The architecture of the present: projects that have amazed an entire world

Sydney Opera House, Australia

We have chosen to open the list of the most remarkable modern architectural projects with the well-known opera in Sydney because the creation of the Danish architect Jørn Utzon is considered to be the first famous modern building. It was built between 1956-1973 with an architecture that was unconventional for those times, being designed in the impressionist style. The honors of the inauguration were made by Queen Elizabeth II herself, Queen of Great Britain, and Australia (along with 14 other states). The shell-shaped roof, weighing 15 tons, and the location - the building being surrounded by water on three sides - among other things, turned it into a real monument, visited annually by millions of tourists, interested or not in the cultural part which it offers. Since 2007, the Opera has been included in the UNESCO patrimony.

Lakhta Center, Russia

If we think about the architecture of Russia in general and the city of St. Petersburg in particular, the first buildings that will come to mind will probably be the famous cathedrals with multi-colored towers or imposing buildings, in imperialist style. However, this cultural heritage has not prevented Russian architects from developing dizzying skyscrapers, including the Lakhta Center, the tallest building in Europe and the 14th tallest in the world. With a height of 462 meters, the construction for which 16,500 pieces of curved glass were used is structured on 87 floors and was built between 2012-2019, with a total cost of USD 1.77 billion. The skyscraper houses the headquarters of one of the most important energy companies – Gazprom.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

Built between 2004-2009, the Burj Khalifa has certainly stood out all over the world, especially due to its large number of records. The most important, by far, is its status as the tallest building in the world - 828 meters, the title "stolen" from Taipei 101, a skyscraper of 508.2 meters in Taiwan. It is also the building with the largest number of floors – 163, the spiral located at the top of the building being visible from a distance of 60 miles. In addition, it has the fastest elevators in the world, moving at a speed of 18 meters/second. Inside, on the 158th floor, the mosque at the highest elevation was opened. All these details were designed by the architecture firm SOM, and the construction cost over USD 4 billion.

Marina Bay Sand, Singapore

The famous 2,561-room resort, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, was opened in 2010 following a total investment – including land – of over USD 6.8 billion. Although most people are content to admire the spectacular design of the building from the outside, the interior is not inferior either. Within the walls of the hotel hide, among other things, a waterway, a multitude of luxury shops, and an infinity pool, which offers a beautiful view over the city.

Lee SOHO, China

Architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects achieved an enviable performance: the atrium inside Leeza SOHO, China, the skyscraper it designed and opened in 2019, broke the record previously held by the famous Burj Al Arab – the highest atrium in the world. It is 194 meters high and is as imposing as the exterior of the building, the project having a total cost of about USD 288 million.

Mountain Dwellings, Denmark

If you dream of a house with a garden, but you can only afford an apartment, Mountain Dwellings offers you the perfect alternative. Structured on 11 floors in the form of an artificial mountain, the apartment building designed by the Danish architecture firm PLOT has 80 penthouses, each with its garden. And, to increase the utility of the construction, a parking lot with a capacity of 480 spaces was arranged in the basement of the residential complex.

Metropol Parasol, Spain

Acknowledged as the largest wooden structure in the world, Metropol Parasol hosts a museum, a market, and a series of terraces overlooking the city. The construction, made in the form of huge mushrooms, was designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer, who was inspired by the Cathedral of Seville and the fig trees that guard the Plaza de Cristo de Burgos.

Flying Monks Temple, China

An unexpected association between the secluded life of Buddhist monks and futuristic architecture, the Temple of the Flying Monks is structured in the form of a 230-seat amphitheater, from which demonstrations of Shaolin monks can be seen. The name comes from the wind tunnel opened to the sky through a huge structure, which mimics the trunk and branches of a tree. The construction was designed by the Latvian architecture studio Mailītis Architects and was completed 5 years ago.

Data for this article was obtained from Pinterest.com, Wikipedia.org, and rmjm.com. Main photo ©Jonghyun Kim/123RF.COM.