This Week’s Crazy Building: Seattle Central Library

At first glance, the Seattle Central Library seems like an arbitrary exercise in geometry. On closer inspection, there is indeed a method to the seeming madness. New York Times architecture critic Herbert Muschamp said the following about it: “In more than 30 years of writing about architecture, this is the most exciting new building it
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Park Güell

No, this isn’t a gingerbread house, the Park Güell is a popular tourist destination in Barcelona, Spain. It was built in 1914 when Barcelona was in an exciting period of reconstruction. A new plan, “the Eixample,” had been conceived for the city and was the largest reconstruction project in Europe at the time. In Spain,
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Baku Flame Towers

The Flame Towers in Baku, Azerbaijan make an interesting addition to the city’s skyline. Designed by HOK Architects, they took inspiration from Baku’s moniker the “region of eternal fires.” The towers are around 459 feet high and can be seen from many places in the surrounding areas. They are covered with LED screens and light
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Denver Art Museum

The wild new addition to the Denver Art Museum is reminiscent of a futuristic kitchen tool. Called the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, it was designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The building was inspired by the forms of the Rocky Mountains. He wanted visitors to experience the unique changes in light and weather the city
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Earthships

Not a spaceship, the Earthships are green homes built from recycled materials. Created by Michael Reynolds in Taos, New Mexico, the original concept was to take readily available waste materials such as tires, bottles, cans, and scrap metal to create a home. He has evolved the concept over the last 40 years. Now they can
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Elbphilharmonie

Photo by Robert Katzki on Unsplash
Located in Hamburg, Germany, the Elbphilharmonie upcycles a former warehouse into a chic new space. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron architects it measures over 350 feet at the highest point. The unusual glass facade was built on top of an existing building. Originally, it was used as a warehouse to receive shipments such as
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Cineteca Nacional

The Cineteca Nacional, located in Mexico City has a new futuristic look. It was revitalized in 2014 by Rojkind Arquitectos. They were originally hired to renovate and expand the space but ended up making several smart changes to more effectively utilize the area and better serve the people who use it. Originally the parking lot
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Casa da Musica

Porto, Portugal’s Casa da Musica steps away from the traditional concert hall. This angular space makes a striking change among its more traditional neighbors. Inside are a grand auditorium, a smaller performance space, rehearsal rooms, recording studios, restaurant, 600 space underground parking lot. On top, an opening creates a roof terrace lined with black and
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Hilton London Metropole

The unusual facade of the Hilton London Metropole seems to bend the laws of space. It is one of the largest hotels in Europe and can accomodate about 3,000 people in its conference space. It contains over 1,000 rooms and can dine about 2,000. The Metropole is centrally located in London, nearby Hyde park. The
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This Week’s Crazy Building: California Building

This week we are looking at the California Building in Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Museum Of Man. The amount of ornate detail is a sight to see! It was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. Designed by Bertram Goodhue, he drew inspiration from styles such as Baroque and Rococo as well
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