Technology is developing at an alarming rate, and the architectural world is also constantly showing different innovative results. The cool buildings seem to have come to reality from the scenes of science fiction movies. Next, let me take you to these 10 cool buildings. See how unique they are and how amazing they are.
Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Niterói Contemporary Art Museum is located in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It looks like a giant flying saucer that fell from the sky and landed steadily on a high ground by the sea. It reminds people of aliens. This cool building was designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer. The structure is 16 meters high. Its dome is 50 meters in diameter and has three floors.
In the movie "Oscar Niemeyer, the Architect Dedicated to His Century", Niemeyer flew over Rio de Janeiro in a UFO and then landed on the spot. This is the origin of the museum.
In order to achieve such a unique hyperbolic shape, the architect used advanced concrete casting technology. Large areas of glass curtain walls are integrated with the white concrete shell. Plenty of natural light is introduced into the interior. Since its completion, this museum has become a cultural landmark in Niterói and even in Brazil.
The Gateway Arch (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
The Gateway Arch stands in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Made of stainless steel, the arch is 192 meters high and presents an inverted "U" shape. The bottom span of the arch is also 192 meters. It is the tallest arch in the world and the tallest barrier-free building in Missouri. Structural engineer Tibor Szegezdy said the Arch could stand "considerably less than a thousand years" before collapsing in a wind storm.
Engineers faced many challenges in building this cool building. It uses advanced wind tunnel testing technology to accurately simulate the stress of the arch under various meteorological conditions to ensure the safety of the arch under high-altitude strong winds. During the construction process, special scaffolding and lifting equipment were used to ensure that the stainless steel components could be accurately installed. This large arch is regarded as a symbol of the westward movement and is officially dedicated to the "American people."
Biosphere of Montreal (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Biosphere of Montreal is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a unique cool architecture building. Do you think of a dazzling crystal ball when you see it? It is embedded in the city and has become the pearl of the city. This building was designed by the famous American architect Buckminster Fuller and several well-known designers such as Shoji Sadao. Its main body adopts the geodesic dome structure improved by Fuller.
What are domes? The grid dome structure is composed of many triangular metal frames connected to each other. These triangles are closely arranged to form a curved surface that is similar to a sphere. The numerous triangular units evenly disperse the pressure, allowing the entire building to withstand greater external forces. This not only resists wind and snow, but also creates a spacious interior. This application has also been extended to modern times, and people have created a geodesic dome suitable for living. It inherits the advantages of the cool building of Biosphere of Montreal.
Fuller's team used a steel truss structure. Through precise mathematical calculations and model tests, the size and angle of each triangular frame are ensured to be accurate. In this way, a perfect curve can be achieved. After the fire destroyed the building's transparent acrylic bubbles, the locals used it as an open-air structure. As a natural museum complex, it is an ecological and cultural business card for the city of Montreal, highlighting Montreal's positive image in the dissemination of sustainable development and ecological protection concepts.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Istanbul, Turkey)
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a Byzantine-style dome building. It was designed and built by the Muslim Mehmet Aga. The mosque has more than 30 domes, which gather towards the central dome with a diameter of 27.5 meters. There are six minarets in the mosque, which are symmetrically arranged in three rows at the four corners and the middle of the rectangular temple. It is the only mosque in the world with six minarets. This number symbolizes the six major beliefs of Islam.
The cool building designs do not use a single iron nail, and are all made of marble. It is worth mentioning that it has survived several major earthquakes in 400 years. The design of 260 windows and 21,043 blue tiles together create a fantastic and blurred color effect. The Blue Mosque is of great significance to the local area. It witnessed the strength and prosperity of the Ottoman Empire and carries a profound historical and cultural heritage. It is also an important place for religious activities, and many Muslims come to pray every day.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is located in Bilbao, Spain. Can you imagine a giant silver battleship sitting in the middle of the city? This cool building designed by architect Frank Gehry is full of sculptural and fluid feeling. It breaks the square and regular form of traditional museums. Its main structure adopts irregular geometric shapes, and curved surfaces of different sizes and angles are intertwined. The facade of the building is covered with titanium metal plates, and the sunlight shines with metallic luster.
In order to achieve such a complex shape, the architects used advanced computer-aided design (CAD) technology. This angular titanium alloy skin building is regarded as a turning point in the practice of computer simulation and digital technology. Through precise digital simulation, the designer can accurately control the shape and position of each building component to ensure the smooth progress of the construction process. For the irregular curved surface structure, a special steel structure support system is used.
The museum has completely reversed the development trajectory of Bilbao, a traditional industrial city, and has become a typical example of the "Guggenheim effect". Since its opening, it has promoted the transformation of Bilbao from an industrial center to a cultural tourist destination.
Fallingwater (Mill Run, Pennsylvania, USA)
Fallingwater is located in Pennsylvania, USA. It was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The villa is built along the stream, with stacked concrete platforms stretching in different directions. Does it look as if the building has grown out of the land? The huge overhanging eaves give people a tense visual experience.
The Kaufmans plan to host large groups in this residence. They also asked Wright to add separate bedrooms to the architectural design. To meet these requirements, Wright adopted a cantilever structure on the building base. Wright and his team used inverted T-beams and integrated them into an integral concrete slab. It not only forms the ceiling of the space below to enhance the compressive strength.
This cool building complements the flowing water and sets off each other. It has brought considerable economic benefits to the local tourism industry. It has also become a symbol of the concept of harmonious coexistence between nature and architecture.
Morpheus Hotel (Macau, Special administrative regions of China)
Morpheus Hotel has traveled from the future and stands in Macau. Its exterior was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and presents an irregular shape. The hotel project is 160 meters high, with 39 floors and a total floor area of 150,000 square meters. There is an infinity pool on the 40th floor, 130 meters above the ground. The whole building is a geometric body that has been twisted, melted and reshaped. The facade adopts a unique three-dimensional mesh structure, which can also present a variety of visual effects under different light periods.
Engineers used advanced digital design and construction technology. Through computer simulation analysis, the shape and position of each structural component are accurately planned. The structural design inside the hotel is also very innovative. There is no traditional vertical column inside, and diagonal support is used. The hotel has attracted a large number of tourists to check in, and it has also added a strong modern atmosphere to Macau's city image.
Shapeshifter House (Reno, Nevada, USA)
This transformable house is located in Reno, Nevada, USA. The client moved here from the high desert outside the city, hoping to build a home with both contemporary style and western characteristics. The architect team was inspired by the surrounding bare mountains and desert environment. The transformable house regards the ground as a variable material, and draws on the desert terrain to shape anticlines, synclines, dunes and other forms.
The elements of the house are broken and symmetrical, full of agility and change. In order to achieve a transformable structure, it is speculated that advanced intelligent control technology is used to coordinate the movement of modules, and strong and lightweight materials are selected to ensure safety and stability. It is not only a unique residence, but also a model of urban landscape innovation. Native plants are planted around this cool building architecture to reproduce the desert ecology.
Seeing the design of this building has triggered people's thinking about the relationship between architecture and nature. I believe it will inspire more practitioners to explore new ways to combine architecture with regional ecology.
DUO (Singapore)
The DUO project in Singapore is like a pair of giants standing side by side. It consists of two towers with a unified style. The tower's facade adopts a diamond grid design. Does it remind you of a honeycomb? The overall regularity makes people feel comfortable. The two towers are connected to each other at the bottom through a large podium, which contains a wealth of commercial and public spaces, forming an organic whole.
This cool building also uses digital design and analysis technology. Through computer simulation, it is accurately calculated that the building can be stable in Singapore's changing climate conditions. DUO integrates multiple functions such as residential, commercial, and office, greatly improving the efficiency of land use. If Shapeshifter House is a combination of nature and architecture, then DUO is a pure urban building. It provides an example of the sustainable development of cities.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (Daxing District, Beijing, China)
The completion of Beijing Daxing International Airport is of great significance. It has become the new main force of Beijing's air transportation. The airport is located in Daxing District, Beijing. From a geographical point of view, it is an important node for transportation connection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Daxing Airport aims to meet the huge demand of 100 million annual passenger throughput. The total investment of the entire project is 79.98 billion yuan, which shows the large scale of its construction.
The unique shape of the five finger corridors extends radially to the surrounding areas, which is very visually shocking. A large amount of high-strength steel is used to build a stable support system, and advanced digital simulation technology is used for precise analysis and optimization. It is also equipped with intelligent baggage transportation, automatic navigation and other systems. It shows the achievements of China's modernization to the world.
Wrapping Up
10 cool buildings, is there one you want to check in? From the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Brazil to the Beijing Daxing International Airport in China, each building shows a unique design concept. These cool buildings are both beautiful and practical in shape and design. They show us the infinite possibilities in the field of architecture in their own unique way.
Among the many types of buildings, you will find that many buildings use dome structures. It has a long history, from the Pantheon in ancient Rome to various modern dome houses. If you want to learn more about dome structures, including their historical evolution, various types, wide applications and scientific principles behind dome buildings, you can contact Shelter Dome.
