Brilliant Buildings:

 136 Amazing Approaches to Architecture

By Steve in Architecture & Design, Urbanism

Our homes are our castles… that old maxim dates from the days when one’s abode was a slovenly hovel, a well-mannered manor house or even an actual castle. The same goes for public buildings, apartment blocks and factories. Our buildings are the covers our enterprises – and ourselves – are judged by. These 136 brilliant buildings show, in so many ways, that when it comes to architecture skyscrapers reflect our soaring imaginations.

15 Amazing Monasteries, Sanctuaries and Abbies

Isolation, sacrifice, piety and purity – the severe qualities religious ascetics demand from themselves, they also require from their buildings. These incredible structures were built to house the most devoted of the faithful and neither hardship nor difficulty was allowed to stand in the way of their completion. From the sides of sheer cliffs to the tops of monumental pillars of stone, the houses of the holy were built to last for centuries – to glorify He who built the world in 7 days. Click Here for more Amazing Monasteries, Sanctuaries and Abbies

15 Immaculate Temples, Cathedrals and Churches

From time immemorial, religious leaders sought to display the rightness of their sect by constructing buildings that reflected the power and the glory of their Lord. Indeed, churches (and castles) were the forerunners of today’s glittering centers of power. They were an effective way to show the people, “Hey, my God is the greatest… just look at his house!” Click Here for more examples of Immaculate Temples, Cathedrals and Churches

7 Urban Wonders of the Modern World

Urban life is the hallmark of the modern man – and the modern woman. Our structures have surpassed being merely the sum of their bricks & mortar and have entered the realm of wonder: they do not just stand, they soar! Click Here for some astonishing examples of Urban Wonders of the Modern World

15 Cool High School, College and University Building Designs

Too cool for school? Not these cutting edge-ucational facilities! If students benefit from learning in inspiring surroundings, we may expect a gradual succession of graduates inspired to change their world, year after year. And while nothing can diminish the classic look of ivy-covered ivory towers, these totally rad school buildings are in no way short of, er, class. Click Here for more examples of Cool High School, College and University Building Designs

Architecture to Go: 10 Great Gas Station Designs

The lure of the open road beckons and you’ve got a tiger in your tank. Fill ‘er up? From the look of some of these fired-up gas stations you’d think they were dispensing rocket fuel for your Olds Rocket 88. No one knows why filling stations featured 9and feature) such ambitious, breathtaking designs but when the sign says “last gas for 100 miles”, you make an effort to look special. Now you’re cooking… with gas! Click Here for more examples of Architecture to Go: 10 Great Gas Station Designs

20 Amazing Airport, Train & Bus Station Designs

David Bowie once sang, “you ride like a demon from station to station”, and some of the world’s most outstanding travel stops look otherworldly indeed. It’s also been said that the journey is more interesting than the destination – and it sure is, if you’re passing through these transportation hubs along the way. Trippin’ yet? You will be; the adventure doesn’t really start until you stop. Click Here for more examples of Amazing Airport, Train & Bus Station Designs

Beyond Brutalism: Creative Concrete Architecture

Massive. Hulking. Brutal. These words describe an architectural style that surprised many by its wide spread and long lifetime as the style of choice. Take a closer look and be surprised all over again – many of these concrete classics are beautiful brutes, well worth a second glance. Even the word “Brutalist” reveals new layers of meaning: the word was coind from the French “béton brut” = “raw concrete”. Raw. Unadulterated. Fresh. Need more proof? Click Here for more examples of buildings Beyond Brutalism: Creative Concrete Architecture

12 Unbelievable Examples of Buildings in Motion: From Floating Churches to Rotating Skyscrapers

Architecture can inspire, but can it move you? Can you move them? Sometimes the answer is YES on both counts… as in the case of these dozen dynamic, kinetic constructions. Though not for those inclined to vertigo, many of these unique buildings were built with permanence in mind – until Man and Nature intervened. Ancient Egypt, America’s Atlantic coast, even merrye olde England have seen seemingly solid structures suddenly shift. Click Here for more examples of Unbelievable Examples of Buildings in Motion

15 Awesome Architectural Optical Illusions

All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream… and these eye-bending buildings seem dreamlike indeed! Fooling the eye with an optical illusion is cheaper than remodeling an existing structure. Buildings designed to be visually interesting tend to remain interesting much longer. It all depends on how you look at them – literally. Click Here for more examples of Awesome Architectural Optical Illusions

Unbuilt Buildings: 12 Awesome Future Architectural Designs

History is made every day and who can say what wondrous architectural designs are yet to leap off the drafting table and into being? Well, WE can; plans for wild & woolly buildings bigger and better than before are being floated as we speak – read – whatever. Architects are a competitive bunch who are constantly looking to get their designs and names into the limelight. It’s up to the engineers to make these outlandish fantasies work in real life but for now… all we have to do is dream. Click Here for more Unbuilt Buildings: 12 Awesome Future Architectural Designs

http://weburbanist.com/2009/06/07/brilliant-buildings-136-amazing-approaches-to-architecture/

World’s Top 10 Unique Structures

1. Aqua Tower USA

Aqua is an 82-story mixed-use residential skyscraper under construction in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago. The name “Aqua” is in keeping with the nautical theme most of the buildings in the Lakeshore East development have: The Tides, The Shoreham, The Regatta, etc. It is currently topped-out at 819 ft (250 m), and will include six levels of parking below ground. The building’s eight-story, 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) base will be topped by a 82,550 sq ft (7,669 m2) terrace with gardens, gazebos, pools, hot tubs, a walking/running track and fire pit. Each floor will cover approximately 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2).

2. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

Burj Dubai is the tallest man-made structure in the world. The Burj Dubai had its name officially changed to Burj Khalifa during its grand opening in honor of the president of the U.A.E. H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. The condensation water collected from the A/C system equals to 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year and in turn, used for landscaping. Over 330,000 cubic meters of concrete and 31,400 metric tonnes of steel rebar was used at the completion of the tower. The tower is situated on a man-made lake which is designed to wrap around the tower and to provide dramatic views of it.

3. CCTV Headquarters, China

The CCTV Headquarters is a skyscraper in the Beijing Central Business District. The building is the headquarters of China Central Television. Groundbreaking took place on September 22, 2004 and the building’s facade was completed in Jun 2008. Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren of OMA were the architects in charge for the building, while Arup provided the complex engineering design. It stands at 234 meters (768 ft) tall and has 54 floors.

4. Chicago Spire, USA

Chicago spire will become America’s tallest building by the end of 2010. It has been designed by the well-known Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The 150-floor building is being developed by Garrett Kelleher of Shelbourne Development Group Inc and is expected to be completed in 2010. Access to the tower will be from Lower Lake Shore Drive to reduce the impact on traffic in the neighborhood – the tower is expected to add one car a minute to the local traffic pattern. Within three months of the building announcement, 800 people had contacted the developer wanting to buy apartments in the building.

5. Gazprom Headquarters, Russia

This gigantic, 300m tall glass flame of a building will house the Gazprom Headquarters in St. Petersburg , dwarfing all structures in its vicinity, it will apparently change color up to 10 times per day depending on the position of the sun. The building has already been nicknamed ‘corn on the cob’ by unhappy locals.

6. Penang Global City Centre, Malaysia

Asymptote’s design for the PGCC complex is centered on the idea of creating a new and powerful image for the city of Penang and the new initatives associated with the development of the Northern Corridor of Malaysia. The design achieves its elegance and stature through the simultaneous embrace of natural landscapes and contemporary urbanism. The PGCC will become a vital new precinct that complements and enhances the unique characteristics that typify Penang as a remarkable island metropolis. The design of the iconic towers in particular draws inspiration from not only the lushness and drama of the surrounding mountains and seascapes, but also from the rich and diverse cultural heritage that makes up the Malaysian nation and Penang in particular.

7. Regatta Hotel, Jakarta

Taking on a nautical theme, the developers say the 10 smaller towers represent sailing boats whilst the larger building is ‘The Lighthouse’. It’s the lighthouse that steals the show for us, possibly the most incredible looking structure we’ve seen for a long time. If it ends up looking anything close to these pictures we’ll be impressed.

8. Residence Antilia, India

construction has begun on residence antilia despite opposition from those who see it as an ‘excessive’ design in a city where more than 65% of the population live in slums. politics aside and after you recover from the initial shock of seeing a skyscraper that resembles an ikea cd rack, the building actually looks like it may succeed as a stunning, unique, green piece of architecture.

9. Russia Tower, Russia

The Russia Tower is an unfinished supertall skyscraper, the construction of which is cancelled, in the Moscow International Business Centre of Moscow, Russia. Construction began in September, 2007, and was planned to be completed in 2012. The total area of the structure would cover 520,000 m2 (5,600,000 sq ft), of which 38% (approximately 200,000 m2 (2,200,000 sq ft)) would be located underground. The tower would contain 118 floors, 101 elevators, and underground parking to accommodate 3,680 cars. Commercial retail shops would be located at the base of the building. The maximum capacity of the building was projected to be around 30,000.

10. Songjiang Hotel, Shanghai

Atkins has won an international competition to design a five-star resort hotel set within a beautiful water-filled quarry in the Songjiang district close to Shanghai in China. Its stunning concept designs inspired by the natural water and landscape features of the quarry captured the imagination of judges to quash competition from two other international firms.

http://www.coolpicturegallery.us/2010/02/worlds-top-10-unique-structures.html