Santuario_de_Las_Lajas,_Ipiales,_Colombia,_2015-07-21,_DD_21-23_HDR-Edit by Diego Delso is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Las Lajas Sanctuary is a building of fairytale style and beauty. It was recently featured on Business Insider’s list of 30 architectural masterpieces everyone should see in their lifetime.
Built in the Gothic Revival style it sits about 164 feet above a canyon not far from the border of Ecuador. Las Lajas measures about 56 feet wide by about 66 feet long. The first structure was built in the 18th century, the version we see today was constructed by Gualberto Pérez and Lucindo Espinosa from 1916 to 1949.
Gothic Revival architecture was inspired by medieval design. Common features are the pointed arches and decorative elements. In Gothic Revival churches, we see castle-like elements like the tower and spires of Las Lajas.
Some well-known examples of Gothic Revival architecture are the Houses of Parliament in London and the Trinity Church in New York City.
