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What is the theme behind the design of this church?
Saemoonan Church in South Korea, designed by Seoinn Design Group and Eunseok Lee, is known for its history as well its unconventional design. The Saemoonan Church was founded in September 1887 and over the...
What inspired the shape of this museum building?
Completed in August 2016, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was set up to commemorate the black community and the impact African Americans have had on the United States and...
What inspired the façade of this restaurant bar?
This is Moshu Tree house, a restaurant cum bakery in Guatemala in Buenos Aires designed by Hitzig Militello Architects. The project involved overhauling an old house with two new accesses leading to two separate...
Why this Apple store is different from others?
This is Apple Cotai Central which is the second Apple store to open in the Chinese district of Macau. This four year old Apple store has an extremely unique design, and stands in stark...
Why this tower’s vertical garden is considered unique?
One Central Park is a mixed-use dual high-rise building located in the Sydney suburb and is the largest multi-residential building (by net lettable area) in Australia to receive a 5 star Green Star –...
Why did architect choose bamboo material for this restaurant’s interiors?
This is a renovation project in Vietnam executed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN), a Vietnamese architecture firm known for its sustainable building designs. The Nocenco Café project, completed in 2018, includes café on...
What inspired this landscape design?
Located at Meyrin in Switzerland, this design raises a basic question – whether this is work of landscape or art or both? This piece of art and landscape – ‘The fold’s childhood’ is a...
What inspired the shape of this super tall building?
This is CITIC Tower, a supertall skyscraper in the Central Business District of Beijing. The 109-story, 528 m (1,732 ft) tall building is the tallest in the city, surpassing that of the China World...
What material is used to make this museum?
The building of National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway, has some unique features. It’s Norway’s largest and most important museum designed by German architects Klaus + Schuwerk and the museum collects,...
Why this design by Francis Kere considered the best?
This is one of the many designs of this year’s Pritzker Prize winning Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere. His designs are considered to be “sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants, in lands...
Each extension of this Museum indicates something
The Artscience Museum located along the Marina Bay Sands waterfront in Singapore tries to bridge the relationship between Arts and Sciences. It is an iconic cultural landmark in Singapore where art, science, culture and...
What inspired the design of this Expo pavilion?
Expo 2020 is a World Expo, hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Originally scheduled for 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, it was...
What inspired the shape of this tower?
This is 70-storey Okan Tower in Miami scheduled for completion in mid-2022. The $300 million project was put on hold because of the pandemic. When completed it will be Miami’s tallest tower overtaking Panorama...
Why the architect opted for this design?
Hormuz Island is a small island in Iran with arid climate and hot summer when temperature sometimes touches 430 C. Partly due to extreme climatic condition the island is sparsely populated with some development...
What’s the mystery behind this ‘arrow pillar’?
The Somnath temple, located in Veraval in Coastal Gujarat is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for the Hindus which was reconstructed several times in the past after repeatedly destroyed by several invaders....
What inspired the layout of this church?
This is Santa Maria Goretti church located in the Italian town of Mormanno overlooking the National Park of Pollino. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, the structure is known for its simplicity and minimalism. Unlike...
Why this swimming pool is an engineering marvel?
This swimming pool is neither on the ground nor on terrace but its in the air – floating between two high rise buildings. So, it’s Sky Pool along side sky walk connecting two ten...
What inspired the design of this hotel?
This is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Maldives, its first in the island nation. Company has opened its first Maldives resort with a tranquil overwater spa inspired by its natural surroundings, including the elements of swirling...
What inspired the design of this concert hall?
This is Chapel of Sound, a concert hall, located North of Beijing, in a valley famous for hosting remnants of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. Designed by OPEN Architecture, this rock-like concert hall provides...
What inspired the shape of this holiday home?
This cantilever pipe-shaped holiday home is part of Nikola-Lenivets Art Park in Kaluga Region in Russia is designed by Moscow’s chief architect, Sergey Kuznetsov. The holiday home cabin, known as Russian Quintessential, is a...
Why did the architects use dynamic blocks in this façade?
“Revolving Bricks Serai” is a dynamic office building of Consulting Engineers of Ayran Pajouhan Pars in Arak, a city largely known as the industrial capital of Iran designed by Farhad Mirzaie and the firm...
Why did the architect opt for this design for the museum?
This is Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen located next to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Museumpark in Rotterdam and is the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. Visitors can see the result of 172...
Why this is considered Richard Rogers’ one of the most distinctive creations?
This is Pompidou Centre located in Paris which is designed by none other than Richard Rogers an Italian-born British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs in high-tech architecture who passed away last...
What inspired the shape of this skyscraper?
This is Suzhou International Financial Square which is a supertall skyscraper designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in the Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu, located to the east of Jinji Lake in China. It is...
What inspired the design of this Church in Spanish island?
This is Tenerife church in Spain designed by local architect Fernando Menis which is made of raw concrete. The church is popular not only because of its shape but also for the material selection....
Why this bridge is circular shaped?
This is the Laguna Garzon Bridge in Garzon, Uruguay designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly who has offices in New York City, Palo Alto, London, Manchester, Abu Dhabi and Buenos Aires. The bridge which...
How this temple proved to be indestructible to the enemies?
Ellora in Maharashtra has 34 Buddhist, Jain and Hindu cave temples and monasteries known collectively as the Ellora Caves, ranging for over two kilometres along the sloping basalt cliff. Of these temples, the Kailasa...
Do you know these facts about Vidhana Soudha?
On 1st November Karnataka celebrated its 66th Formation Day. Apart from its rich cultural heritage, coffee cultivation and sandalwood, Karnataka is also popular for its legislative assembly building (popularly known as Vidhana Soudha) in...
What inspired the design of this FIFA 2022 stadium?
This is the Al Thumama Stadium, one of eight stadiums, which are built for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022. The stadium which was opened last week has a capacity of 40,000 seats....
Why this temple is photographers’ favourite?
Varanasi is the religious capital of India. With close to 3,000 temples and shrines dotting the city's landscape, Varanasi is often referred to as the City of Temples. The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple near Manikarnika...
Why this Japanese kindergarten designed like this?
This is Fuji Kindergarten designed by well-known Japanese architect, Takaharu Tezuka (Tezuka Architects). The kindergarten is housed in a two-story, open, elliptical building. The classrooms are in a ring on the ground floor, while...
Why this park is unlike other parks
Chulalongkorn University is the first university in Thailand to complete 100 years and it celebrated its century in the most commendable way. Unlike many centenarian institutions who celebrate their milestones by building concrete vertical...
What makes the interiors of this restaurant so unique?
It took nearly 6 months in 2018 to complete the renovation of Koller + Koller am Waagplatz at Salzburg in Austria. But when completed it became the much cherished project at the award events...
What’s hidden in this façade?
Façade of a building is important because it makes the building aesthetically pleasing as well as links the exterior building design to the interior design. In today’s world when conservation and sustainability have become...
How day light is transmitted inside this building?
Scientists have often reported that daylit environments increase occupant productivity and comfort, and provide the mental and visual stimulation necessary to regulate human circadian rhythms. Further, utilizing natural light can lead to substantial energy...
What inspired the design of this IT Park?
In India IT parks are as common as lamp posts. You may find a city in India without public park but its hard to find a city without IT park! This makes the life...
What message does this water tower convey?
Water tower like many other urban infra projects are often considered technical structures and as such aesthetics are rarely given any significance while designing. But in this project, Ban de Gasperich water tower, in...
What’s the inspiration for this FIFA 2022 stadium’s design?
This is the 40,000-seat Al Janoub Stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup which could be reduced to a 20,000-seat capacity designed by world famous Zaha Hadid Architects and will be one of the...
Why is this building called Breathing Headquarters?
The moment you enter this office you can make out this is not like any other building. This is the headquarters of GRUENE ERDE, maker of solid wood furniture, sleep products, home textiles, home...
What inspired the design of this building?
This is Rosewood Bangkok, a luxury hotel located within Bangkok's central business district along Ploenchit Road. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox with Tandem Architects as executive architect and Celia Chu Design Associates as interior...
Why these restrooms are considered futuristic?
These are the restrooms, ‘One Hundred Restrooms’, provided by Wewantmore, an organisation that aims to redefine the standard of public toilets with designs that have been manifested from customer insights. OHR is a full-service...
Why this school building designed like this?
This is Green School, New Zealand which is located on an old dairy farm. In this school the approach is in favour of a holistic learning programme, where the emphasis is less on what...
Why this temple’s design considered so unique?
This is Kopeshwar Temple at Khidrapur, Kolhapur district in Maharashtra located at the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. It was built in the 12th century by the Jain Shilahara king Gandaraditya between 1109 and...
What’s the theme this church’s design based on?
This is All Souls Anglican Church situated at Christchurch in New Zealand. The new 1045-sq.m structure was built in 2019 to replace and unite St. Mary’s and St. Matthew’s churches, both damaged and demolished...
Why this court tower doesn’t have a façade?
35-storey State Courts Towers in Singapore is the tallest government building in Singapore. Opened in 2019, this 178-meter-tall building costing US$334.6 million contains 53 courtrooms and 54 hearing chambers. This civic building in Singapore...
What inspired the shape of this building?
This is a residential project in Cyprus designed by Pininfarina for the prestigious local developer Singularis. This project, Sixty6 Tower, has won the coveted International Architecture Awards, 2020 for its unique design. Do you...
How this building designed to make it environmentally-responsive?
This light-drenched, 11-floor boutique office tower, Solar Carve, in Manhattan has received appreciation from many experts and has fetched awards also. Designed by Studio Gang architects and supported by Arup the project, has won...
What inspired the design of this building?
This is the Kuwait National Assembly Building designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon in 1972, completed in 1982 under the direction of his son Jan. The building was seriously damaged in February 1991 when...
Why this structure stands apart from other churches?
This is the Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk situated at the edge of Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, near the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. Built in 1721, the church was...
What’s the uniqueness of this temple?
India is a land of temples and here its difficult to find a village without a temple. Each temple has its own story to tell and also has a unique architecture. This is Veeranarayana...
Why the roof and walls of this church are designed in that manner?
This is the Church of San Giovanni Battista located in the alpine village of Mogno in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Original church was built in the 17th century which was swept away by...
What inspired the design of this tall tower?
This tower was designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava who is known for his gravity defying structures all over the world. Completed in 2005, the project was envisioned as an important part of the...
What’s the speciality of this little known South Indian temple?
This is Vettuvan Koil which means ‘Heaven of sculptors’ located in Kalugumalai, a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. Kalugumalai is a small town which had a population of about 15,000 in...
Why this Ambani owned Georgian era mansion is unique?
Recently UK’s country club and luxury golf resort, Stoke Park was in news as the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani was buying it for fifty-seven million pounds. The deal involved acquisition of Stoke...
Why this Jain temple considered unique?
Jain temples and tirtha (pilgrimage sites) are present throughout India, many of which were built several hundred years ago. Karnataka is an important state for Jain pilgrimage where you can find huge Bahubali monoliths...
Why the shape of this school building designed like this?
This is the new building of Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan meant for girls below the poverty line residing in the Thar Desert region whose opening has been delayed (thrice) due...
How the water of this pool cleaned without using chemicals?
Crystal clear water in a swimming pool may not necessarily mean that water is pure. You may be actually swimming in a pool of chemicals! This is the Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool (NSP)...
Can you relate this design to any natural object/creature?
Human thinking and inventions have their own limitations and they cannot go beyond the nature around us. His capability is measured by how close he can imitate the one created by nature. Even the...
What’s the inspiration of this museum’s design?
A museum inside an office? And that too in the headquarters of an organisation? Very unusual isn’t it? But its in China where anything can happen anytime. The project commissioned for Yingliang Stone Group...
Why this office headquarter is shaped like this?
This is the headquarters of Attabotics, a Calgary based 3D robotic goods-to-person storage, retrieval and real-time order fulfilment firm. The building, designed by Calgary-based Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA), has won several...
Why these homes are shaped like this?
What makes these structures found in the city of Den Bosch, a typical Dutch suburb, is their shape. Though they have become tourist attraction, they are primarily meant for human residence. When they were...
What inspired the design of this healthcare space?
High quality cosmetic surgery is a luxury in any part of the world and the healthcare units providing this service need to ensure that ambience in which the service is provided matches the quality...
What does this bubble convey to the people?
The real culture of Beijing lies in the culture of Hutong and Siheyuan (courtyards). They give an insight to the old lifestyle of ordinary Beijingers. Because of the interlacement of the lanes, every house...
How the vernacular architecture influenced this modern building?
The Administration Facilities (shown here) at Kuwait University’s Sabah Al-Salem University City is the main gateway to the new campus of Kuwait University founded in 1966. The facility has seven buildings which houses the...
What’s the inspiration of this mosque’s design?
This is the KAFD Grand Mosque located at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Designed by the Riyadh-based architecture and engineering firm Omrania and Associates, the 6,103-sq.m structure functions as a...
What inspired the design of this pavilion?
By now everyone knows about the Wuhan city of China. It’s the city from where Covid virus originated and brought the entire world to a standstill. But it doesn’t mean that Wuhan is an...
Why this is considered as a ‘noteworthy’ heritage site?
This is one of the largest stepwells found in Gujarat measuring 65-m (213-ft) long, 20 metres (66-ft) wide and 28-m (92-ft) deep. This stepwell, known as ‘Rani Ki Vav’, like Taj Mahal is also...
What inspired the glass façade of this concert hall?
This is Harpa concert hall and conference centre located in Reykjavík, Iceland which was opened for public in 2011. Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist...
Why this temple is considered one of the greatest achievements of ancient architects?
Unlike other South Indian temples, Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram in Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu is unique in many respects. Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the...
Do you know how many pillars this temple has?
Some facts about this temple in Ranakpur in Rajasthan are still not clear – How long it took to build this temple, how much it cost and who were all involved in its design?...
What inspired this roofscape design?
The Zooraji Rooftop Garden in Daegu, South Korea, is the third in a series of roofscapes designed by Alan Maskin of Olson Kundig Architects for one of South Korea’s largest retailers, Shinsegae. Located on...
Why this temple is called Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh?
This temple is called Bhoramdeo temple and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a thousand year old place of worship situated in Chouragaon in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh and 125 Km from Raipur....
What inspired the design of this new Olympic House?
On 23rd June 2019, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially opened Olympic House at Lausanne, Switzerland. The inauguration was the highlight of the very emblematic and emotional celebrations to mark the 125th anniversary of...
What makes this chapel different from others?
The Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, completed in 2007 is located on an agricultural landscape in the rural town of Eifel, Germany. The field chapel is dedicated to Swiss Saint Nicholas von der Flue (1417-1487),...
What message this ancient city called ‘Manhattan of the Desert’?
Surrounded by a fortified wall, the 16th-century city of Shibam in Yemen is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Its impressive tower-like structures...
What inspired this museum’s design?
The gift shop at the National Museum of Qatar offers a large collection of well-designed, exclusive gifts, many of which draw their inspiration from the history, heritage and culture of Qatar. But more importantly,...
What do the missing tiles of this mosque’s façade convey?
It seems there are only four blue mosques in the world and one of them is located in Tabriz in Iran. Tabriz is the capital of the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan (situated in...
What inspired this hotel’s design?
Opened for public in March 2018, Kempinski Hotel Muscat has already won several accolades, both for its architecture and hospitality. Located in the modern community of Al Mouj, Muscat, and encompassing over six kilometers...
What’s the mystery surrounding Towers of Ingushetia?
Towers of Ingushetia are built by Ingush, Vainakh and Chechen people in Russia. They are also known as Vainakh towers. Ingush, Vainakh and Chechen towers differed in architecture, but not much. The oldest remains...
What makes this University building in Sengal unique?
Alioune Diop University in Bambey, Senegal, was given the highest honours at the Aga Khan Award for Architecture ceremony in Kazan, Russia. Its teaching and research department is one of the 5 Laureates of...
Why the restoration of these walls drew criticism?
The City of Carcassonne, a fortified settlement in France, has existed since the pre-Roman period. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling...
What inspired this Apple store’s design?
Apple Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell various Apple products, including Mac personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad tablet computers, iPod portable media players, Apple...
Why this place in Karnataka gaining significance?
It’s a small village called Lakkundi situated in Gadag district of Northern Karnataka. As per the 2011 census, population of this village was less than 12,000. It’s a small village which many people even...
What do the wheels of this temple convey?
The Sun Temple at Konârak built in the 13th century is located in Odisha and is a classic example of Kalinga architecture. The temple was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. The structure...
What makes the steps of this temple so unique?
Near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu there is a 12th Century Hindu temple, Airavatesvara temple which is also popular as Siva temple of Darasuram. The temple was built during the regime of Rajaraja Chola II...
Why this Haveli in London is considered environment friendly?
25 years old BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (also commonly known as the Neasden Temple) in London is well known for its stone carvings not only in London but all over the world. Adjoining this...
Why the pillars of this temple unique?
In Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district (in coastal Karnataka) there is a Taluka called Moodabidri which may not figure at the top of the tourist map despite having many worth visiting places. One among the...
Why this is called Museum of Human Body?
Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the Museum of Human Body in France is counted as one of the top museums in the world today for its unique design. Work on this 7,800-sq.m museum...
Who is the inspiration behind this dome?
The Selimiye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque, which is located in the city of Edirne, Turkey and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II, and was...
How this mosque is different from others?
It’s a mosque in Abu Dhabi that serves the dual objectives of creating an uplifting, spiritual space thus catering to the practical needs of the worshippers as well as addressing the character of the...
What is the India connection of this Swedish project?
Gravitational waves a cosmic phenomenon discovered by Einstein as early as in 1916, but first measured by scientists in 2016. Gravitational waves arise when two celestial bodies orbit each other, spinning closer and closer...
Why this castle is so dreadful?
This castle, popularly known as Château de Trécesson, is located in the Brittany region of France. Though the exact year of its construction is not known it’s believed that the structure belongs to 15th...
What record this building holds even today?
It’s a castle or rather a castle complex located in Prague, Czech Republic. It was built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. No, its...
Why this UNESCO world heritage site has become centre of controversy?
It’s the second most visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually and is a witness to the changing political and religious equations in Turkey over the years. 1500 old structure built...
Why this kindergarten is juries’ favourite?
This kindergarten popularly known as ‘The Farming Kindergarten’ is located in Dong Nai Province in Vietnam. Set up in 2013, the kindergarten is popular not only among the kids and their parents but also...
Why this is considered an architectural marvel of Saudi?
This is the mosque within the campus of University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The university campus is spread over 12 million sqm of land with about 1,600 teaching staff and 36,000 students. With...
What’s the uniqueness of this mosque?
This is Sancaklar Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey overlooking the Buyukcekmece Lake, completed in 2012-13. The mosque occupies a 1,200-sq.m space and can hold 650 people. This mosque made up of light grey stone and...
Do you know what will be done with this building and why?
This 19th century building is located in downtown Braunau am Inn, near Austria’s border with Germany. It’s a normal 3-storey building without any extraordinary architectural features. For the Austrian government it has been like...
What was the greatest challenge in designing this Bahai temple?
This Bahai Temple is the last of eight Bahai temples built so far in the world. In late 2002, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile announced a competition for the design...
What’s the significance of towers in this synagogue?
The Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center in Tel Aviv, Israel designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, is not like any other synagogue. It may be partly due to the fact that Botta always...
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