From Dubai to Prague to Kansas City, Musement takes a look at ten of the world’s most imaginative architectural wonders.
From everyday objects to mother nature to dance icons, Musement takes a look at ten of the world’s most imaginative building designs.
1. The Dancing House – Prague, Czech Republic
Known as Tancici Dum in Czech, the Dancing House is also referred to as “Fred and Ginger” as this peculiar deconstructivist building’s facade is reminiscent of two dancing figures. Designed by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic, the construction, with its unusual curves and structural design, was the subject of controversy for its departure from the typical architectural style of the other buildings in this area of Prague.
2. The Piano House – Huainan, China
Befitting its name, this piano-shaped building is a music conservatory that was designed by architecture students from Hefei University. The glass violin-shaped section houses an escalator, while the piano-shaped area contains practice rooms. At night, the blue and white lights illuminating the structure’s silhouette never fail to command attention.
3. Kansas City Public Library – Missouri, United States
From a piano-shaped conservatory to a book-shaped library. The Kansas City Public Library’s spectacular facade portrays a shelf of giant 23-foot tall books. The 22 titles span across the genres, all chosen by a survey and includes García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. A required stop for literature lovers.
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4. Marina Bay Sands Hotel – Singapore
A complex of enormous structures, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore occupies 50 acres of land and consists of three hotel towers, a convention center, an art and science museum, a shopping mall, two theaters, six excellent restaurants, a casino, and more. There is no doubt that this complex revolutionized architecture when it was inaugurated in 2010—-it is an unprecedented structure. The best place to visit? The hotel’s 57th-floor infinity pool where you can enjoy spectacular views.
5. The Crooked House – Sopot, Poland
The Crooked House (Krzywy Domek) is located in the Polish city of Sopot. Built in 2004, it was inspired by the comics of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg. Its distorted irregular lines earned the structure its “crooked” name and that, at the same time, categorize it as a curious building. Today, it houses a shopping mall, restaurant, game room, and radio station.
6. Basket Building – Newark, Ohio, United States
It is impossible to see the Basket Building and not be surprised. Located in Newark, Ohio, the structure is shaped like a giant picnic basket. The reason? It was the headquarters of a maple wood basket factory, Longaberger Basket Company. The glass roof and its interesting interior make just as much of an impact as the exterior.
7. The Forest Spiral – Darmstadt, Germany
The Forest Spiral (Waldspirale) in Darmstadt, Germany is a residential complex of 105 apartments inspired by–wait for it–a forest. Greenery and flora flourish on the roof of this U-shaped building and the multicolor facade recalls the strata of the earth with disorganized windows and gold domes. An artificial river flows through the main courtyard.
8. Robot Building – Bangkok, Thailand
Sathorn, Bangkok’s Financial District, is home to the Robot Building, the headquarters of United Overseas Bank that was inaugurated in 1986. The structure consists of 20 floors inspired by the computerization of banking, so it was made to look like a Lego robot. They say, in fact, that the architect, Sumet Jumsai, was inspired by his son’s toy robot when designing the building, which was chosen as one of the 50 most influential structures of last century.
9. Burj Al Arab – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Burj Al Arab is one of the tallest hotels in the world at 1,050 feet. Designed by Tom Wright in 1999, it is located on its own artificial island and ressembles an Arab boat with a large sail. The structure itself boasts magnificent Dubai urbanscapes. It should go without saying that luxury envelops every inch of this building—and luxury that comes at a price; if you want to stay there, prepare to shell out at least $1,500 a night.
10. Wonderworks – Orlando, Florida United States
An upside-down building? It exists and can be found in Orlando as part of Wonderworks, an indoor amusement park that displays science, physics, and math exhibitions. Although the exterior can be confusing, the building is right-side-up inside. Created by Terry Nicholson, the structure was designed to resemble a government building that was lifted and carried off by a tornado.
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