Unusual architectural structures from around the world. From religious buildings, to residential, to a municipal plant. What is worth knowing about them?
A religious structure in Spiazzi, Italy, Caprino Veronese on the Monte Baldo mountain range is one of the more amazing buildings in the world. The sanctuary rises 774 meters above sea level. The church is literally built into a rock wall. Two walls of the sanctuary are the solid rock of Monte Baldo mountain. The location at such a high altitude and unusual construction make the place eagerly visited by pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
Moscow is not only the candy-colored Kremlin. In the capital of Russia you can also find two gigantic residential buildings designed on a circular plan. Very photogenic, unusual and intriguing blocks of flats, have made quite a furore in social media.
The first building was constructed in the early 70s of the past century. The concept is, of course, the work of Soviet architects. Locals call the blocks “Bubliky” (“бублик”) – which translated into Polish means bagels.
The house inside the rock is a rather futuristic concept by Amey Kandalgaonkar. Originally from Shanghai and Mumbai, Kandalgaonkar is an architect and photographer with unusual ideas. He was inspired to create a house in rock by the tomb of Madain Saleh located in the Al-`Ula sector of the Al Madinah region of Hejaz, Saudi Arabia.
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam is another of the uncommon establishments on the tourist map of the world. The distinctive feature of this Dutch hotel is the facade. The architects have created an architectural history of the region in a nutshell. The facade is arranged with nearly 70 houses, in the specific color of green for the Zaan region. The facade features five types of regional buildings – characteristic of each of the social groups that once inhabited the area.
One blue cottage stands out in the patch of green. This is a reference to the work of the eminent painter Claud Monet “The Blue House in Zaandam”.
Copenhagen is home to a combined heat and power plant and waste incineration plant with the very graceful name Amager Bakke. The other, interchangeable term used by the locals is Copenhill. Apart from its obvious function, the incineration plant was designed to serve as a recreational place. Within the building there is a walking trail, year-round ski slope and the world’s largest climbing wall.
United Arab Emirates is a dynamically developing and one of the richest countries in West Asia. The architecture there is very unusual. It is a true display of power and wealth, as well as technological solutions. One of the more controversial buildings in the country is Dubai Frame. The object is jokingly called the world’s largest photo frame and “the greatest stolen building of all time”.
The design of the huge golden frame by Fernando Donis was selected as the winner of the ThyssenKrupp Elevator International Award in 2009, and was chosen by the competition jury as the best among almost a thousand proposals submitted. Apparently, the designer eventually had his copyright stolen and refused to acknowledge the project.
The building has a viewpoint and an art gallery. Two vertical elements of the structure are connected by a glass bridge. Donis’ concept was to symbolically connect the old and new Dubai.
Main Photo: stock photo/gettyimages.com
