10. Portuguese National Pavilion, Expo ’98, Lisbon by Alvaro Siza, 1998
Located at the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal, this enormous structure creates a sense of immense calm and harmony with its presence. The heart of the building is a thin slab of concrete that effortlessly drapes between the two buildings with ease. Architect Alvaro Siza exhibits minimalism and simplicity in a way that converts physics into poetry, and concrete into paper.
9. Auditorio de Tenerife, Canary Islands by Santiago Calatrava, 2003
Situated on the Atlantic Ocean in the Canary Islands, this arts complex is a perfect example of expressionist architecture. Cutting abstract shapes form a striking contrast next to the calm and reflective waterfront, creating a wave.
8. Los Manantiales Restaurant, Mexico City by Felix Candela, 1958
The Los Manantiales Restaurant creates a dramatic dining space on the interior of the building due to its extreme and abstract forms. Being one of Candela’s most famous thin-shell concrete structures, it demonstrates open curvatures and the fascinating constructs of sacred geometry.
7. TWA Flight Centre, New York by Eero Saarinen, 1962
Originally created for Trans World Airlines at JFK Airport, this early 60’s neo-futuristic building still looks modern today. Concrete paving along the walls and ground allow for the clean lines and circular structures to exist seamlessly. Swooping rooftops and contours that seemingly carve out arches in the building capture the essence of flight perfectly.
6. Sunset Chapel, Mexico by BNKR Arquitectura, 2011
This chapel in Acapulco, Mexico blends in with its surroundings organically atop a mountain. The heavy, straight angles create a sense of mass and solidity that makes it feel right at home in its environment.
5. Niigata City Konan Ward Cultural Center, Japan, by Chiaki Arai Urban and Architecture Design, 2012
Community centre boasting a library, theatre and museum – this dreamy, starry concrete structure brings about a warm essence. The natural lights are speckled throughout like fairy dust, allowing the cold concrete paving along the ground and walls to breathe life.
4. Bicentennial Civic Center, Argentina by Lucio Morini & GGMPU Arquitectos, 2012
A building bringing to life an illusion of mesh rhomboids and paper cutouts, the Bicentennial Civic Centre in Cordoba, Argentina has become a landmark in the city. The lightweight look of the building is characterized by the impeccable use of negative space within the hollows of its exterior.
3. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1959
The Guggenheim Museum embodies architectural integrity that is wired by a symphony of round shapes, all complimenting each other effortlessly. The architecturally minimal forms of the museum contrast New York’s intricate and chaotic style energy in a way that immediately captures the audience.
2. Crematorium in Kakamigahara, Japan by Toyo Ito & Associates, 2004
The solidity and heaviness of the concrete paving on the roof is freely juxtaposed with the lightweight, effervescent look of clouds in this structure. Made to be a calming place for mourners, the Crematorium in Kakamigahara, Japan manages to create a veil of light and peace over an otherwise morbid place.
1. MuCEM, Marseilles, France by Rudy Ricciotti, 2000
This dazzling museum, situated on the North Shore of the Mediterranean, faces the sea and captures the sunlight through its lace carvings. A landmark in its own right, it enchants the viewer not only through its exterior, but through its interior as well – radiating a dream-like atmosphere with its glimmers of light.
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