Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
This Vertical Garden Located In Madrid, Spain
Davis the Un-Greatest 4 years ago
It looks like when two images are spliced together, where one is a city and one is nature
Yup 4 years ago
I wonder how well this beautiful wall has grown. I have noticed a lot of planted rooves are maintained well enough for the plants to thrive for a year or two and then end up a blah, weed-strewn, patchy mess.
Nope 4 years ago
I think this is the Caixa Forum building, maybe you can find recent pictures by searching that name and "jardín vertical" (vertical garden in spanish)
Load More Replies...
Deborah Lavalley 3 years ago
If they were smart they would have planted something that would make the bugs run away and I'd have planted some edibles and spices not just greenery.
Haldun Lengerlioglu 3 years ago
http://saruhanbeyvakfi.org/the-tree-passsing-through-the-balcony/
RELATED:
#2
Entrance Gate Of The St. Petersburg Mosque, Russia. Designed By Architect Nikolai Vasilyev
Stefan Scheiben 4 years ago
While ist is slightly similar to Isfahan (which is an islamic, but not an arabic City), the design definitely is based on a mosque in Samarkand, Usbekistan (I think the poster who suggested Gur-el-Amir might be correct). While unfortunately I am unable to determine if the inscriptions are Arabic or Farsi (a very similar language seen mostly in Iran or Iraque), this does not imply a location in an arabic country, als most mosques worldwide use arabic script for decoration. This one, according to a quick search, really is in Russia, which, mostly due to its affiliation with the eastern "-stan" countries, hast a significant muslim population.
sierra hofmann 4 years ago
This really reminds me of those "magic eye" books. Filled with optical illusions where u have to cross ur eyes to see the hidden picture. So gorgeous
Dan Gurev 4 years ago (edited)
Majority of temples were not. Except those, that were abandoned and had no money for maintenance, as nobody was coming and donating. And yes, it was not forbidden to come, although there was a lot of anti-religious satire.
Load More Replies... 
#3
Apartment Building In Turin Holds 150 Trees
marianne eliza 4 years ago
And the original Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at the original Disneyland.
Load More Replies...
Pepper Cheri 2 years ago
Absolutely Love This Idea ... More Urban Living Should Incorporate Green Spaces ...
saturnslipper 4 years ago (edited)
This really proves living around asphalt is not enough to keep us from enjoying the benefits of trees. Also, locals refer to it as the casa sull'albero...the treehouse.😊
Katinka Min 4 years ago
I loved this so much, when I first saw this, i reasearched if there are free apartments in there. There was one, but, alas, I am not rich and have life in Turin. But so so gorgeous. My absolutely dream way to live.
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.
#4
Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Japan, Late 16th Century
Pearl 4 years ago
Hard to believe the Taj Mahal was built in the same century! The architectural styles were so different, yet both are beautiful and elegant in their own way.
Load More Replies...
Joop de Gee 2 years ago
This is actually not even a castle. No-one has ever lived there. It is a fort with canons inside on each floor to defend the town. Outside stunning, inside empty.
#5
Eltz Castle Is Located In Wierschem, Germany And Has Been Owned And Occupied By The Same Family For Over 850 Years...
Jyri Hakola 4 years ago
And for some curious reason the head of the same family looks still as young as he looked 850 years ago ? ;)
beavis 4 years ago
This happened in Ragnarok the kid wanted to move out so they tried to kill him
Load More Replies...
Efia 4 years ago
the castle is less than an hour away from my place, but I've never been there. I'm not really into that kind of history, but I must say, that our german castle's are really beautiful and magical to look on :-)
Cindi Aune 4 years ago
The tour is pretty short. You should go. Just being on the grounds is pretty magical!
Load More Replies...
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
I love European castles. A little pressure washing might do wonders on this one! 😉
Bored Birgit 4 years ago
It is in better shape than the picture assumes. Especially on sunny days.
Load More Replies... 
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
Isn't that always the way? I lived near the Space Needle for over 20yrs (70's&80's) and never even went up. I always meant to, but I don't think I even knew anyone else who had.
Load More Replies... #6
Mont Saint Michel In France
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago (edited)
Serial pacifist meant "magic bean STALK" from "Jack and the Beanstalk" an English fairy tale for children.
Load More Replies... 
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?
#7
The 17th Century Shah Jahan Mosque In Pakistan, Notable For Its Geometric Brick Work
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
After reading your comment I went back up to take a look, and while I do not concur with your statement, I think it’s interesting and it forced me to temporarily reassess my opinion.
Load More Replies...
#8
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
StormWolf 4 years ago
Hopefully the monks don't have our obsession with online shopping and next day delivery, though 😉
Load More Replies...
Imma 4 years ago
How do you even build something like that, on a place like that?? And by that time? HOW?
A B C 4 years ago
Well, it's still hanging on a cliff like a mountain goat ;D
Load More Replies...
LeighAnne Brown-Pedersen 4 years ago
It looks like the villain training center for every Bond movie
#9
Fort Bourtange, Netherlands
Bad Mole 4 years ago
Not medieval, much later. Star shape allows for cannon and small arms crossfire against attacking infantry. Sloped earth in front of the walls deflect cannon balls over the walls (glacis).
Load More Replies...
Randolph Croft 4 years ago (edited)
Now they're just showing off. "Moats? Yeah, sure. We can do 'moats'. Nyuk nyuk."
Serial pacifist 4 years ago
If I was to draw this star with my hand, I would be off by a mile, and these guys nailed it perfectly in real life.
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
They'd have surveyors (or the equivalent), but you can use your pinkie to help you. 1.Grab your pencil as normal then stick out your pinkie like the queen drinking tea. 2.Touch pencil point & pinkie tip to the paper. 3. Focus on "drawing" with pinkie tip and let pencil follow. Practice with straight lines until you get used to it and you should improve quickly. Good luck 😺
Load More Replies...
Caro Caro 4 years ago
Ah, maybe the french came over there to build that too??? Just kidding. Anyway, I love SA but have never been to Cape Town. It is still in my top 10 to visit.
Load More Replies...
Red rockin lobster 4 years ago
Beautiful. A smaller and more modern version of Palmanova in Italy. It was considered the perfect city plan
Professore CG 2 years ago
You're talking about two different things: a military fort/castle, and a city plan. They are completely different shapes!
Load More Replies...
Stephanie Austin 4 years ago
I do battle re-enactments there, been there about 6 times now. It's 17th Century. Looking at it from ground it looks flat. One draw bridge entry. Star forts are amazing
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.”
#10
Gloucester Cathedral
Sterling Efforts 4 years ago
As we say is Gloucester - g'won the glos!! Can't type the accent, so just imagine someone chewing on a bit of cheese saying that out of the corner of their mouth and you'll get the idea!
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
Have always enjoyed the ethereal quality of the design. This is a lovely photo.
#11
This Cafe In Czech Republic
Vicky Z 4 years ago (edited)
From the redditt post:This is the Stará Plynárna in Hřensko, a town of about 300 inhabitants on the border with Germany. It was built as an acetylene gas plant that supplied flue gas to twelve nearby residential buildings in 1905. The reason why it was built in a secluded and narrow gorge was to prevent collateral damage to the inhabited houses of the village in the event of an explosion. But it served its purpose for only about twenty years. It is now used as a restaurant & inn.
Load More Replies... 
Layla Corman 4 years ago
This looks JUST LIKE my daughters magical fairy garden! Minus the tables.
#12
Arnavutköy, A Neighborhood Away From Istanbul’s Touristic Hustle
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
But in muted pastels. I was actually thinking that it looked like a weird cross of SF and Bangkok—it’s all the wrought iron, I think, that brings BKK to mind.
Load More Replies...
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?
#13
From The Middle Kingdom
Otter 4 years ago
Sometimes I dream about impossible and beautiful places that are part natural and part man-made, like great caves sculpted into strange forms. This seems to be right out of one of those dreams.
Tamra Stiffler 4 years ago
This is one of the simplest posts here, but one I find the most moving.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Think of the ambitious brain of the engineer who designed it—-and the enormous cojones on the construction workers who actually built it.
Edda Kamphues 4 years ago
My fear of heights says no. Unfortunately, because it is truly stunning.
#14
Writer's Museum, Edinburgh, In The Fog
Tee Witt 4 years ago
I have been many times but never been to Mary King's close, so have to go again but do not live in Scotland now, but I AM going sometime.
Load More Replies...
Monica Hayes 4 years ago
i dashed thru it once in the 60's....stunning....wish i could go back but,alas, age and circumstances will not allow....i envy all who can travel the worlds beautiful places.....live long and prosper!!
#15
This 325-Year-Old Tree Was Utilized In The Building Design When Authorities In Turkey Would Not Allow For Its Removal
François Bouzigues 4 years ago
325 YO ? Pine tree do not grow really tall compared to other trees. My dad´s 35 yo pine is about this big. It is quite nice to have kept the tree. Pine resin is really sticky, it looses a lot of thorns, and it will outgrow the holes in a couple of decades.
Lisa Florina 4 years ago
Yes I am surprised as well that they didn't give it more place to grow.
Load More Replies... Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
Approximately 50 years ago—when I was a little girl—my parents had a friend in the Gold Country part of the Sierras who had a house build around a tree, and the toilet paper hanger was attached to it, which I found utterly delightful. I’m going to guess I was eight or nine.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Hope the holes the tree is growing through aren’t part of anything essential in any of the units. The tree will continue to grow and get wider, so there should be plans in place for the time those holes will need to be widened. Just hope they thought of that when they made this adjustment. Of course, if they didn’t already have it half built by the time the authorities said no to cutting it down (contractors are on a deadline and do that kind of s**t), they could also have shifted the position of the building away from almost on top of the tree.
JoanieBalonie 4 years ago
Thank you Turkey! My city would have had that in matchsticks by noon.
Ellie Rosser 4 years ago
Sadly there is virtually no way that building that close to it's roots won't ultimately damage it.
#16
Buildings By Freddy Mamani In El Alto, Bolivia
Brian Brown 4 years ago (edited)
I can imagine walking by these buildings and trying NOT to smile.
#17
Spitzhäuschen, A Narrow Half-Timbered House Built In 1416 Located In Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
Wibbi 4 years ago
We have a similar building in my city (Google: "Umgestülpter Zuckerhut" (lit.: "Upended Sugarloaf)) in Hildesheim. The reason for the ground floor being smaller than the top part is that the taxes in the middle ages were calculated based on ground area occupied. That way of building the buildings was a way to save on your taxes and still have some room to live in :)
A B C 4 years ago
Can confirm the tax per ground part. It took some ridiculous shapes sometimes, kudos to the builders.
Load More Replies... 
I’m A Black Cat 4 years ago
You should come to Germany, especially the south is packed with tiny villages and towns full of houses and streets like this
Load More Replies... 
Michael Fuhry 4 years ago
Man, if only I had the scratch to visit a place like this. So many wonderful places on this planet, nature and human made.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
I haven’t heard anyone say scratch in the monetary sense in decades
Load More Replies... Edda Kamphues 4 years ago
Looks like this one is a restaurants (it says 'Weinstube'), so everyone can enjoy it.
Joran Quinten 4 years ago
Yeah I recall I've actually been there for some drinks I think! Its been over 10 years ago mind you
Load More Replies... Pepper Cheri 2 years ago
Does It Look Like It's Starting to Lean a Little ... Or Just Camera Angle/Perspective ... ? 🤔
Mónica Elisabeth Sacco 4 years ago
You expect Brothers Grimm characters to come out any moment
#18
The Burnt Farm Cottage Built With Red Brick In The 1840s, Borough Of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, Southern England
Layla Corman 4 years ago
It IS! It's the 3rd little pigs house, the one that built out of bricks! Still standing!
Load More Replies...
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
Simply lovely! These cottages and gardens in the English countryside are just breathtaking. (They remind me of Miss Marple and British tv shows.) I’m also a fan of paintings by Marty Bell.
#19
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
Joran Quinten 4 years ago
I was surprised by the amount of color and the natural feel of the place!
Mary Hiers 4 years ago
If I had to choose one thing to see before I die, it would be Sagrada Família. It is just beyond compare.
Bobette McCann 1 year ago
The interior of the Sagrada Familia brings me to tears every time I see it. It is stunning. Every detail is connected to every other detail.
#20
Shah-I-Zinda Necropolis In Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Layla Corman 4 years ago
Blue is a peaceful color. Representing the sky/heavens.
Load More Replies...
Red rockin lobster 4 years ago
Magical. The whole square is so beautiful, it takes you to another dimension
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago
Shah-I-Zinda, not Registan. But yeah, otherwordly!
Load More Replies...
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
This is what people did before there was TV. Imagine the man hours . . .
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Whoever designed this was a genius. If you look closely, the patterns on the walls are very busy—-especially for a tomb. BUT, the peaceful and incredibly calming—-heavenly!—-shades of blue soften and calm down the busy appearance of the patterns. Nailed it.
Michael Fuhry 4 years ago
Islamic architecture at its peak produced some of the most stunningly beautiful buildings on Earth.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
Samarkand is on the Old Silk Road and was a major way-station for those traveling from the Middle East to China and back again.
#21
Ryazan, Russia
Eva Bryson 4 years ago
It looks like the river flooded the surrounding area around them. Look at the path or road in the middle upper right as well as the middle left.
Sawdust 4 years ago
Found it! It is flooded as others suggested and it's nowhere near the sea. 54°41'1.50"N 39°47'11.10"E
Teresa Taylor 4 years ago
This seems to be a peaceful place to live. As long as your neighbors aren’t jerks…
Kelli Lindsay 4 years ago
It has a lighthouse, so this must be Maine (just ribbing the mosque people)
Pepper Cheri 2 years ago
Guess This Lighthouse Keeper didn't have to worry about being lonely ... 🤗
#22
Art Nouveau Architecture Of A House Built In The 1880's In Brussels, Belgium
Otter 4 years ago
It's boarded up? Why hasn't someone bought that place, and made it into the period treasure it was mean to be?
Galious 4 years ago
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterner%27s_Studio ; recent photo: 240411268_...baf1cf.jpg 
Elin Noller 4 years ago
Why would you use this pic? There are tons better images without parts being boarded up
Camilla Koutsos 4 years ago
The door is beautiful. Why use a work-in-progress photo for this? There are stunning before and after shots around.
#23
Front Of House, Back Of House. Dubbed "The Mullet House"
Jon S. 4 years ago
Gah, I help these kind of houses get planning permission all the time and I hate them. Don't tell anyone.
Pepper Cheri 2 years ago
Great Solution for when one partner wants Older Cookie Cutter Suburban & the other a Newer More Modern Take ... Orrr ... Maybe Incognito was the Plan all along ... 🤔
#24
19th Century Victorian Gothic Cottage Framed By The Arch Of The Gatehouse At Holly Village, Highgate, North London, UK
#25
The Zip Building, Milan
Red rockin lobster 4 years ago
It was only one installation for the design week a few years ago
Pepper Cheri 2 years ago (edited)
I know this building was built as an Architectural Art Piece ... But Seems Very Disrespectful of people to mark it up w/this type of Graffiti ... (They could have at least attempted to make their graffiti artistic as well) ... ?
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
Reminds me of this old building just over the bridge in Glasgow across from the citizens theatre that had a massive needle and stitches on it for a few years a good 15 yrs ago - was some kind of art installation, always put a smile on my face passing by it on my way to work, was so sad when it was taken away
#26
The Ark Of Bukhara Is A Fortress Located In Uzbekistan
Andreas Hollerer 4 years ago
You definitely should, I visited Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan 2 years ago and it was such a great experience!
Load More Replies...
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
Stunning construction! But for a fortress, it looks like it might be easy to scale with all those handy footholds 😉
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
That's an excellent question 🤔 I think we'd all assumed it was from the outside. But now that you've mentioned it, the right side looks like a corner coming towards us. That would put us on the inside, I believe. Which makes it even harder to scale from the outside. Good eye🙉
Load More Replies... #27
Egypt
Ahmed E 4 years ago
This is a recently built mosque (201S) in Sharm El sheikh, you can see that they tried so hard and it looks like what a mosque would look like in an American Disney movie!, I can understand if someone who is not from the culture is impressed by it tho. Try googling hundreds year old Cairo mosques like, Sultan Hassan, Ibn Tulun, Mohammed Ali, Al-Azhar, and Al hakem b amr allah mosque for comparison.
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
This is lovely. I am used to seeing all the traditional Egyptian building of the Pharaohs.
#28
Capt James Taylor House, A 1892 Queen Anne Victorian In Marine City, St. Clair County, Michigan
Heidi Gardner 4 years ago
I stayed there about 2 weeks during an ice storm. Very beautiful inside and out and the owner was a doll!
Michael Fuhry 4 years ago
Go to Eureka, CA. There are blocks of these Victorian gems. And on the Colombia riverfront in Astoria, OR there are the cutest little Victorian cottages.
Fulsome Kitten 4 years ago
Holly, Michigan has so many gorgeous houses from this era! They're my fave!
Lu Ann Douglas 3 years ago
My home town! The owners worked so hard renovating this beautiful Victorian home. We have many other Victorian ladies in our town.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 4 years ago
this reminds me of scooby doo for some reason
#29
Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary
Monique Reed 4 years ago
Supposedly, this part of the castle wall was guarded by a fisherman's guild in the middle ages, but the current fairy tale structure is part of the massive amounts of building that went on in the late 1880's for the nation's millennium of Christian Hungary celebration in 1896. (Though a lot wasn't finished until the next year!) A lot of the fancier buildings in Budapest date from this spree, and the architects used all sorts of styles from many periods of history. One large building, Vajdahunyad Castle, is in an early medieval style on one end, the Romanesque, then Gothic, then Baroque, and then more modern on the other. It serves as a sampler. Truly, B is a magical city if you like to look at architecture!
Load More Replies...
#30
Edinburgh Castle And Its Half Moon Battery Seen From The Vennel Steps In The Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland
lara 4 years ago
OK, when you go there are three things you MUST try: single malt scotch, sticky toffee pudding and their apple cider ohmygawd.
Load More Replies...
Carrie de Luka 4 years ago
There have been a few King James. Not my speciality but I believe part of the castle - the Great hall - was completed for King James IV. Castle is from the early 1100s. The Queen doesn't stay there when in Scotland - she stays at the Palace of Holyroodhouse which is located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It's at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle. It's a beautiful place and has been a royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century. holyroodho...eb923.jpeg 
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
My two closest friends (married to each other) had a sister/sister-in-law who lived in Edinburgh for a couple of years, and they absolutely fell in love with it and visited several times. They kinda were bummed when Julia moved back to the U.S.
Anna Repp 4 years ago
I fell in live, too! One of my most favourite cities in the world!
Load More Replies... 
Sue Clasen 4 years ago
Imagine this in the times when they discovered that a pair of murderers started unburying the dead from cemeteries to sell the bodies to the Medicine students and ended killing people for the same purpose, one of my great uncles studied there after receiving his titles of surgeon general un Dublin. by the same time this terror story was happening
Janus Preez 4 years ago
Amazing - Imagine seeing this with the sound of bagpipes in the background
Lyone Fein 4 years ago (edited)
I think the city itself is way more interesting than the castle, architecturally speaking.
#31
Ribbon Chapel In Onomichi, Japan
Terilee Bruyere 4 years ago
As a mom with a son who rides a mountain board, this makes me nervous. But it's stunning nonetheless.
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
🎨 🖼 🎭 I'd have guessed Art School, or Music 🎼🎶🎻🎺🎶
Load More Replies... Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
It looks like it has Frank Gehry influences without actually looking like a Frank Gehry design.
#32
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
Don Golosso 4 years ago
The two towers on the bottom left seem really surprised that they have to eat the road.
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago (edited)
Advertising for housekeeper: room, board, and shoes...lots of shoes.
Caro Caro 4 years ago
Imagine the dusting and vacumcleaning. NOOOO thank you.
Load More Replies...
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
I've been there! That road upwards is hellishly steep and you have to walk to visit the museum. It was moderately interesting, but to be fair, I was maybe 12 at the time so what did I know. ;-)
Whawhawhatsis 4 years ago
The castle is the wrong shape. I think Mont Saint Michel, although it's not white, is much closer to Minas Tirith. This could be Edoras, though?
Load More Replies... #33
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Saint Thomas 4 years ago
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.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Ljubljana is where my paternal grandmother’s family is from! I still have cousins there, with whom I keep in contact and hope to visit one day.
Katchen 4 years ago
Same, except I’m not in touch with any cousins there. I was lucky enough to visit in 2002 and it was magical.
Load More Replies...
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
The wonderful thing about these buildings is that your eyes open to sights you may have never seen before.
Judi Michelle 4 years ago
Ljubljana is my most favorite European city! It is so clean and gorgeous!!!
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
What a lovely look! Wouldn’t it be nice if architects used such facades for more buildings, such as apartments or offices?
#34
Sun Rays Through The Double Lancet Windows Of Westminster Abbey, City Of Westminster, London, UK
SuperChicken 4 years ago
Tell me about it. I really do hope we the pandemic would die out.
Load More Replies...
Michael Fuhry 4 years ago
I'm an atheist, but many devotional spaces on our world are truly breathtaking.
Nizumi 4 years ago
Side chapel in Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey). The mosaics are stunning and it's hard to believe the cathedral is less than 200 years old. IMG_8535-6...74832b.jpg 
Lovin' Life 4 years ago
This is beautiful. I plan to visit London one day. Its definitely on my bucket list
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
This reminds me of visiting Washington National cathedral with my mom and uncle. As we entered the nave, sunlight cast the beautiful colors from the windows onto the columns, and someone began playing the French horn. All three of us immediately burst into tears from the sensory overload.
#35
Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran
Jessicah Taylor 3 years ago
I have a dirty mind😁 It's very detailed though. It really is a good work of art
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
Makes me think of people under strict laws even as it is sweeping in its design.
#36
Galtaji Hindu Temple Located In Aravalli Hills In Jaipur Of India. Temple Complex Have Many Natural Freshwater Springs
#37
Children Standing In Front Of One Of The Main Doors Of Casablanca Mosque
GoldfishCrackers 4 years ago
I like the seeing the scale here. I thought it was much smaller before seeing the people at the bottom.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 4 years ago
Without the children in comparison, i'd have thought that this was much smaller. Wow!
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 4 years ago (edited)
before i scrolled all the way down, i thought it was a medieval painting! (because there wasn't proper perspective in the space between the two arches but when i scrolled all the way down i saw that it was just one arch bigger than the other) It's absolutely stunning.
#38
Venice, Italy
I’m A Black Cat 4 years ago
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.
#39
Oslo Opera House Designed In 1999 By Snøhetta And Finished In 2007
Lav Oravaf 4 years ago
saw it in reality and I personally love it. it gives that Nordic melancholic vibe
Load More Replies...
Sheila Stamey 4 years ago
I'm sorry. I'm a heathen. My first impression was BattleBots mixed with Roomba has a baby.
#40
15th Century Castle Of Coca In Central Spain
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
Me, too. Mind you, humans of the present flew to the moon. But these amazing structures are so beautiful that they're more impressive and resonates more than even the most amazing modern technology.
Load More Replies...
Lovin' Life 4 years ago
It's hard to believe they could create such massive construction without modern machinery. This is Gorgeous
Lyone Fein 4 years ago
Now THIS is a castle! So much more architecturally complex and interesting than many of the other castles on this list.
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
15th century - makes me want to know more. Quite an achievement built by lots of human hands.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
How far up into Spain did the Moors get? It does look it though, doesn’t it.
Load More Replies... #41
140 Meters High Ruyi Bridge In China
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
Me too! I felt my stomach rise as soon as I saw it.
Load More Replies... 
#42
The Waves, Vejle, Denmark
#43
Mahkama Du Pacha - Casablanca, Morocco
NoneYa41 4 years ago
I loved Morocco when i was there...nearly 20 years ago now. but it is an amazing place.
Mama Penguin 4 years ago
The immensely intricate carvings and the combination of lush green with ivory color are just absolutely stunning.
#44
Cubic Windows
Jane Florence 4 years ago
Dream window - should have a little nook you can curl up in with a good book…I imagine this in a building out in the desert with no light pollution so you can see the Milky Way or the aurora borealis…amazing
#45
Cologne Cathedral. Masterpiece Of Gothic Architecture. Years Build : 1248 - 1880
Peter Thielen 4 years ago
The scope of that thing is unbelievable, the photo doesn't do it just...
Trillian 4 years ago
It's not finished yet. There is a saying in Cologne that when the Cathedral is finished, the world will end.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Should have finished in 2020 then and be done with all this s**t
Load More Replies... I’m A Black Cat 4 years ago
Compared to the other buildings round it the Dome almost miraculously survived the WW II bombings. Now the work on maintaining it is ongoing https://www.trolley-mission.de/de/kolner-dom-hohe-domkirche-sankt-petrus-und-rheingarten-im-mai-1945
Atir Reyam 4 years ago
Gothic architecture is stunning, but not my taste. I remember seeing this cathedral as a kid and thinking it was scary. Maybe a good pressure wash might help?
JJ_ Crank 4 years ago (edited)
I've been here. It's far more incredible than just the front facade. The entire exterior is amazing and the interior is beyond words. The view from the Hohenzollern Bridge (Lover's lock bridge) over the Rhine river is spectacular at night when it's lit up. I have... I dunno... Way over 100 pictures inside and out of this masterpiece. It's been 10 years ago and I'm still stuck by it.
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! 4 years ago
I see your Cologne and raise you Chartres. place-2015...dc3524.jpg 
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
Was it the cathedral that brought it on or was it just a coincidence?
Load More Replies... #46
Dating Back To The 15th Century, Plaza Mayor Is A Major Public Space In The Heart Of Madrid, The Capital Of Spain
Patrick Smith 4 years ago
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
Tim Pillinger 4 years ago
Actually many European cities have a hidden grid pattern in their Roman old towns. In Lincoln you can tell which streets are Roman by whether they follow the grid. Although Danegate is also a hint...
Load More Replies...
Altea 4 years ago
Agreed. There used to be trees until the 1920's, then they were removed. At least they removed the cars as well... 193442_pla...aef936.jpg 
BleeBloo 4 years ago
they burned heretics to death during the inquisition, so you know it's haunted
#47
The Iwan Ceiling Of Fatima Masumeh Shrine In Iran
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Even though it is stunning, it has something scary.... like it's a disease spreading on the ceiling
Load More Replies...
Tamra Stiffler 4 years ago (edited)
Looks like it was made by a hive of highly evolved, artistic bees! Beautiful.
#48
Villa Farnese, A 16th Century Pentagonal Renaissance Mansion Built On The Fortress Foundations In The Town Of Caprarola, Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy
Lovin' Life 4 years ago
Gorgeous would be an understatement but I dont know how else to describe it
Susan Widomski 3 years ago
What would we do without drones now? The sights we are privileged to see now are awe inspiring.
#49
A Rooftop Restaurant/Cafe In Chongqing, China
Brian Brown 4 years ago
China has some really cool stuff. Such a contradiction to most news on TV...
Melissa Boatman Linebaugh 4 years ago
Except for their horrific human rights violations.
Load More Replies...
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
A new life awaits you in the off-world colonies! The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure!
Anita Marx 4 years ago
Within a second I fall in love. Look at this tiny house above the terrace. I don't mind if it's fake or real.
Kimberly Puchniarz 4 years ago
But their uncool stuff , such as communism, puts a black eye on any cool stuff
Jessicah Taylor 3 years ago
We can judge their culture. But think about the damage that unfettered capitalism has done to American culture. A lot of Chinese people think the way Europeons run their countries is rediculous... Who's right 🤷🏾♀️
Load More Replies... Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
I went to China in 1988, which was the year before the Tiananmen Square showdown, and the pollution was so horrific you couldn’t see one side from the other side and by the time I left six weeks later I was up to HERE with the Chinese with their spitting and pooping in public.
#50
Habitat 67 In Montreal
Aliquid 4 years ago
Well it was built in 1967 and hasn't fallen down yet ;)
Load More Replies...
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
He intended it to be a statement against brutality, with its organic elements.
Load More Replies...
Okatango 4 years ago
I've had the pleasure of visiting one of the apartments: Everything feels airy and private, both inside and out. It sits on a spit of land that has gorgeous views of both the harbour and the river. The architect, Moishe Safdie, was only 18 years old when he designed it, and it was built as part of the world Expo in 1967. He is the same architect who designed the famous hotel in Singapore, though it's his other very humane and organic architecture I enjoy more.
Sarcasm Queen 4 years ago
This is not a great picture, trust me, it looks so much better in real life.
#51
Grand Staircase Of The Second Empire Style Palais Garnier Completed In 1875, 9th Arrondissement Of Paris, France
#52
Sainte-Chapelle | Paris
Christina Cairi 4 years ago
This is where I understood what the word "breathtaking" actually meant. Visited on a cloudy day, just as I was going upstairs (the part in the picture), the clouds parted and afternoon sun streamed through those gorgeous windows.
#53
This Cabin In Sussex, England
Persephone 4 years ago
I believe it's supposed to be more of a tree house.
Load More Replies...
#54
Imperial Staircase Made Of Oak Wood In Castel Savoia, A 19th Century Eclectic Style Villa Built For The Queen Consort Of The Kingdom Of Italy Margherita Of Savoy As A Holiday Home, Valle D'aosta, Northwestern Italy
Nadine Debard 4 years ago
From the outside, Castel Savoia looks like a Disney castle. This place is wonderful, it takes time to drive there but it's totally worth it. Don't miss the local cuisine, everything is delicious there.
#55
A Masterpiece Of Armenian Medieval Architecture, Ani Cathedral, Built 1001
#56
Victorian House In Matawan, New Jersey
Georgia Hebert 4 years ago
Looking at the style of this house, I just realized my city has a house like this! Amazing work!
#57
Inner Courtyard Surrounded By Walls Of Greenery In Plaza Athénée, A Historic Haussmann-Style Hotel That First Opened In 1913, Avenue Montaigne, 8th Arrondissement Of Paris, France
#58
Abandoned Palace In Strasbourg, France
Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
Even back then people were doing that "brush your shoulder off" dance
#59
The Central Interior Of Leadenhall Market, London
#60
The Eclectic Villa Monastero On The Shores Of Lake Como, Varenna, Lombardy, Italy
Lav Oravaf 4 years ago
GC has his house in Laglio (West branch of the lake) which is quite far from Varenna (left branch of the lake)... bey hey I am sure he can reach it fast with his nice Riva speedboat ;)
Load More Replies...
Lav Oravaf 4 years ago
which was actually filmed on Lake Como, but in a different side of the lake. go have a look at VIlla Balbianello and Tremezzina
Load More Replies... Lav Oravaf 4 years ago (edited)
a scene from Casino Royale was film on Lake Como. Have a look at Villa Balbianello
Load More Replies...
#62
Schloss Clemenswerth, The 18th Century Baroque Hunting Complex With Its Central Pavilion Surrounded By Eight Smaller Lodges For Guests. Sögel, Emsland, Lower Saxony, Germany
#63
An Architecture Example From 16th Century In France
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
This reminds me so much of the live action version of Beauty and the Besdt.
Galious 4 years ago
Many people assume it was built in 1509, but it is a modern house, built in 1950, and the part we see here has been added later. The street was demolished during WW2, in 1944. Its street address is 72 rue Aristide-Briand in Argentan, France. These facts have been confirmed by newspaper Ouest France :
https://m.facebook.com/ouestfranceargentan/photos/a.484517428358481/2105111902965684/?type=3 You can see it in Google Street View. Argentan-6...2604b1.jpg 
#64
Tropical Treehouse, Bali
#65
Jeroen Van Dam, Noisy Le Grand, Paris, France
#66
Partington Point House By Richard Clements, Renovated By Mickey Muennig (1995)
#67
Potala Palace, Tibet
#68
Tropical Island Near Berlin In Germany Build In An Old Zeppelin Hangar
#69
1920s Tudor Revival Building Housing A Department Store In The West End Of London, UK
#72
The "Winter Garden" Inside The Hôtel De La Païva, A Large 19th Century Townhouse That Has Been Used As A Gentlemen's Club For More Than A Century, Avenue Des Champs-Élysées, Paris, France
#73
Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka
#74
Entrance Hall Divided With Triple-Arched Columned Screen In Taitlands, A Recently Restored 19th-Century Greek Revival Country House Located In Stainforth, North Yorkshire, England
#75
Roseland Cottage, Built In 1846 In Woodstock, Connecticut
Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
Looks more like a Manor than a cottage...would love to own something like this..
#76
St Vitus Cathedral, Prague Czech Republic
Monique Reed 4 years ago
Absolutely stunning on the inside--every style from neo-Gothic to Art Nouveau. The window by Alphonse Mucha might be the most beautiful window in the world.
#77
Luma Arles (Frank Gehry, France, 2021)
Samantha PandaNotBored 4 years ago
Ridiculous. I cannot wait for the complaints of overheating and reflective burns
#79
Kasteel De Haar, The Largest Castle In The Netherlands Mostly Rebuilt In The 16th Century And Restored Extensively In The 19th Century. Utrecht, Netherlands
#80
45-Story Buildings In Guiyang, China
Random Person 4 years ago
The thing that most awes/surprises/confuses me is that every level is different
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
Brian Brown, who's got a perceived grudge against you? I swear, someone downvotes absolutely everything you comment.
Load More Replies... 
Anna McHugh 4 years ago
Ah China, where everyone is squished by everyone else's desire to live the 22 square foot dream
#81
Castello Di Reschio In Lisciano Niccone, Italy
#82
Residence In Napa California
Jihana 4 years ago
I do not know why someone votes every single comment of yours down, but here, have my upvote!
Load More Replies... I’m A Black Cat 4 years ago
meh. Too much, a mixture of art nouveau attempts paired with and I suppose victorian style?
#83
Villa Erba, A 19th Century Villa With A Neoclassical Facade Built On The Shores Of Lake Como, Now Used As A Convention And Exhibition Space, Lombardy, Italy
#84
Hermann Weinhardt House Built In 1888 In Chicago, Il
Edda Kamphues 4 years ago
You take a person out of Germany, but you can never take Germany out of the person.
Persephone 4 years ago
Looks like the cuckoo will pop out any moment... Of course the second i look away!
Load More Replies... 
#86
Built In 1891, The Hunter House, Detroit, Michigan
Just Carmen 4 years ago
There's a lot of houses like this in Minneapolis and in St. Paul, Minnesota. They're lovely.
Load More Replies... #87
Xiaoshan Science And Technology City Venture Valley, Hangzhou, China
Anna McHugh 4 years ago
That's hilarious (less hilarious that I've said similar things and been downvoted to buggery by the woke folks on threads like this, but hey...)
Load More Replies...
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
Star Trek hive-minded bad guy bunch of partially human and partially android beings.
Load More Replies... 
#88
Clean Line Cabin. The Duel Aspect Glazing Is Very Dialed
mph seti 4 years ago
The help. People who can afford such a dwelling can also afford servants.
Load More Replies...
#89
Fontana Di Trevi, Roma
BasedWang 4 years ago
Still havnt been back siiiigh..... But the pizza and gelato at the shop to the left of this pic was damn good
Annamagelic 4 years ago
The gelato I had at a shop by the Trevi fountain way back in 1999, was by far the best gelato or icecream I have ever eaten.
Load More Replies... 
#90
Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel, Colorado Springs, USA
Richard Portman 4 years ago
I disagree, but i love your enthusiasm. To me it looks ugly, but at least i gave it a chance. If you like it, maybe there is something good.
Load More Replies...
Suzanne McHenry 4 years ago
Got this Ressurrection hub vibe about it. (Battlestar Galactica RDM).
Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
My grandma is from Colorado springs and I've lived in California my whole life.. would love to visit there
Saint Thomas 4 years ago
You can stumble on its ruins in the video game 'Horizon Zero Dawn' :-)
#91
La Sagrada Familia, Spain
#92
The Caserta Royal Palace In Italy Is The Largest Royal Residence In The World
#93
The Great Mosque, Mosul, Iraq
Anna McHugh 4 years ago
I didn't even know you could have Islamic Brutalism. Is this the Recep Erdogan Mission Statement Mosque aka Shah Shockn Awe?
#94
Grand Arcade, Leeds, UK
#95
Santuario Madonna Della Corona At Lake Garda In Italy Was Directly Built Into A Steep Rock Face
#96
Talgarth Road, London
Erik Lawrence 4 years ago
solariums help warm the house, along with adding lighting.
Load More Replies... #97
Brownstones In Park Slope, Brooklyn
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
Beautiful innards. The show 'Elementary' had one as the setting, and This Old House just remodelled one with the most beautiful woodwork (original) and fancy plaster ceilings. Worth watching to admire old and new craftsmanship.
GoldfishCrackers 4 years ago
I got pulled in watching this episode of This Old House the other day and had to leave before the final one came on. 😩 Soo cool to see!
Load More Replies... #98
Fontana Pretoria, A 16th Century Monumental Fountain In The Historic Centre Of Palermo Surrounded By A 17th Century Baroque Church And A 16th Century Palace, Sicily, Southern Italy
#99
The Powell House, Built Originally As A Baptist Church Shortly After The Gold Rush And Now Restored And Converted Into Apartments, Nevada City, California
#100
Hermitage Hunting Lodge, A 18th Century Baroque Hunting Lodge Built To Host Royal Banquets During The Royal Hunts In Jægersborg Dyrehave, A Forest Park North Of Copenhagen, Denmark
#101
Marina Bay Sands Hotel - Singapore
kathoco 4 years ago
I had a drink way up at the top in the bow of the boat where you see the red umbrellas. Worth it for the view.
Caro Caro 4 years ago
Oh Cool. I would love to visit, even stay for a night.
Load More Replies... 
Suzanne McHenry 4 years ago
I have this place on my to do bucket list, want to try out their infinity pool at the top.
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
Oh, this was in one Detective Conan movie! Fist of Blue Sapphire, I think.
#102
Arango Marbrisa House By John Lautner In Mexico (1973)
#103
Axel Towers, Copenhagen, Denmark
Christina Cairi 4 years ago
Ah, just recently built (completed 2016). I didn't recognize it from my time in Copenhagen in the late 80's.
#105
Château Du Tilleul - Tilleul, Normandy, France - Constructed 1730 And Re-Styled In Neo-Renaissance By Architect Félix Ezéchiel Vallois 1860
#106
Broadbeach, Gold Coast
#107
A Closest Church In South Korea
#108
Knarvik Community Church - Norway
kybourbonpearls 4 years ago
Does this remind anyone else of the Pyramid Head in Silent Hill? Just me?
#109
One Of The Rare Examples When Soviet Brutalism Looks Good. Cooperative Union Building, Vilnius, 1979
Richard Portman 4 years ago
It doesn't look that good. It looks like it might be Perdido Street Station, or some other monstrosity.
Galious 4 years ago
It reminds me of the "Caisse d'Epargne" building by Edmond Lay in Bordeaux, France : e41a949c22...fa370c.jpg 
#110
Under, Norway. A Restaurant Five And A Half Meters Below The Sea
Trond Hermansen 4 years ago
You really don't get the full picture here. You can only see the "land" end of this elongated cube that extends at an angle into the water with glass windows all around. Tis means that the diners are seated below the water level.
#112
One Central Park – Sydney, Australia
#113
George F. Winslow House, A Queen Anne Victorian Built In 1894 With An Oversized Corner Brick Chimney That Wraps Around A Window, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#114
Pigalle Duperré, France
Woltax 4 years ago
Pigalle, Pigalle, der Speck in dieser Mausefalle schmeckt so zuckersüß…
Load More Replies...
#116
Marienplatz Station, Munich, Germany
royal_antelope 4 years ago
does anyone really good this particularly beautiful? I live in Munich and this station honestly did not strike me as pretty even a single time.
Fred L. 4 years ago
I guess most places look better without people in it ...
Load More Replies... Richard Portman 4 years ago
I will not use this station. I will take another way, or not go there.
#118
The Interior Of The Hyatt Regency, Atlanta
Richard Portman 4 years ago
Thanks again! But we have earthquakes! We have people! It looks as if it could not withstand these forces!
Load More Replies... 
Stephanie Hesser 4 years ago
This isn't structural it's just decoration. In person it's not very impressive imo
#119
Bonaventure Hotel (1976) By John Portman
AnnaBanana 4 years ago
Stayed here on my honeymoon, 20+ years ago. Only because Arnie once rode a horse into one of the elevators!
#120
Always Been A Big Fan Of The Late Architect Aldo Rossi. Il Palazzo Hotel In Fukuoka Japan. Completed In 1987
#121
Mcdonalds In The Art Deco Former 'United Kingdom Hotel', Clifton Hill Melbourne Australia
Edda Kamphues 4 years ago
It's actually not THAT impressive when you drive past it every day (and I do).
Just Carmen 4 years ago
If you don't live in a place with a lot of Art Deco around, it's impressive. We don't have a lot of Art Deco in the US. I love it and I love this!
Load More Replies... #122
Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Japan By Peter Stewart
Lucca Wenner 4 years ago
Called have enough room to sleep, that is it. It is not a hotel room. Research them online.
Load More Replies... Raven Sheridan 4 years ago
This is hideous! Looks like washing machines stacked on top of eachother. 🤮
Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
Looks like a bunch of old washing machines stacked on top of each other. Probably wouldnt hurt to be cleaned and/or painted. Pretty trippy looking. Very post apocalyptic
Jos Tiguidou 4 years ago
Soon to be demolished...so many legendary structures making place for modern non-sense in Tokyo :(
Jodie Johnson 4 years ago (edited)
It looks like you stay in discarded washing machines stacked on top of each other.
Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
This was in Simcity Societies. It was marked as "Eyesore" and gave -1 happiness to anyone who lived inside.
Add New Image
What do you think ?
earringnut 4 years ago
I love the mix of classic and modern buildings. Usually you only get one or the other.
Load More Replies...
Gerard Neaux 4 years ago
One of the few articles where it's totally worth clicking to see all the images, not just the top ones.
renee brack 4 years ago
Stunning and inspiring. I love my place in Australia but these castles ... omg - the art, the space - the builders have created heaven on Earth.
Kenny Kulbiski 4 years ago
Loved all of these and kudos to the architects but at least half the credit ought to go to the engineers, craftsmen, and builders that made an idea reality.
Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
Reminder: October 2nd is International F*ck Brutalism Day. brutalism-...be-png.jpg 
Michael Se 4 years ago
The Palace of Pena outside Lisbon should be on this list. It's all sorts of wacky.
IlovemydogShilo 4 years ago (edited)
See photo of staircase above. In 1853, the Sisters of Loretto opened a school for girls in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Twenty years later, they finally were able to hire the same architect as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. He designed the sisters a beautiful, gothic-style chapel, then known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Light. It is now the Chapel of Loretto. However, the architect died before building access to the choir loft. Due to little space, they concluded that a staircase would take up too much room, therefore, minimizing seating. Legend says the sisters then invoked St. Joseph the Carpenter’s intercession through a novena. On the ninth day, a mysterious man looking for work arrived on their doorstep with only donkey, a hammer and a carpenter’s square. According to the Loretto Chapel’s official website, the man only used “simple tools and wooden pegs. The rare wood is not native to the American Southwest.” They know he used a type of spruce wood, but no one knows where it came from or how the carpenter got it. Legend also says that while building the staircase over the course of three months, no one saw him enter or leave the chapel. Once he completed it, he disappeared without payment or a thank you. The sisters also contacted lumber stores in the area, but were unable to retrieve any open accounts for the supplies he supposedly purchased. The staircase has two complete 360-degree turns with no centre pole for structural support. The entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom stair. some believe that St. Joseph built this amazing structure. Others believe St. Joseph sent someone to do it. Sorry about the deleted messages, but I was having trouble uploading the text and the photo..
earringnut 4 years ago
I love the mix of classic and modern buildings. Usually you only get one or the other.
Load More Replies... Gerard Neaux 4 years ago
One of the few articles where it's totally worth clicking to see all the images, not just the top ones.
renee brack 4 years ago
Stunning and inspiring. I love my place in Australia but these castles ... omg - the art, the space - the builders have created heaven on Earth.
Kenny Kulbiski 4 years ago
Loved all of these and kudos to the architects but at least half the credit ought to go to the engineers, craftsmen, and builders that made an idea reality.
Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
Reminder: October 2nd is International F*ck Brutalism Day. brutalism-...be-png.jpg
Michael Se 4 years ago
The Palace of Pena outside Lisbon should be on this list. It's all sorts of wacky.
IlovemydogShilo 4 years ago (edited)
See photo of staircase above. In 1853, the Sisters of Loretto opened a school for girls in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Twenty years later, they finally were able to hire the same architect as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. He designed the sisters a beautiful, gothic-style chapel, then known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Light. It is now the Chapel of Loretto. However, the architect died before building access to the choir loft. Due to little space, they concluded that a staircase would take up too much room, therefore, minimizing seating. Legend says the sisters then invoked St. Joseph the Carpenter’s intercession through a novena. On the ninth day, a mysterious man looking for work arrived on their doorstep with only donkey, a hammer and a carpenter’s square. According to the Loretto Chapel’s official website, the man only used “simple tools and wooden pegs. The rare wood is not native to the American Southwest.” They know he used a type of spruce wood, but no one knows where it came from or how the carpenter got it. Legend also says that while building the staircase over the course of three months, no one saw him enter or leave the chapel. Once he completed it, he disappeared without payment or a thank you. The sisters also contacted lumber stores in the area, but were unable to retrieve any open accounts for the supplies he supposedly purchased. The staircase has two complete 360-degree turns with no centre pole for structural support. The entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom stair. some believe that St. Joseph built this amazing structure. Others believe St. Joseph sent someone to do it. Sorry about the deleted messages, but I was having trouble uploading the text and the photo..
Related on Bored Panda
