50 Times Architects Really Outdid Themselves And People Celebrated Their Works Online (New Pics)
More than 4 billion people live in urban areas globally. It’s now projected that by 2050, more than two-thirds of the world population will live in urban areas. So no wonder we pay more importance to the buildings and structures around us.
And among countless poorly executed, dysfunctional, and aesthetically nauseating architecture examples (just take a look at our previous post with architecture so bad it got shamed by people), there are some gems that landed in this list.
From vertical gardens to incredible brickwork, and anything that combines function, creativity, skill and complements the surrounding area in a beautiful way, there’s a real feast for your eyes. Scroll down through the examples of architects outdoing themselves, and upvote your favorite ones! Psst! Part 1 of this post awaits right here.
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This Vertical Garden Located In Madrid, Spain
It looks like when two images are spliced together, where one is a city and one is nature
Entrance Gate Of The St. Petersburg Mosque, Russia. Designed By Architect Nikolai Vasilyev
Apartment Building In Turin Holds 150 Trees
When you think of architectural wonders, you think of the beautiful Sydney Opera House, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris (partially destroyed by a huge fire accident in 2019), The Guggenheim, New York City or La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona. These architectural icons deservedly land on t-shirts and coffee mugs that tourists bring home along with their great memories.
In many cases, however, such iconic examples that shaped modern architecture and gave new meanings to how generations of the past century saw the spaces they live and spend time in are rather rare. In reality, mass urbanization is exploding around the world, meaning that around 50% of the 7 plus billion people on this planet have moved to cities. And this number will almost certainly increase to around 80% by 2050.
Eltz Castle Is Located In Wierschem, Germany And Has Been Owned And Occupied By The Same Family For Over 850 Years...
And for some curious reason the head of the same family looks still as young as he looked 850 years ago ? ;)
Mont Saint Michel In France
And there are many threats that come with urbanization, from pollution and uncollected waste to social inequality and greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people. Since there are so many more people living in urban areas, the housing problem is another key problem in big cities where the prices of real estate are affordable for the very small fraction of society with higher than average income.
No wonder, these days, cities are packed with utilitarian apartment slabs with unrelieved gridded façades, infill condo housing that looks as if it's been trucked in from the suburbs, and a grim precast concrete retirement home that takes up a whole block. You wish nobody had built them. Dystopian architecture has been captivating people’s imagination, making them fear a scenario where modernism went wrong. What if it already has?
The 17th Century Shah Jahan Mosque In Pakistan, Notable For Its Geometric Brick Work
Sumela Monastery, A Greek Orthodox Monastery Originally Established Around Ad 386 Nestled In A Steep Cliff At An Altitude Of 1200 Meters, Trabzon Province, Turkey
Bored Panda spoke with Lisa Yaszek, a Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech, who said that dystopian and brutal architecture we often see in megacities captivates our imagination because it reminds us of the images of dystopian science fiction cities that we’ve seen on the big screen for a century.
“The cities featured in movies such as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), George Lucas’s THX-II38 (1971), Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One (2018) all have a very distinctive look,” Lisa said.
The professor explained that such architectural dystopias have a very distinctive look. They are vertical dystopias rendered in dull, industrial-colored palettes (the colors of concrete, steel, rust, and smoke, with an occasional shot of neon); they are marked by either the total absence or total contamination of nature; and they are completely out of scale to the humans who live in them.”
Gloucester Cathedral
Arnavutköy, A Neighborhood Away From Istanbul’s Touristic Hustle
Moreover, Lisa added that “the scale of science fiction dystopias reminds us of the gap between rich and poor, with the rich literally at the top of skyscrapers while the poor huddle underground or at street level, trying not to be crushed under the weight of the dystopian city and its crumbling infrastructure,” she explained. It makes you wonder whether we already live a science fictional dream?
This 325-Year-Old Tree Was Utilized In The Building Design When Authorities In Turkey Would Not Allow For Its Removal
Spitzhäuschen, A Narrow Half-Timbered House Built In 1416 Located In Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
The Burnt Farm Cottage Built With Red Brick In The 1840s, Borough Of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, Southern England
The Interior Of Barcelona's Sagrada Família, Designed By Antoni Gaudí. Construction Began In 1882- And It's Still Not Finished. It's Expected To Be Completed By 2026, Just In Time For The 100th Anniversary Of Gaudí's Death
Art Nouveau Architecture Of A House Built In The 1880's In Brussels, Belgium
Front Of House, Back Of House. Dubbed "The Mullet House"
19th Century Victorian Gothic Cottage Framed By The Arch Of The Gatehouse At Holly Village, Highgate, North London, UK
The Ark Of Bukhara Is A Fortress Located In Uzbekistan
Capt James Taylor House, A 1892 Queen Anne Victorian In Marine City, St. Clair County, Michigan
Edinburgh Castle And Its Half Moon Battery Seen From The Vennel Steps In The Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland
Ribbon Chapel In Onomichi, Japan
Burg Hochosterwitz, A Castle Built On A Limestone Rock Which Was First Mentioned In A Text In 860 And Continuously Fortified Until The 16th Century. Still Owned By The Noble Khevenhüller Family After The Acquisition In 1571. Carinthia, Austria
The two towers on the bottom left seem really surprised that they have to eat the road.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
I was there a few weeks ago ^^ It's stunning. Many beautiful art deco buildings in that city. They were built after a major earthquake destroyed big parts of the city in 1895.
Sun Rays Through The Double Lancet Windows Of Westminster Abbey, City Of Westminster, London, UK
Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran
Galtaji Hindu Temple Located In Aravalli Hills In Jaipur Of India. Temple Complex Have Many Natural Freshwater Springs
Venice, Italy
Bridge of sighs, while beautiful, has a shuddering past. The prisoners were taken over the bridge to their cells and the view from the bridge was often their last sight of daylight.
Mahkama Du Pacha - Casablanca, Morocco
Cologne Cathedral. Masterpiece Of Gothic Architecture. Years Build : 1248 - 1880
The scope of that thing is unbelievable, the photo doesn't do it just...
Dating Back To The 15th Century, Plaza Mayor Is A Major Public Space In The Heart Of Madrid, The Capital Of Spain
They weren't laid out. They are old medieval streets that evolved as the city grew and were often based on old country lanes or village streets that got consumed. Most of Europe is like this. The American grid seems odd to us
Villa Farnese, A 16th Century Pentagonal Renaissance Mansion Built On The Fortress Foundations In The Town Of Caprarola, Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy
A Rooftop Restaurant/Cafe In Chongqing, China
China has some really cool stuff. Such a contradiction to most news on TV...
Habitat 67 In Montreal
Note: this post originally had 122 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
i love the craftmanship and the details in many of these buildings!
I love the mix of classic and modern buildings. Usually you only get one or the other.
One of the few articles where it's totally worth clicking to see all the images, not just the top ones.
Stunning and inspiring. I love my place in Australia but these castles ... omg - the art, the space - the builders have created heaven on Earth.
i love the craftmanship and the details in many of these buildings!
I love the mix of classic and modern buildings. Usually you only get one or the other.
One of the few articles where it's totally worth clicking to see all the images, not just the top ones.
Stunning and inspiring. I love my place in Australia but these castles ... omg - the art, the space - the builders have created heaven on Earth.