In adding the dome to the Florence Cathedral (Italy) in the early 15th century, the architect Filippo Brunelleschi not only transformed the building and the city, but also the role and status of the architect.
Architecture began as rural, oral vernacular architecture that developed from trial and error to successful replication. Ancient urban architecture was preoccupied with building religious structures and buildings symbolizing the political power of rulers until Greek and Roman architecture shifted focus to civic virtues. Indian and Chinese architecture influenced forms all over Asia, and Buddhist architecture in particular took diverse local flavors. During the Middle Ages, pan-European styles of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals and abbeys emerged while the Renaissance favored Classical forms implemented by architects known by name. Later, the roles of architects and engineers became separated.
Modern architecture began after World War I as an avant-garde movement that sought to develop a completely new style appropriate for a new post-war social and economic order focused on meeting the needs of the middle and working classes. Emphasis was put on modern techniques, materials, and simplified geometric forms, paving the way for high-rise superstructures. Many architects became disillusioned with modernism, which they perceived as ahistorical and anti-aesthetic, and postmodern and contemporary architecture developed. Over the years, the field of architectural construction has branched out to include everything from ship design to interior decorating. (Full article...)
Named for energy firm BP, which donated $5million toward its construction, it is the first Gehry-designed bridge to have been completed. BP Bridge is described as snakelike because of its curving form. Designed to bear a heavy load without structural problems caused by its own weight, it has won awards for its use of sheet metal. The bridge is known for its aesthetics, and Gehry's style is seen in its biomorphic allusions and extensive sculptural use of stainless steel plates to express abstraction. (Full article...)
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Holkham Hall. The severely Palladian south facade with its Ionicportico is devoid of arms or motif; not even a blind window is allowed to break the void between the windows and roof-line, while the lower windows are mere piercings in the stark brickwork. The only hint of ornamentation is from the two terminating Venetian windows.
Holkham is one of England's finest examples of the Palladian Revival style of architecture, and the severity of its design is closer to Andrea Palladio's ideals than many of the other numerous Palladian houses of the period. The exterior consists of a central block, of two storeys and constructed of brick, and four flanking wings. The interior of the hall is opulent, but by the standards of the day, simply decorated and furnished. Ornament is used with such restraint that it was possible to decorate both private and state rooms in the same style, without oppressing the former. The principal entrance is through the Marble Hall, which is in fact made of pink Derbyshire alabaster; this leads to the piano nobile, or the first floor, and state rooms. The most impressive of these rooms is the Saloon, which has walls lined with red velvet. Each of the major state rooms is symmetrical in its layout and design; in some rooms, false doors are necessary to fully achieve this balanced effect. The four pavilions at each corner of the central block provide space for private, family accommodation, a guest wing, a chapel and the kitchens. (Full article...)
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The double, superimposed colonnade on the south front of West Wycombe. It has a Tuscan order ground floor and Corinthian upper floor with a central projecting pediment, very unusual in English architecture. (Marked M on plan below) West Wycombe Park is a country house built between 1740 and 1800 near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th-century libertine and dilettanteSir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that are columned and pedimented, three theatrically so. The house encapsulates the entire progression of British 18th-century architecture from early idiosyncratic Palladian to the Neoclassical, although anomalies in its design make it architecturally unique. The mansion is set within an 18th-century landscaped park containing many small temples and follies, which act as satellites to the greater temple, the house.
The house, a Grade I listed building, was given to the National Trust in 1943 by Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet (1896–1966), an action strongly resented by his heir. Dashwood retained ownership of the surrounding estate and the contents of the house, most of which he sold; after his death, the house was restored at the expense of his son, the 11th Baronet. Today, while the structure is owned by the National Trust, the house is still the home of the Dashwood family. The house is open to the public during the summer months and is a venue for civil weddings and corporate entertainment, which help to fund its maintenance and upkeep. (Full article...)
Location in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London
The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road, is a late-Victorian townhouse in the Holland Park district of Kensington and Chelsea, London, built by the architect and designer William Burges as his home. Designed between 1875 and 1881, in the French Gothic Revival style, it was described by the architectural historian J. Mordaunt Crook as "the most complete example of a medieval secular interior produced by the Gothic Revival, and the last". The house is built of red brick, with Bath stone dressings and green roof slates from Cumbria, and has a distinctive cylindrical tower and conical roof. The ground floor contains a drawing room, a dining room and a library, while the first floor has two bedrooms and an armoury. Its exterior and the interior echo elements of Burges's earlier work, particularly Park House in Cardiff and Castell Coch. It was designated a Grade Ilisted building in 1949.
Burges bought the lease on the plot of land in 1875. The house was built by the Ashby Brothers, with interior decoration by members of Burges's long-standing team of craftsmen such as Thomas Nicholls and Henry Stacy Marks. By 1878 the house was largely complete, although interior decoration and the designing of numerous items of furniture and metalwork continued until Burges's death in 1881. The house was inherited by his brother-in-law, Richard Popplewell Pullan. It was later sold to Colonel T.H. Minshall and then, in 1933, to Colonel E.R.B. Graham. The poet John Betjeman inherited the remaining lease in 1962 but did not extend it. Following a period when the house stood empty and suffered vandalism, it was purchased and restored, first by Lady Jane Turnbull, later by the actor Richard Harris and then by the musician Jimmy Page. (Full article...)
After working and training in Bolton and Manchester, Holden moved to London. His early buildings were influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, but for most of his career he championed an unadorned style based on simplified forms and massing that was free of what he considered to be unnecessary decorative detailing. Holden believed strongly that architectural designs should be dictated by buildings' intended functions. After the First World War, he increasingly simplified his style and his designs became pared-down and modernist, influenced by European architecture. He was a member of the Design and Industries Association and the Art Workers' Guild. He produced complete designs for his buildings including the interior design and architectural fittings. (Full article...)
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1749 portrait
Matthew Brettingham (1699– 19 August 1769), sometimes called Matthew Brettingham the Elder, was an English architect who supervised the construction of Holkham Hall, and became one of the best-known architects of his generation, despite coming from modest origins. Much of his principal work has since been demolished, particularly his work in London, where he revolutionised the design of the grand townhouse. As a result, he is often overlooked today, remembered principally for his Palladian remodelling of numerous country houses, many of them situated in the East Anglia area of Britain. As Brettingham neared the pinnacle of his career, Palladianism began to fall out of fashion and neoclassicism was introduced, championed by the young Robert Adam.
Born in Norwich, into a family of craftsmen, Brettingham worked initially as a surveyor, gaining experience through jobs for the city's civic authorities. Work included restorations at Norwich Cathedral, at the castle, at the local prison and the shire hall. His professional ascent began in 1743 with his appointment to the post of Clerk of Works at Holkham. The succeeding decades saw many aristocratic commissions, predominantly in East Anglia, but including work at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. (Full article...)
Palladianism emerged in England in the early 17th century, led by Inigo Jones, whose Queen's House at Greenwich has been described as the first English Palladian building (although the first structure to be completed in the classical style of Palladian architecture was Jones's Banqueting House in Whitehall, (in 1622)). The development of Palladianism in architecture in Great Britain faltered at the onset of the English Civil War. After the Stuart Restoration, the architectural landscape was dominated by the more flamboyant English Baroque. Palladianism returned to fashion after a reaction against the Baroque in the early 18th century, fuelled by the publication of a number of architectural books, including Palladio's own I quattro libri dell'architettura (The Four Books of Architecture) and Colen Campbell's Vitruvius Britannicus. Campbell's book included illustrations of Wanstead House, a building he designed on the outskirts of London and one of the largest and most influential of the early neo-Palladian houses. The movement's resurgence was championed by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, whose buildings for himself, such as Chiswick House and Burlington House, became celebrated. Burlington sponsored the career of the artist, architect and landscaper William Kent, and their joint creation, Holkham Hall in Norfolk, has been described as "the most splendid Palladian house in England". By the middle of the century Palladianism had become almost the national architectural style, epitomised by Kent's Horse Guards at the centre of the nation's capital. (Full article...)
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The ruins of the Round Church in Preslav. View from the atrium entrance looking towards the narthex and rotunda gates, with the apse in the distance
The Round Church (Bulgarian: Кръгла църква, Kragla tsarkva), also known as the Golden Church (Златна църква, Zlatna tsarkva) or the Church of St John (църква "Свети Йоан", tsarkva "Sveti Yoan"), is a large partially preserved early medieval Eastern Orthodox church. It lies in Preslav, the former capital of the First Bulgarian Empire, today a town in northeastern Bulgaria. The church dates to the early 10th century, the time of Simeon I's rule, and was unearthed and first archaeologically examined in 1927–1928.
Considered to be one of the most impressive examples of medieval Bulgarian architecture, the Round Church takes its name from the distinctive shape of one of its three sections, the cella (naos), which is a rotunda that serves as a place of liturgy. The church's design also includes a wide atrium and a rectangular entrance area, or narthex, marked by two circular turrets. (Full article...)
Originally, mosques were simple places of prayer for the early Muslims, and may have been open spaces rather than elaborate buildings. In the first stage of Islamic architecture (650–750 CE), early mosques comprised open and closed covered spaces enclosed by walls, often with minarets, from which the Islamic call to prayer was issued on a daily basis. It is typical of mosque buildings to have a special ornamental niche (a mihrab) set into the wall in the direction of the city of Mecca (the qibla), which Muslims must face during prayer, as well as a facility for ritual cleansing (wudu). The pulpit (minbar), from which public sermons (khutbah) are delivered on the event of Friday prayer, was, in earlier times, characteristic of the central city mosque, but has since become common in smaller mosques. To varying degrees, mosque buildings are designed so that there are segregated spaces for men and women. This basic pattern of organization has assumed different forms depending on the region, period, and Islamic denomination. (Full article...)
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Frontage and public entrance of the Scottish Parliament Building
From 1999 until the opening of the new building in 2004, committee rooms and the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament were housed in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland located on The Mound in Edinburgh. Office and administrative accommodation in support of the Parliament were provided in buildings leased from the City of Edinburgh Council. The new Scottish Parliament Building brought together these different elements into one purpose-built parliamentary complex, housing 129 MSPs and more than 1,000 staff and civil servants. (Full article...)
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Main facade of the building's southern section in 2012
The marble facade of 18Broad Street contains colonnades facing east toward Broad Street and west toward New Street, both atop two-story podiums. The Broad Street colonnade, an icon of the NYSE, contains a pediment designed by John Quincy Adams Ward and Paul Wayland Bartlett, depicting commerce and industry. The facade of 11Wall Street is simpler in design but contains architectural details similar to those at 18Broad Street. Behind the colonnades at 18Broad Street is the main trading floor, a 72-foot-tall (22m) rectangular space. An additional trading floor, nicknamed the Garage, is at 11Wall Street. There are offices and meeting rooms in the upper stories of 18Broad Street and 11Wall Street. (Full article...)
El Lissitzky (Russian: Эль Лиси́цкий; born Lazar Markovich Lissitzky; Russian: Ла́зарь Ма́ркович Лиси́цкий,; 23November [O.S. 11November] 1890 – 30 December 1941) was a Russian and Soviet artist, active as a painter, illustrator, designer, printmaker, photographer, and architect. He was an important figure of the avant-garde, helping develop suprematism with his mentor, Kazimir Malevich, and designing numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works for the Soviet Union.
Lissitzky began his career illustrating Yiddishchildren's books in an effort to promote Jewish culture. He started teaching at the age of 15, maintaining his teaching career for most of his life. Over the years, he taught in a variety of positions, schools, and artistic media, spreading and exchanging ideas. He took this ethic with him when he worked with Malevich in heading the suprematist art groupUNOVIS, when he developed a variant suprematist series of his own, Proun, and further still in 1921, when he moved to Weimar Republic. In his remaining years he brought significant innovation and change to typography, exhibition design, photomontage, and book design, producing critically respected works and winning international acclaim for his exhibition design. This continued until his deathbed, where in 1941 he produced one of his last works– a Soviet propaganda poster rallying the people to construct more tanks for the fight against Nazi Germany. (Full article...)
Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture that developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula) and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (part of the Maghreb). Scholarly references on Islamic architecture often refer to this architectural tradition in terms such as architecture of the Islamic West or architecture of the Western Islamic lands.
This architectural tradition integrated influences from pre-Islamic Roman, Byzantine, and Visigothic architectures, from ongoing artistic currents in the Islamic Middle East, and from the interaction between the cultures of al-Andalus and North Africa. Major centers of artistic development included the main capitals of the empires and Muslim states in the region's history, such as Córdoba, Kairouan, Fes, Marrakesh, Seville, Granada, Tunis and Tlemcen. While Kairouan, the capital of Ifriqiya under multiple dynasties, and Córdoba, the capital of Umayyad al-Andalus, were some of the most important centers during the 8th to 10th centuries, a wider regional style was later synthesized and shared across the Maghreb and al-Andalus thanks to the empires of the Almoravids and the Almohads, which unified both regions for much of the 11th to 13th centuries. Within this wider region, a certain difference remained between architectural styles in the more easterly region of Ifriqiya (roughly present-day Tunisia) and a more specific style in the western Maghreb (present-day Morocco and western Algeria) and al-Andalus, sometimes referred to as Hispano-Moresque or Hispano-Maghrebi. (Full article...)
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Bath and North East Somerset shown within Somerset and England Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996, following the abolition of the county of Avon, which had existed since 1974. Part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset occupies an area of 220 square miles (570km2), two-thirds of which is green belt. It stretches from the outskirts of Bristol, south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border. The city of Bath is the principal settlement in the district, but BANES also covers Keynsham, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and the Chew Valley. The area has a population of 170,000, about half of whom live in Bath, making it 12times more densely populated than the rest of the area.
All Saints' Church, Daresbury, listed at GradeII Runcorn is an industrial town in the borough of Halton, Cheshire, England. This list contains the 27 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings in the part of the borough lying to the south of the River Mersey outside the urban area of Runcorn. The area covered includes the villages of Clifton, Daresbury, Preston Brook, Preston on the Hill, and Moore. Three of the buildings in the area are classified as GradeII*, and the others are at GradeII; there are no buildings in GradeI. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance. These buildings are in three grades: GradeI consists of buildings of outstanding architectural or historical interest; Grade II*includes particularly significant buildings of more than local interest; Grade IIconsists of buildings of special architectural or historical interest. Buildings in England are listed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on recommendations provided by English Heritage, which also determines the grading.
Although the urban area of Runcorn grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, and again with the growth of the New Town during the 1960s and 1970s, the surrounding area, mainly to the west of the town, has experienced only a small growth in population. The villages are small and discrete, and are separated by farmland and woodland. The area covered by the list is crossed by roads, railways, and canals, with which some of the listed buildings are associated. The oldest of these are the canals: the Bridgewater Canal, the Trent and Mersey Canal, the Weaver Navigation and the Manchester Ship Canal. The railways consist of the West Coast Main Line– the section between Crewe and Warrington, and the branch to Liverpool– and the Chester-Manchester Line. The major roads are the M56motorway and the A6road, together with sections of the A533, the A557 and the A558roads. (Full article...)
A new era of castle construction began when the daimyo Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle from 1576 to 1579. Earlier fortifications of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods were crude large-scale structures; Azuchi, however, with rich ornamentation and a keep rising seven stories high, became the prototype for castle construction of the period. The style of Azuchi Castle marked a shift in the function of the castles from a place that was merely a fortress and military garrison to a political, cultural and economic center. The newer style castles functioned as home to the daimyōs, his family, and his most loyal retainers. Because of the expense of building such a lavish structure, castles in the style of Azuchi, functioned also to highlight the power and prestige of the daimyōs. These new castles were built of wood and plaster on a stone foundation. Generally the main keep or tenshu was positioned at the highest point, surrounded by a series of interlocking baileys with walls, small towers and pathways. Residential buildings were located in one of the outer circles. The daimyō conducted his business in the citadel. (Full article...)
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Tower Building, originally the office of Hutchinson & Co, now part of the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre Widnes is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey where it narrows at Runcorn Gap. The town contains 24buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, 5are classified at GradeII*, and the rest are at GradeII; Widnes has no GradeI listed buildings. In the United Kingdom, the term "listed building" refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance. Listed buildings are categorised in three grades: GradeI consists of buildings of outstanding architectural or historical interest; GradeII* includes particularly significant buildings of more than local interest; GradeII consists of buildings of special architectural or historical interest. Buildings in England are listed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on recommendations provided by English Heritage, which also determines the grading.
Before 1847, the area now occupied by the town of Widnes consisted of the hamlets of Farnworth, Cronton, Appleton, and Upton; a few scattered houses; and areas of mostly marshy farmland. In 1833 a canal and a railway reached the area; the Sankey Canal was extended to a point on the River Mersey to the east of Runcorn Gap and the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway established a terminus adjacent to the canal. Widnes Dock, the world's first railway dock, was established at the new terminal, and in 1847 John Hutchinson established the first chemical factory nearby. During the second half of the 19thcentury, more chemical factories were built and the town grew, absorbing the previously separated hamlets. The town became overcrowded and highly polluted with smoke, chemical fumes, and waste. (Full article...)
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The Strat tower is the tallest observation tower in the United States The city of Las Vegas, Nevada and its surrounding unincorporated communities in the Las Vegas Valley are the sites of more than 160 high-rises, 42 of which stand taller than 400 feet (122m). The tallest structure in the city is the Strat tower, which rises 1,149 feet (350m) just north of the Las Vegas Strip. The tower is also the tallest observation tower in the United States. However, the Strat is not considered a building because the vast majority of the tower is not habitable. The tallest building in Las Vegas is the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which rises 735 feet (224m) and was topped out in November 2008. This building remained unfinished for several years due to the late-2000s recession and opened in December 2023. The second tallest habitable building in the city is the 59-story Resorts World, which rises 673 feet (205m) and was completed in 2021.
Beginning in the 1960s, high-rise hotels began to become more concentrated on the Las Vegas Strip. The first high-rise hotel and casino resort to rise higher than 492 feet (150m) was the 529-foot (161m) New York-New York Hotel & Casino, completed in 1997. Las Vegas entered into a skyscraper-building boom in the late 1990s that has continued to the present; of the city's 40 tallest skyscrapers, 39 were completed after 1997. As of 2025, the skyline of Las Vegas is ranked 66th in the world and 18th in the United States with 176 completed high-rises.In what is being dubbed a "Manhattanization wave", there are over 30skyscrapers that are proposed, approved or under construction in the city that are planned to rise over 400 feet (122m) in height. The tallest building approved for the city is the World Jewelry Center, which is planned for construction in Downtown Las Vegas. The 815-foot (248m) tower is part of a proposal to construct a hub for the world's jewelry industry, across from World Market Center Las Vegas. The tallest building in Las Vegas is the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which has also been the tallest building in the city since its topping out in November 2008; construction on the building was suspended in mid-2009. Following numerous delays, the building opened in late 2023. (Full article...)
Toronto is the largest city in Canada, with a metropolitan area population of just over 7.1 million (2026). Eight of Toronto's tallest buildings are also the tallest in all of Canada. Toronto has one of the largest skylines in the world, with 111 completed skyscrapers taller than 150 m (492 ft) as of 2026, 34 of which have a height greater than 200 m (656 ft). It is the third largest skyline in North America, after New York City and Chicago. The city's tallest building since late 2025 has been SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge, which rises 351.8 metres (1,154 ft) tall. It is also the tallest building in Canada. However, the tallest free-standing structure in the city is the 553.3 m (1,815 ft) CN Tower, which was the tallest free-standing structure in the world from 1975 until 2007, and remains the most prominent landmark on Toronto's skyline.
The history of skyscrapers in Toronto began in 1894 with the construction of the Beard Building, which is often regarded as the first skyscraper in the city. Toronto went through its first building boom in the late 1920s and early 1930s, increasing the number of tall buildings in the city. Following the Great Depression, there was a great lull in high-rise construction for over 30 years. A second, larger building boom began in the 1960s, which saw the construction of many recognizable commercial skyscrapers, such as the TD Bank Tower and Commerce Court West in 1973, the aforementioned First Canadian Place, and the postmodernist skyscrapers of Scotia Plaza and TD Canada Trust Tower towards the end of the boom. (Full article...)
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Central Minneapolis in 2024
Minneapolis, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, is home to 190completed high-rises, 41 of which stand taller than 300 feet (91m) as of 2026. Of these, 11 have a height greater than 492 ft (150 m). Minneapolis has the second largest skyline in the Midwestern United States, after Chicago, with the second most buildings taller than 300 ft (91 m) or 492 ft (150 m) in the region. The tallest building in Minneapolis is the 57-storyIDS Center, which rises 792 feet (241 m) and was designed by architect Philip Johnson. It is also the tallest building in Minnesota. Minneapolis and neighboring Saint Paul form the core of the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area of 3.7 million. Saint Paul has a smaller high-rise skyline of its own, approximately eight miles east of Downtown Minneapolis. Most of the tallest buildings in Downtown Minneapolis are linked via the Minneapolis Skyway System, the largest pedestrian skywalk system in the world.
The history of skyscrapers in Minneapolis began with the construction of the Lumber Exchange Building in 1886; at 165 feet (50m) and 12 floors, it is often regarded as the first skyscraper in Minnesota and one of the first fire-proof buildings in the country. The Lumber Exchange Building stands as the oldest structure outside of New York City with at least 12 floors. Minneapolis went through a small building boom in the early 1920s. This period saw the construction of the Lumen Technologies Building and the Foshay Tower, which was modelled after the Washington Monument. The Foshay Tower overtook the City Hall as the city's tallest building. Due to the Great Depression, few tall buildings were completed from the 1930s to 1950s. (Full article...)
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Chicago skyline in 2024 on the shores of Lake Michigan
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States, with a metropolitan area of over 9 million people. It is home to over 1,250 completed high-rises, 137of which stand taller than 492 feet (150m) as of 2026[update]. The birthplace of the skyscraper, Chicago has always played a prominent role in their development, and its skyline spans the full history of skyscraper construction. The tallest building in the city is the 110-story Willis Tower (also known as the Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974. Of the fifteen tallest buildings in the United States, five are in Chicago. Chicago's skyline is the second largest in the United States, in North America, and in the Western Hemisphere, after New York City.
The Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is regarded as the world's first skyscraper. This building used the steel-frame method, innovated in Chicago; it was originally built with 10 stories, and later expanded to 12, to a height of 180 feet (55m), an enormous height for the 19th century. Being the inventor of the skyscraper, Chicago went through a series of early high-rise construction booms that lasted from the 1880s to the mid-1930s, during which nine of the city's 100tallest buildings were completed. Chicago and New York City were the only cities in the world with large, high-rise skylines during the first half of the 20th century. Chicago then went through an even larger building boom that lasted from the early 1960s to the early 1990s, in which many notable commercial skyscrapers were built, such as the city's fourth-tallest building, the Aon Center, its fifth tallest, 875 North Michigan Avenue (originally known as the John Hancock Center), and Willis Tower, which was the tallest building in the world upon its completion until 1993, and the tallest in the United States until 2013. For most of the 20th century until the 1990s, Chicago had the second largest skyline in the world. (Full article...)
In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance; GradeI structures are those considered to be "buildings of exceptional interest". Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, severe restrictions are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or its fittings. In England, buildings are given listed building status by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, acting on the recommendation of Historic England. (Full article...)
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There are 27 scheduled monuments in Maidstone, Kent, England. In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is an archaeological site or historic building of "national importance" that has been given protection against unauthorised change by being placed on a list (or "schedule") by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Historic England takes the leading role in identifying such sites. Scheduled monuments are defined in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the National Heritage Act 1983. They are also referred to as scheduled ancient monuments. There are about 20,000 scheduled monument entries on the list and more than one site can be included in a single entry. While a scheduled monument can also be recognised as a listed building, Historic England considers listed building status as a better way of protecting buildings than scheduled monument status. If a monument is considered by Historic England to "no longer merit scheduling" it can be removed from the schedule.
The district of West Somerset covers a largely rural area, with a population, according to the 2011 census, of 35,300 in an area of 740 square kilometres (290sqmi). The largest centres of population are the coastal towns of Minehead and Watchet. The council's administrative headquarters are in the village of Williton. (Full article...)
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Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline at night, taken in June 2019Hong Kong has over 9,000high-rise buildings, of which over 1,000 are skyscrapers standing taller than 100m (328ft) with 567 buildings above 150m (492ft) as of 2025, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.[A] The tallest building in Hong Kong is the 108-storey International Commerce Centre, which stands 484m (1,588ft) and is the 13th tallest building in the world. The total built-up height (combined heights) of these skyscrapers is approximately 333.8km (207 miles), making Hong Kong the world's tallest urban agglomeration. Furthermore, reflective of the city's high population densities, Hong Kong has more inhabitants living at the 15th floor or higher, and more buildings of at least 100m (328ft) and 150m (492ft) height, than any other city in the world.
John Douglas in late middle age John Douglas (1830–1911) was an English architect based in Chester, Cheshire. His designs included new churches, alterations to and restoration of existing churches, church furnishings, new houses and alterations to existing houses, and a variety of other buildings, including shops, banks, offices, schools, memorials and public buildings. His architectural styles were eclectic, but as he worked during the period of the Gothic Revival, much of his work incorporates elements of the English Gothic style. Douglas is probably best remembered for his incorporation of vernacular elements in his buildings, especially half-timbering. Of particular importance is Douglas' use of joinery and highly detailed wood carving.
Douglas was born in the Cheshire village of Sandiway and was articled to the Lancaster architect E.G.Paley, later becoming his chief assistant. He established an office in Chester in either 1855 or 1860, from where he practised throughout his career. Initially he ran the office himself but in 1884 he appointed his assistant, Daniel Porter Fordham, as a partner. When Fordham retired in 1897, he was succeeded by Charles Howard Minshull. In 1909 this partnership was dissolved and Douglas ran the office alone until his death in 1911. As his office was in Chester, most of his work on houses was in Cheshire and North Wales, although some was further afield, in Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire, Surrey, and Scotland. (Full article...)
Tokyo is the most populated of Japan's 47prefectures. Mainland Tokyo is divided into two sections: Western Tokyo and the special wards of Tokyo. The prefecture's tallest structures are within the 23special wards, which comprise the area formerly incorporated as Tokyo City. As of May 2025, there are over 200structures in Tokyo that stand at least 150 metres (490ft) tall, of which 49 are at least 200 metres (660ft) tall, including those that are still under construction but have been topped out. Most of these structures are buildings; however, there are other types of structures among the tallest in the prefecture, such as freestanding towers and incinerationsmokestacks.
The district of Taunton Deane Area covers a population of approximately 100,000 in an area of 462 square kilometres (178sqmi). It is centred on the town of Taunton, where around 60,000 of the population live and the council are based, and includes surrounding suburbs and villages. (Full article...)
Muhammad himself was involved in the construction of the mosque. At the time, the mosque's land belonged to two young orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, and when they learned that Muhammad wished to acquire their land to build a mosque, they went to Muhammad and offered the land to him as a gift; Muhammad insisted on paying a price for the land because they were orphaned children. The price agreed upon was paid by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who thus became the endower or donor (Arabic: وَاقِف, romanized:wāqif) of the mosque, on behalf or in favor of Muhammad. (Full article...)
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Aerial view of Hadleigh Castle from the north, with the Thames Estuary in the background
Hadleigh Castle is a ruined fortification in the English county of Essex, overlooking the Thames Estuary from south of the town of Hadleigh. Built after 1215 during the reign of Henry III by Hubert de Burgh, the castle was surrounded by parkland and had an important economic and defensive role. The castle was significantly expanded and remodelled by Edward III, who turned it into a grander property, designed to defend against a potential French attack, as well as to provide the King with a convenient private residence close to London. Built on a soft hill of London clay, the castle has often been subject to subsidence; this, combined with the sale of its stonework in the 16th century, has led to it now being ruined. The remains are now preserved by English Heritage and protected under UK law as a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. (Full article...)
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Boudewijn Seapark dolphinarium in Bruges, Belgium A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or public performances. Some dolphinariums (sometimes called dolphinaria in plural) consist of one pool where dolphins perform for the public, others are part of larger parks, such as marine mammal parks, zoos or theme parks, with other animals and attractions as well.
While cetaceans have been held in captivity since the 1860s, the first commercial dolphinarium was opened only in 1938. Their popularity increased rapidly until the 1960s. Since the 1970s, increasing concern for animal welfare led to stricter regulation, which in several countries ultimately resulted in the closure of some dolphinariums. Despite this trend, dolphinariums are still widespread in Europe, Japan and North America. The most common species of dolphin kept in dolphinariums is the bottlenose dolphin, as it is relatively easy to train and has a long lifespan in captivity. While trade in dolphins is internationally regulated, other aspects of keeping dolphins in captivity, such as the minimum size and characteristics of pools, vary among countries. Though animal welfare is perceived to have improved significantly over the last few decades, many animal rights groups still consider keeping dolphins captive to be a form of animal abuse. (Full article...)
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The Isidore H. Heller House is a house at 5132 South Woodlawn Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago in Illinois, United States. The house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1896 for the family of the merchant Isidore H. Heller. The design is credited as one of the turning points in Wright's shift to geometric, Prairie School architecture, which is defined by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhangingeaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands, and an integration with the landscape, which is meant to evoke native Prairie surroundings.
The work demonstrates Wright's shift away from emulating the style of his mentor, Louis Sullivan. The facade is made of brick and is topped by a roof with a raised monitor section. Richard Bock, a Wright collaborator and sculptor, provided some of the ornamentation, including a plasterfrieze. The house's first floor includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, and pantry, arranged around a stair and elevator. The second floor was devoted to bedrooms and bathrooms, while the third floor (originally used as servants' quarters and a bedroom) has been split into its own apartment. (Full article...)
Himeji Castle in May 2015 after the five-year renovation of the roof and walls
Aerial photograph of the Himeji Castle in 2010
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō; [çime̞(d)ʑiꜜ(d)ʑo̞ː]ⓘ) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in Himeji, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 structures with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō ("White Egret Castle" or "White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.
As with almost all Japanese castles from the Azuchi-Momoyama period onward, the tenshu (天守, main keep), the most prominent structure, was used as a storehouse in times of peace and as a fortified tower in times of war, and the daimyo (大名, feudal lord)'s government offices and residences were located in a group of single-story buildings near the tenshu and the surrounding yagura (櫓, turrets). (Full article...)
York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the north-west side of the River Foss. The now ruined keep of the medievalNormancastle is commonly referred to as Clifford's Tower. Built originally on the orders of William the Conqueror to dominate the former Viking city of Jórvík, the castle suffered a tumultuous early history before developing into a major fortification with extensive water defences. After a major explosion in 1684 rendered the remaining military defences uninhabitable, York Castle continued to be used as a jail and prison until 1929.
The first motte and bailey castle on the site was built in 1068 following the Norman conquest of York. After the destruction of the castle by rebels and a Viking army in 1069, York Castle was rebuilt and reinforced with extensive water defences, including a moat and an artificial lake. York Castle formed an important royal fortification in the north of England. In 1190, 150 local Jews died in the timber castle keep; most of them committed suicide in order not to fall into the hands of the mob. In the middle of the 13th century, Henry III rebuilt the castle in stone creating a keep with a unique quatrefoil design, supported by an outer bailey wall and a substantial gatehouse. During the Scottish wars between 1298 and 1338, York Castle was frequently used as the centre of royal administration across England, as well as an important military base of operations. York Castle fell into disrepair by the 15th and 16th centuries, becoming used increasingly as a jail for both local felons and political prisoners. By the time of Elizabeth I the castle was estimated to have lost all of its military value but was maintained as a centre of royal authority in York. (Full article...)
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The plaza, as seen in 1976. The Sphere can be seen at the center of the plaza, and Ideogram is visible to the upper right, located between 1 and 2 World Trade Center.
The Austin J. Tobin Plaza, also known as the World Trade Center Plaza, was a large elevated public square that was located within the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, New York City, from 1966 until its destruction during the September 11 attacks in 2001. It covered 5 acres (220,000sqft; 2.0ha), making it the largest plaza in New York City by acreage at the time.
The plaza opened as part of the original World Trade Center on April 4, 1973, and was renamed after Austin J. Tobin in 1982. Several sculptures were located there, including The Sphere and Ideogram. The plaza was damaged during the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and destroyed eight years later during the September 11 terrorist attacks, which saw over 1,000,000,000 pounds (450,000,000kg) of debris fall onto the plaza's floor. (Full article...)
The cathedral is a GradeI listed building, and part of a heritage site that also includes the former monastic buildings to the north, which are also listed GradeI. The cathedral's construction dates from between the 10thcentury and the early 16thcentury, having been modified a number of times throughout history, a typical characteristic of English cathedrals; however, the site itself may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times. All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are represented in the present building. (Full article...)
The Oregon Public Library is located in Oregon, Illinois, United States, the county seat of Ogle County. The building is a public library that was constructed in 1909. Prior to 1909, Oregon's library was housed in different buildings, none of which were designed to house a library. The library was built using a grant from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The grant was obtained after Oregon's citizens voted to change Oregon's library from a city library to a township library. The building was completed by 1908 but the library did not begin operation until 1909.
The Oregon Library was designed by Chicago architects Pond and Pond. The Ponds were members of the Eagle's Nest Art Colony, founded by Lorado Taft, and their association with Taft and the colony led them to design the library. Their design was influenced by the colony, and a combination of two architectural styles, Classical Revival and the Arts and Crafts movement. The completed library included a second floor art gallery to which members of Eagle's Nest donated works for a permanent collection. The gallery's collection includes 64 paintings and sculptures as well as a Currier and Ives lithograph collection appraised at US$700,000. The Oregon Public Library was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2003, three years later it was included as a contributing property in a historic district that received the National Register designation. (Full article...)
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Golubac Fortress
The Golubac Fortress (Serbian: Голубачки град or Golubački grad) was a medievalfortified town on the south side of the Danube River, 4km (2.5mi) downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, Serbia and 2 km (1.2 mi) across the Danube from the village of Coronini, Romania. According to recent discoveries, the fortress, which was built during the 14th century by Medieval Serbian state, is split into three compounds which were built in stages. It has ten towers, most of which started square, and several of which received many-sided reinforcements with the advent of firearms. Towers were not connected for easier defense. Serbian Medieval frescos were recently found inside the fortress.
Golubac Fortress has had a tumultuous history. Prior to its construction it was the site of a Roman settlement. During the Middle Ages, it became the object of many battles, especially between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. It changed hands repeatedly, passing between Turks, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Serbs, and Austrians, until 1867, when it was turned over to the Serbian Knez, Mihailo Obrenović III. In the 21st century it is a popular tourist attraction in the region and a sightseeing point on Danube boat tours. (Full article...)
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Portrait of Harrison by H. Wyatt dated 1820
Thomas Harrison (7 August (baptised) 1744– 29 March 1829) was an English architect and bridge engineer who trained in Rome, where he studied classical architecture. Returning to England, he won the competition in 1782 for the design of Skerton Bridge in Lancaster. After moving to Lancaster he worked on local buildings, received commissions for further bridges, and designed country houses in Scotland. In 1786 Harrison was asked to design new buildings within the grounds of Lancaster and Chester castles, projects that occupied him, together with other works, until 1815. On both sites he created accommodation for prisoners, law courts, and a shire hall, while working on various other public buildings, gentlemen's clubs, churches, houses, and monuments elsewhere. His final major commission was for the design of Grosvenor Bridge in Chester.
Some of Harrison's designs, including his buildings at Lancaster Castle, were Gothic in style, but most were Neoclassical, particularly those at Chester Castle. He was regarded at the time, and since, as a major influence in the emergence of the Greek Revival in British architecture. A bridge he designed at the start of his career, and another towards the end of his career, incorporated innovative features; Skerton Bridge was the first substantial bridge in England to have a flat roadway, and the Grosvenor Bridge was the longest single-arched masonry bridge in the world at the time of its construction. Many of Harrison's structures have survived, most of them now designated by English Heritage as listed buildings. Despite his work being nationally admired he spent his entire career in northwest England, visiting London only occasionally; most of his buildings were in Lancashire, Cheshire, and the nearby counties. (Full article...)
The church was founded in the 12th century, dedicated to St Thomas Becket. The building still retains some of its original architecture, although substantial expansions and repairs have been made, particularly in the 17th century (under the curacy of Robert Burton) and in the 19th century. (Full article...)
... that Albert Bumgardner's design for an architectural press office was highly publicized in the architectural press?
... that the Neoclassical and Art Deco sections of the Orleans Parish Criminal Courts Building were designed by its architect to represent the elegance and the severity of the law?
... that the owner of 130West 30th Street would have renamed the structure the "Beaver Pelt Building" if it could not be named after its architect?
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Typical railing, flat roof, stucco and colour detail in Nordic funkis (SOK warehouse and offices, 1938, Finland) (from Functionalism (architecture))
Troja Palace, Prague (1679–1691) (from Baroque architecture)
Bauhaus building (Germany). The Bauhaus style co-started modernist architecture. (from Architecture)
Upper Belvedere Palace in Vienna (1721–23) (from Baroque architecture)
In adding the dome to the Florence Cathedral (Italy) in the early 15th century, the architect Filippo Brunelleschi not only transformed the building and the city, but also the role and status of the architect. (from Architecture)
The Zwinger in Dresden by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1697–1716), reconstructed in the 1950s and 1960s, after the damage of World War II. (from Baroque architecture)
Body plan of a ship showing the hull form (from Architecture)
The Tempietto in Rome, 1444–1514 (from Architecture)
Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Turin (from Baroque architecture)
The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral built from 1573 to 1813. (from Baroque architecture)
Stained glass windows at the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, 1248 (from Architecture)
Södra Ängby, 1938 (from Functionalism (architecture))
A wooden vernacular house in Norway (from Architecture)
Green Roof (from Architecture)
Saints Peter and Paul Church, Kraków, Poland by Giovanni Maria Bernardoni (1597–1619) (from Baroque architecture)
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa, India, completed in 1604 AD. It holds the body of St. Francis Xavier. (from Baroque architecture)
Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, 1903 (Hendrik Petrus Berlage) rationalism was an important precursor of Dutch traditionalism (from Traditionalist School (architecture))
Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen (1682–1747) (from Baroque architecture)
Charles Rennie Mackintosh—Music Room 1901 (from Architecture)
Façade of the Church of the Gesù Rome (consecrated 1584) (from Baroque architecture)
The Church of St-Gervais-et-St-Protais, the first Paris church with a façade in the new Baroque style (1616–20) (from Baroque architecture)
Znamenskaya Church (Dubrovitsy) 1690-1698 Podolsk, Moscow (from Baroque architecture)
Interior view of dome of the Church of the Gesù by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, and Giacomo della Porta (from Baroque architecture)
Obchodný a obytný dom Luxor (Residential and Commercial House Luxor), 1937, in Bratislava (Slovakia) (from Functionalism (architecture))
Radcliffe Camera in Oxford (from Baroque architecture)
Plan of the second floor (attic storey) of the Hôtel de Brionne in Paris—1734. (from Architecture)
The tower of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Y. Lindegren & T. Jäntti, built in 1934–38) (from Functionalism (architecture))
Corpus Christi Church, Grand Duchy of Lithuania (today Nyasvizh, Belarus), 1586 and 1593 (from Baroque architecture)
The dome of Les Invalides, Paris (from Baroque architecture)
Sebil of Abdülhamid I, Istanbul (circa 1780) (from Baroque architecture)
Church of Santa Engrácia, Lisbon (now National Pantheon of Portugal; begun 1681) (from Baroque architecture)
Zlín in the Czech Republic (from Functionalism (architecture))
Interior of the Basilica and Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Recife, Brazil, built between 1665 and 1767 (from Baroque architecture)
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United States Capitol, Washington DC (from Portal:Architecture/Civic building images)
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Statue of Liberty, New York (from Portal:Architecture/Monument images)
Geodesic Radomes at Radome by Preston Keres, United States Navy (from Portal:Architecture/Industrial images)
Mesoamerican step-pyramid nicknamed El Castillo at Chichen Itza (from Portal:Architecture/Ancient images)
De Zoeker windmill, Netherlands. (from Portal:Architecture/Industrial images)
Bronx Community College Library, by Detroit Publishing Company (from Portal:Architecture/Academia images)
Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY (from Portal:Architecture/Travel images)
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Cuzco, Peru (from Portal:Architecture/Townscape images)
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Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY (from Portal:Architecture/Travel images)
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Curve, Leicester, UK (from Portal:Architecture/Theatres and Concert hall images)
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Toda tribe hut, India (from Portal:Architecture/Ancient images)
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Waldorf Astoria New York by Joseph Pennell (1860–1926) (from Portal:Architecture/Travel images)
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