ArchitectMind

ArchitectMind

How far can architects’ imagination go? If Art is their inspiration, very far. Here are 7 of the wildest creations in the world; some beautiful to look at, others a little… strange, but all of them utterly fascinating.

1. Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision (Hilversum, the Netherlands)

Designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects, the colorful, cheerful look of its translucent glass makes this building one of a kind. It has 5 underground levels and as many above ground. It aims to gather as many archives as possible about important events throughout history under one roof, becoming the vault that stores part of humanity’s history. The Hilversum institute is a huge television screen that lights up when night falls.

2. La Tête Carrée (Nice, France)

The work of the famous sculptor and painter Sacha Sosno together with architects Yves Bayard and Francis Chapuis. It is the first inhabited sculpture in the world: a 26-meter-tall library with 3 floors full of books and documents, both digital and on paper. The literal translation of Tête Carrée is “Square Head” — you could hardly represent thinking inside the box any better.

3. Honeycomb (Jerusalem, Israel)

The unusual Ramot Polin neighborhood is located in northwest Jerusalem. It was built between 1972 and 1975 based on plans by architect Zvi Hecker for the national Ministry of Housing, which wanted a design that broke with architectural conventions (and it did). It is a complex of 720 geometric homes. Prefabricated pentagonal pieces were used in its construction to create these distinctive façades.

4. Denver Art Museum (Denver, USA)

The building was begun in early 1948, when designer Burnham Hoyt created what became known as the Schleier Gallery. Over the years it has been expanded many times, as the museum needs more space to keep its treasures. The best known is the “Frederic C. Hamilton” extension, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, a building that echoes the beautiful peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the geometric rock formations typical of Denver’s geology. The entire structure is clad in huge titanium panels that, according to the architect, “reflect the brilliance of the Colorado sun.”

5. Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria, Egypt)

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is one of the most famous cultural centers in the world, built to commemorate the ancient Library of Alexandria (destroyed in antiquity) and to revive the brilliance that great center of learning represented. The library can hold 8 million books; its main reading room is enormous (70,000 m²), with a 32-meter-high ceiling and 11 levels cascading harmoniously. On the outer granite walls you can see calligraphic inscriptions.

6. Infosys Building (Hinjewadi, Pune, India)

A beautiful high-tech building. The whole structure looks like a spacecraft, an illusion created by its shape: an ellipsoid tilted at an angle of about 10 degrees. The building was the first occupant of the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park. It was built to designs by Hafeez Contractor, a prominent and respected Indian architect known for his commitment to “green” design. The building combines steel, glass and aluminum.

7. Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA)

The Milwaukee Art Museum is a spectacular building of more than 30,000 square meters on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was designed by architects Santiago Calatrava, David Kahler and Eero Saarinen. It is divided into 3 parts: the War Memorial Center, the Quadracci Pavilion and the Cudahy Gardens. It evokes the boats sailing on the lake, with a mast, a bow and a kind of sails in its unique design.