Cities with distinctive architectural styles attract tourists from around the world. Great architecture combines art and science, is visually beautiful and serves a purpose. Additionally, a city's architecture offers cultural cues about its past, present, and future. We've selected a few cities known for their distinctive architectural traits and illustrious histories. Here are four fantastic cities for the architectural fan, along with some of each city's features.
1. Chicago, USA
One of Chicago's most popular architecture attractions is the Cloud Gate, which reflects 80% of the city's skyline on its surface. This interactive piece of art is nothing more than a huge stainless steel bean that also serves as a mirror. As visitors travel around the piece or beneath its 9-foot arch, their images twist. The bean is best viewed at night when Chicago's skyscrapers' lights illuminate its surface.
Unlike many of the other cities with the best architecture, Chicago does not have a rich architectural heritage. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city's structures, and the Chicago that exists today was erected later. This city made it to the list since it is the birthplace of skyscrapers.
The first skyscraper was built by William Le Baron Jenney, the architect who built the ten-story building in downtown Chicago. Unlike the brick and stone structures of the period, this one was constructed using cast iron, wrought iron, and steel. The so-called skeleton structure was a system of beams and columns that allowed for a multi-story framework and encouraged the development of safer elevators, central heating systems, and other advancements in steel building. Willis Tower, the city's tallest and most recognizable structure, dominates the Chicago skyline. Sears, Roebuck & Co. funded and erected the tower to accommodate its employees. The renamed Willis Tower currently contains a variety of companies and enterprises, and its 103rd-floor skydeck ledge is a famous tourist attraction. The ledge is a glass box that extends 4.3 feet from the skyscraper and allows guests to see 1,353 feet straight down.
With these developments, rivalry among Chicago architects resulted in ever-taller buildings. Furthermore, Louis Sullivan's Chicago School of Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School of Architecture were both born in Chicago, giving the city an even wider renown in the world of architecture. A Chicago boat and architectural tour is one of the most convenient methods to learn and see the most about the city's architecture. There are several firms that provide these trips along the Chicago River namely,.....
2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world with a height of 828 meters. The skyscraper located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) was built in 2004 and completed in October 2009, then opened to the public in early 2010
The 2,723-foot-tall legend Burj Khalifa is simply one of the reasons Dubai is a preferred location for contemporary architecture. The Chicago architectural firm that designed the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) also designed the Khalifa Tower. This tower was the tallest man-made building ever built. The 150 billion dollar building is 828 meters tall and has 160 storeys (2,717 ft). That is 320 meters higher than Taiwan's Taipei 101, the former tallest skyscraper in the world, and 52 stories higher than Chicago's Willis Tower. The Burj Khalifa also houses the world's tallest mosque, the world's biggest swimming pool, and the world's tallest free-standing structure.
3. Beijing, China
In the seventh century BC, the Chinese began constructing the Great Wall of China to safeguard the Chinese Empire. The massive wall is about 2,000 years old and stretches nearly 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles). Over the ages, numerous dynasties repaired and expanded the wall that protected the country from numerous invaders. Now millions of people visit the wall to view this magnificent masterpiece and other architectural marvels rooted in ancient Chinese history, such as Beijing's Forbidden City.
The rush of development for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing shaped a growing national character. China aspired to show the world that it had more to offer than old culture and architecture. As a result, the world watched Beijing construct Western-inspired structures that exceeded the restrictions of Chinese architecture.
With these structures, Beijing is now home to a mix of classic and modern architecture. The traditional style represents Chinese symmetrical ideas and principles. These structures emphasize aesthetic elements, are erected outward (rather than upward), and key construction materials include wood columns, beams, and brackets.
4. Barcelona, Spain
Antoni Gaudi was Spain’s prominent architect. His incredible creations and influence are visible all over Barcelona, Spain. His use of multicolored tiles may be seen throughout Casa Batllo and Park Guell. In addition, Gaudi designed the Sagrada Familia, but he passed away before it was completed. A popular tourist destination, the basilica, is still being worked on by sculptors. Gaudi's architecture stood out from that of his contemporaries thanks to its vibrant hues, mosaic tile designs, and shapes that were inspired by the natural world.
Gaudi not only created stunning work, but he was also the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernist movement in Barcelona. This movement aimed to elevate Catalan ideas, art, literature, and philosophy to the same level as European ideas and art. This meant a preference for curves over straight lines, extensive ornamentation and detail, forms and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone in Gaudi's work. The project is expected to be finished in 2026.
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Writer : Verlene Angelica
Editor : Giska Trishella
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