Famous Buildings
Travel Guide > General Guides > Famous Landmarks > Famous Buildings
In this Article
- Introduction
- Africa
- Asia
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe
- Middle East
- North America
- Oceania
- South America
Join the Hipporoller Challenge
Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.
Contributors
lil_lil (27%)
Utrecht (26%)
from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
Hien (24%)
from World Adrenaline
Herr Bert (18%)
from A Dutchman in Madrid
as well as arif_kool (2%), Lavafalls (1%), t_maia (1%), Q' (1%)
Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.
Introduction
When you are walking around in a particular country and more specific, a particular city, you will find hundreds, thousands of buildings. Most of them are of no meaning whatsoever but are just meant to live, work or recreate in. Of course, every city and even every town has almost always at least one building that has certain value and is of importance to tourists and other visitors. This can be as small as the local town hall or a small museum. Still, there are several world famous buildings that probably everybody has heard of. Most of the times, but not always, those buildings are located in relatively big world cities.
Africa
Hassan II Mosque
- Location: Casablanca, Morocco
- Completed: 1993
- Architect: Michel Pinseau
The Hassan II Mosque is one of the biggest mosques in the world, after the ones in Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), which generally are off limits to travellers. This might just be one of the most famous ones amongst travellers anywhere in the world. It is located in Casablanca, just next to the Atlantic Ocean, giving it some extra charm. The minaret at 210 meters is actually the highest in the world. The architectural style has Moorish influences and has strong similarities with the Alhambra and Great Mosque, both in Cordoba. It is actually one of a few mosques in Morocco that is actually open for non-moslims, so definately worth a visit while you are touring around this Magreb country.
Pyramids of Gizeh
The Pyramids of Giza are the only remaining buildings of the original 7 Wonders of the Ancient World list. They have been enticing international travellers for over two thousand years since Alexander the Greats Army told the Greek world about them. The Pharaohs of the old Kingdom knew how to build a monument to their death. Unfortunately these large pyramids were magnets for tomb robbers who most likely looted them thousands of years ago. Due to the popularity of the Great Pyramid it is best to show up early to buy a ticket and since most tour groups go in the morning it is slightly easier to get a ticket for the afternoon visit at 1 pm. Today the pyramids continue to be one of the popular tourist spots in the world and still live up to the claim to fame of Alexander the Great.
Asia
Petronas Twin Towers
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Completed: 1998
- Architect: César Pelli
The Petronas Twin Towers have a steel and glass façade which resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia's majority Muslim nation. The buildings which dethroned the Sears Towers in Chicago, USA was not designed to be the tallest building in the initial drawings – it was only less than 30 metres from being the tallest. The then Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohamed saw the potential of having the tallest buildings and ordered the architects to go back to the drawing board, to which they did and produced the current design. The 451.9-metre-tall buildings were later surpassed by the Taipei 101 in 2004, and again in 2009 by the Burj Dubai.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, an 'epitome of love' is a mausoleum and was built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is a fine example of Mughal Architecture, basically a mix of Ottoman, Persian, Indian and Islamic design. It took 22 years and nearly 10,000 workers to build this masterpiece. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2007 it was included in the list of New Seven Wonders of the World. Located in Agra on the banks of the river Yamuna, around 200 kilometres south of Delhi, this monument, built in pure white marble is visited every year, by around 2 million people from all over the world. It is believed that the Emperor's original plan was to build a white mausoleum for his wife, and a black version for himself, but his remains also ended up in the white version after his death.
Caribbean
El Capitolio
The neoclassical El Capitolio is one of the main landmarks of Havana, the capital of Cuba. The Cuban Governments seated here until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, but now it is home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences. The building was named after a referendum, the other possibility being El Palacio del Congreso (Palace of Congress). Although the building was completed in 1929, it took another 2 years to complete the interior, after which it became the seat of the government. Because of the fact that 8000 people worked 24/7 to build it, it took just over 3 years to complete the building, which resembles the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The dome towers almost 92 metres in the air and was the highest point in Havana up until the 1950s (the highest now is the José Marti Memorial).
For more information, check the El Capitolio website (Spanish only).
Central America
Europe
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognisable landmark of Europe, if not the world. It is an iron structure, built in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition of that year in Paris. It is named after its designer, the famous engineer Gustave Eiffel. Standing at 324 metres tall, it was built by 300 workers who joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two and a half million rivets. It is still the highest building in Paris and one of the most visited (paid) buildings anywhere on planet earth. More than 200 million people have visited the tower since its construction for the Exposition Universelle of 1889. There are 3 visiting levels at the tower, where the first and the second levels are accessible either by lift or by stairs, and the third (and highest) level is accessibly only by lift.
In the evening from sunset to midnight (later in the summer months) the tower sparkles for five minutes, every hour on the hour. Other special illuminations of the tower also take place to celebrate events including the EU presidency by France (the tower was illuminated in blue for 6 months) and the 120th anniversary of the tower (colourful LED lightshow on the Seine-facing side of the tower for 12 minutes at the hour after sunset).
Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofia is a former mosque, and former church in the Sultanahmet area of European part of Istanbul. It was the leading church for the Eastern Orthodox church for over 900 years, until the Sack of Constantinople in 1453, after which it was converted into a mosque. It remained a mosque for almost 500 years and in 1935 it was converted into a museum by orders from the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The building has suffered a great deal of damage over the centuries (especially the dome), because of earthquakes and fires, but has always been rebuilt soon after. A large number of Christian mosaics became visible in the 1930's during restorations, uncovered following removals of white plasters which were put in place during the conversion of the building into a mosque. The Hagia Sophia is also considered one of the best surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.
La Sagrada Familia
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Completed: not yet, probable date of completion 2026
- Architect: Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926)
It might be strange to add a not yet finished building to the list of Famous Buildings, but the Sagrada Familia belongs in the list for a couple of good reasons. It is a masterpiece in progress, and one of Spain's most visited tourist sites. It's a design by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the cathedral began in 1882 and still as yet not finished. It will have 18 towers, of which the central tower of Jesus will be the tallest of them all, with a total height of 170 meters. The design also calls for three grand façades, depicting Nativity (East façade), Passion (West façade) and Glory (South façade). The on-going construction of this cathedral is funded by the proceeds of tickets sold to the visitors of the cathedral and by private donations. The planned completion year of 2026 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death. When finished, this will be the pièce de résistance of an artist who had already left a huge artistic footprint in Barcelona.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Location: Pisa, Italy
- Completed: 1350
- Architects: Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano (Phase 1), Giovanni di Simone (Phase 2), Tommaso di Andrea Pisano (Phase 3)
Situated at the Piazza del Duomo (alternatively known as Piazza dei Miracoli) in Pisa, the tower was built in different phases over hundreds of years. It began tilting even soon after construction works started, caused by poorly laid foundations as well as loose stratification of the soil that led to shifting direction of the foundations. There are seven floors to the tower, with seven bells in the bell chamber to represent the seven notes of a musical scale. In order to keep the tower standing (yet maintaining a characteristic tilt), restoration works were carried out to straighten some of the tilt from 5.5 degrees to 3.99 degrees, rendering the building stable for at least 200-300 years. There is also a dispute regarding the architect(s) in charge during the first phase of construction, of which many attributed it to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano, although some others believe it was a work by Diotisalvi. In 1987, the Piazza del Duomo, which consists of the Leaning Tower, the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Camposanto, was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The Castle Neuschwanstein is the biggest legacy of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The building of the castle started in 1868 and was completed in 1892, several years after the King's death. The castle is that of a fairytale prince, and has become the inspiration for Walt Disney's Castle of the Sleeping Beauty, and it has been copied in some of the Disney parks. The castle itself was inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner, especially the Opera Tannhauser, in which the Swan Knight Lohengrin is the central figure. Seven weeks after the King died in 1886 the castle was opened to the public. It has become one of Europe's top attractions and is visited by around 1.3 million people every year. The castle is situated in the Alps of southern Germany, near the town of Füssen. Visits can be done pretty easily from Munich, as there are several tour operators offering day trips to the castle, as well as regular train and bus services. Near to the castle also lies the castle of Hohenschwangau, where King Ludwig II lived for most of his childhood years.
St Peter's Basilica
- Located: Vatican City
- Completed: 1626
- Architects: Donato Bramante, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Vignola, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, Gianlorenzo Bernini
The seat of the Catholic church and the largest Christian church in the world, the Papal Basilica of St Peter is founded over the burial site of St Peter. With a capacity of over 60,000 people, it is the site of pilgrimage and papal-association. Also importantly, the basilica is a triumphal evidence of magnificent architecture and home to exquisite Christian arts. Unsurprisingly the building of this basilica was under the supervision of renowned architects of its time, including Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini, under the direction of a successive of Popes after all begun by Pope Julius II. The basilica was lavishly decorated and adorned, and the interior cleverly proportioned to give an illusion of intimate space within the grandeur in size.
Palace of Westminster
- Location: London, England, United Kingdom
- Completed: 1097, 1395, 1870, 1950
- Architects: Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin (1870), Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1950)
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is the iconic landmark that represents not just London where it is located, but the entire United Kingdom as well. The palace has been rebuilt several times due to fires and bombing. The oldest surviving part of the building is the Westminster Hall, built in 1097, which at that time was the largest hall in Europe. Until 1512, the site was a royal residence, but a fire forced King Henry VIII to move out. However, the site remained a Royal Palace; therefore, its official title is the Palace of Westminster. Today, it is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) meet.
The Clock Tower, the main part of the iconic landmark to travellers, is often referred to as Big Ben which is the nickname of the bell housed within the Clock Tower. Big Ben's official name is the Great Bell.
Middle East
Burj al Arab
- Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Completed: 1999
- Architect: Tom Wright
The Burj al Arab (the tower of Arabs) has become a landmark of Dubai virtualy overnight. The very recognisable building is shaped to resemble the sail of a Dhow, a local fishing boat. The structure is 321 meters tall, and stands on an artificial island 280 meters away from the beach. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The building serves as a luxery hotel with 202 rooms. A hotel room is not cheap, the cheapest room costs about a thousand U.S. Dollars a night, the Royal suits sets you back around 28.000 U.S. Dollars. If you want to arrive in style from the airport you can be picked up by a Rolls Royce or a helicopter.
North America
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building was built between 1928 and 1930. At the height of 318.9 metres (including the spire), it was the tallest building in the world. However, just 11 months later, in 1931, it was surpassed by the Empire State building.
The Chrysler Building was built in the Art Deco style that was fashionable during the 1920s and early 1930s. The Chrysler boss at that time instructed the architect, William van Alen, to make some references to the Chrysler cars. Van Alen did as instructed, and on the building you can find gargoyles and eagles that are modeled after Chrysler automobiles, and other references to Chrysler vehicles. The most distinctive part of the skyscraper is the crown that is made from stainless steel and small triangular windows. When it is dark, the illumination on the crown makes it to one of New York's most recognisable sights.
CN Tower
Located in downtown Toronto, CN Tower held the title of the "World's tallest free-standing structure" with a height of 553 metres for 31 years. It remains the tallest free standing structure in the Americas. Today it is still a distinct part of the city skyline. The tower took three years to build and construction was completed in 1976. The tower was originally owned by the Canadian National Railway and is, today, owned by The Canada Lands Company. The tower is so tall that it can actually be seen from the south in New York State!
At a height of 350 metres, there is a café and several observation posts. For those who want to go even higher, there is an elevator that takes you to an observation platform at a height of 447 metres, which still is the highest observation platform in the world.
Empire State Building
- Location: New York, United States of America
- Completed: 1931
- Architect: Gregory Johnson
One of the early examples of modern skycrapers, the Empire State Building is still one of the highest buildings in the world. Until 1972 and again since 2001, the years of completion and destruction of the Twin Towers, it has been the tallest building in New York. The building has had a fascinating history, at one time people thought of adding an airship docking area to it! The scene in countless movies, no trip to New York is complete without a quick visit to the Empire State Building. It is also called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Seattle Space Needle
- Location: Seattle, United States of America
- Completed: 1962
- Architects: John Graham & Co. (project architect Alfred H. Fast), Victor Steinbrueck
The Space Needle in Seattle was built for the 1962 World's Fair and is a major landmark in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It was built to withstand strong winds (up to 320 km/h, Category 5 hurricane-force winds) and high earthquake magnitudes (up to 9.1 on Richter scale). Standing at 184 metres tall, it features an observation deck at 160 metres that opens to magnificent view of Downtown Seattle, as well as the surrounding islands and mountain ranges (including Olympic Mountains). There is also a rotating restaurant at 152 metres for those willing to splurge to dine with a view. Photographs of Seattle often include the Space Needle as part of its skyline, and often appearing to tower over the skyscrapers, thanks to its location over 1.3 kilometres away in the northwest of the downtown buildings.
Willis Tower
- Location: Chicago, United States of America
- Completed: 1973
- Architects: Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan
The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, is currently the tallest building in North America. It was also the tallest building in the world until 1998 when the title went to the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has 108 floors and measures 1450 feet (442 metres) from the ground to the roof.
The Skydeck is Chicago's highest observatory. Located on the 103rd floor or 1353 feet (412 metres) above street level, it gives visitors an amazing bird's eye view over Chicago. Visibility on a clear day can reach as far as 50 miles (80 kilometres) and one can see Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin just by walking around the Skydeck. The best time to visit the Skydeck is after 5:00 pm to avoid the crowds and also for great sunset and twinkling night-scape views.
Oceania
Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is one of the main features in Australia. Located on Bennelong Point, the building is often photographed together with its distinctive neighbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the world's most famous bridges. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
South America
Teatro Amazonas
Teatro Amazonas, in English Amazon Theatre, is an amazing opera house built in the city centre of Manaus, Brazil. Built in a Renaissance style this opera house took seventeen years to build, with construction being completed in 1895. The money for the theatre was funded by the massive rubber boom in the late 19th and early 20th century. The decadence in this building is outrageous with roofing tiles, furniture and murals of the meeting of the waters from Alsace and Paris. From Italy came Carrarra Marble for the stairs, statues and columns, also 198 chandeliers, including 32 made from Murano glass in Venice. The dome on the outside is covered with over 36,000 decorated ceramic tiles painted in the colors of the Brazilian flag. Pretty much everything was imported from Europe, including the bricks, except the wood. After the rubber market collapsed the theatre suffered greatly.
There were no opera performances in the theatre for almost 90 years but when a populist governor got elected into office he pledged to save the theatre. The theatre is now fully restored and has many opera and classical symphony performances every year. There is also an annual film festival held in the theatre now.
This is version 63. Last edited at 18:40 on Nov 9, 09 by lil_lil (+44). 2 articles link to this page.
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License