term given to architecture of the Soviet Union between 1933 and 1955, when Nikita Khruschev condemned “excesses” of the past decades. There is nothing quite like Stalinist-Gothic architecture, except the Gotham City backdrops of the Batman films. During [more...]
The Georgian era was when four kings all called George were on the British throne one after another – a period lasting more than a century (1714-1830). Even though fashions in architecture and interior design didn’t stand still, there was an overall Georgian style favoured during this time – in North America as well as [more...]
The Delhi Fort also known as the Red Fort is located in the walled city of Delhi, India. The largest of old Delhi’s monuments is the Lal Quila, or the Red Fort, the red sandstone walls of which have withstood the attacks of time and nature.The Red Fort was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in [more...]
The Shwedagon Pagoda also known as the Golden Pagoda, is a 321 ft gilded stupa located in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar). Gleaming in gold and decorated with diamonds, the huge Shwedagon Pagoda (also Shwe Dagon Pagoda or Shwedagon Paya) in Rangoon is a spectacular work of Burmese temple architecture and is the holiest Buddhist shrine in [more...]
The Belem Tower is a fortified tower located in the Belem district of Lisbon, Portugal. It was built in the early 16th century to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s expedition and has become one of the symbols of Lisbon. It was both a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and part of the city’s defense. In order to strengthen [more...]
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain, though the royal family does not live there. The Palacio Real de Madrid is still used for state occasions. The current palace was first occupied by Carlos III in 1764. The current palace was built on the site of a former palace [more...]
The Cathedral of Saint Basil the Blessed is the most recognized building in Moscow. The cathedral was ordered by Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan, and was completed in 1561. Saint Basil’s is located at the southeast end of Red Square. It is made up [more...]
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral in the Italian city of Pisa. Outside of the city of Rome with its Collosseum and ancient temples, the Leaning Tower of Pisa may be the most famous landmark in Italy. Though it was designed to stand vertically, the tower started to lean [more...]
The Brandenburg Gate is a former Berlin city gate and is one of the main symbols of both the city and of Germany. There is a lot of symbolic architecture around the world. From the pyramids in Egypt to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. But the Brandenburg Gate is very unique in that it [more...]
The Eiffel Tower is an immense tower of exposed latticework supports made of iron built in Paris, France, and it has become a popular tourist attraction and a global symbol of that country. It is one of the most easily identified structures in the world. The tower is named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel and is [more...]
Organic design is a philosophy of design for buildings and places which is driven by several ideals: The need for “good design”: design which respects the users. It’s the basic concept of form follows function, but with a few extra twists. The influence of nature. Nature is governed by the interaction of forces, and organic design recognizes [more...]