Architectural Marvels!

Even after a decade, the New York City skyline is found bland and empty without the iconic twins that were razed to the ground during the 9/11 attacks. As we observe its 10th anniversary, we look at the other magnificent landmark structures of the world.

Chrysler, New York

The Chrysler building designed by architect William van Alen is one of the last skyscrapers in the classic art deco style. The distinctive ornamentation of the building is based on features that were then being used on Chrysler automobiles. When the ground breaking occurred in 1928, there was an intense competition in New York to build the world?s tallest skyscraper. And the building that stands at 1,047 feet was built at a frantic pace at an average rate four floors per week. It was the world?s tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. After the destruction of the world trade centre in 2001, it was again the second tallest building in New York until December 2007, when the spire was raised pushing Chrysler to third position.

Expert Speak:

?The marble floors and many art deco patterns including those on the stylish elevators doors make Chrysler one of the most iconic office towers. In fact, Manhattan skyline would appear insignificant if it was not for this imposing structure.?

Lotus Temple, New Delhi

The design for the house of worship that has won numerous architectural awards, encompasses 27 free-standing marble-clad ?petals? arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus temple open into a central hall slightly more than 40 metres tall that is capable of holding up to 2,500 people. The surface of the temple, designed by the Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba, is made of white marble from Penteli Mountain in Greece. Along with its nine surrounding ponds and the gardens, the Lotus Temple property stands in 26 acres of land.

Expert Speak:

?It is like technology blending with tradition. Lotus Temple has that monumental quality, which is quite rare these days. Because of its design, the use of marble, garden setting and large open spaces, the structure is outstanding.?

CCTV, Beijing

The headquarters of China Central Television (CCTV) is a 234m (768ft), 44-storey skyscraper in the Beijing Central Business District. Ground-breaking took place in June 2004 and the building?s fa?ade was completed in January 2008. It is one of the several bold new designs done by the Pritzker prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhass. Constructed for the Beijing Olympics, the CCTV building is one of the largest office buildings in world. It has studios, theatres, production facilities and lot of space for entertainment-related activities.

Expert Speak:

?Striking style, complex engineering and breathtaking from create an ultimate expression of design. It is one of the most powerful works of architecture in recent times. The unconventional Z criss-cross feels incredibly modern. Although criticised by certain section of Chinese society and architectural critics at one time. I feel it roars out of the Beijing skyline.?

The Louvre, Paris

The Louvre Museum is the national museum of France. It was original one of the latest palaces in the world. As a former residence of the kings of France, it exemplifies traditional French collection of ancient and Western art. The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the glass pyramid, which functions as the museum?s main entrance. The pyramid allows sunlight to penetrate the underground floor.

Expert Speak:

?Louvre is a well-defined heritage precinct. It is also very contemporary and powerful.?

Turning Torso, Sweden

With a height of 190 metres, the 54 story skyscraper is the tallest building in Scandinavia and was selected as one of the seven wonders of Sweden. Turning Turso is constructed in nine segments gets twisted 90 degrees clockwise with respect to the ground floor. However, the building doesn?t move. The building houses both offices and luxury apartments.

Expert Speak:

?It is an interesting piece of architecture with nine cubes placed one over the other and they twist as they rise. It is believed that architect Santiago Calatrava derived the concept from his own creation of a white marble structure of a twisted human being.?

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Source: http://toddsblogs.com/referenceandeducation/2012/07/25/architectural-marvels/

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