From a circus-themed library to highly decorative churches, these fantasy-like structures make us ogle at the creative works of these architects and designers.
San Giovanni Buttista, Switzerland
Mario Botta’s 1992 work — San Giovanni Buttista (Church of St. John the Baptist) — was in Lavizzana, Switzerland. Architect Mario Botta’s San Giovanni Battista Church in the remote Swiss town of Mogno is a monument to modern architecture and tenacity. The church was built between 1994 and 1996 after an avalanche damaged the original 17th-century building in 1986.
Botta’s design perfectly complements the mountain surroundings and heightens the meditative atmosphere. Its oval layout and circular glass ceiling let in natural light. The facade features alternating bands of local materials, such as white Peccia marble and grey Riveo granite, giving it a characteristic striped look.
The glass roof represents openness to the sky, while the sturdy stone walls of the church — which taper from two meters at the base to fifty centimetres at the pinnacle — represent strength and protection. The way transparency and solidity interact illustrates Botta’s goal of bridging the gap between the divine and the human. In addition to being a house of worship, San Giovanni Battista Church is a notable architectural monument that exemplifies Botta’s skill at fusing traditional materials with modern shapes to create environments that are both historically and contemporarily relevant.
Shenzhen Zhongshuge, China
Architect Li Xiang established the Shanghai-based design studio X-LIVING in 2011 and is well known for fusing architecture and art to create inspiring and unforgettable settings. Dreamy hues, curving shapes, and breathtaking details are common in their designs, which produce fantastical, surreal settings that provide guests with engaging spatial experiences.
The Beijing Zhongshuge Lafayette Store, Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore, Yangzhou Zhongshuge, and the acclaimed Dujiangyan Zhongshuge are just some of the many bookstores and retail locations that make up X-LIVING’s portfolio. One particularly noteworthy example is the Shenzhen Zhongshuge bookstore, which features a spectacular spiral installation in red and white that dominates the interior and is visible from the outside like a gallery piece.
This design honours the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone’s founders and pioneers. Li Xiang highlights that her objective goes beyond designing lovely environments; she wants to create whole universes inside websites that give visitors fresh viewpoints and creative outlets. This strategy guarantees that X-LIVING’s projects are aesthetically pleasing and emotionally impactful, enticing guests to interact closely with their spaces.
Futuruscope Poitiers, France
A cutting-edge theme park devoted to multimedia, cinematography, and audiovisual technology, Futuroscope is situated near Poitiers, France. The park has seen almost 35 million visits since opening in 1987, including 1.6 million in 2007. The park has unique glass architecture and several immersive 3D and 4D movie theatres. These futuristic-looking buildings are home to events and attractions that are unlike anything else. Located in the Vienne department’s Theeneuil-du-Poitou and Jaunay-Clan, Futuroscope has become a major tourist destination and cultural icon. It is a noteworthy example of contemporary theme park design because its inventive fusion of entertainment and technology inspires audiences.
Basque Health Department Building, Spain
Constructed by Coll-Barreu Arquitectos and finished in 2008, the Basque Health Department Headquarters is a conspicuous building located in Bilbao’s Ensanche area at the intersection of two main streets. This area was the final undeveloped area in the city’s business and administrative district.
In addition to meeting strict urban rules, the building’s unique double-glazed, multidimensional glass exterior improves acoustic insulation, fire protection, and energy efficiency. By eliminating the need for traditional air conditioning, this creative design lowers energy usage and improves indoor air quality.
The building’s interior is divided into two levels for institutional usage and seven open-plan office floors. Services and vertical circulation are housed in a vertical spine along the longest party wall. The first basement has an auditorium and foyer, while the double-height tower at the chamfered corner houses the board hall. Three parking levels and a fourth basement for archives are located below. The facade’s folded glass components capture Bilbao’s lively energy by producing dynamic reflections of the city that change according to the time of day, season, and viewing point.
MVRDV Valley, Amsterdam
The Zuidas business sector of Amsterdam is home to the mixed-use development known as Valley, which MVRDV created. The project — which was finished in 2021 — consists of three buildings that range in height from 100 meters to more, and it has offices, retail establishments, cultural institutions, and residential apartments. The design stands out from the surrounding corporate architecture thanks to its terraced façade, which features natural stone and many flora.
Piet Oudolf — a landscape architect — carefully selected some 13,500 plants to create a “green valley” that rises through the structure, boosting biodiversity and giving people access to private outdoor areas. Valley won the 2021 Emporis Skyscraper Award as the most significant new skyscraper in the world, demonstrating its creative design.
The Silo, Copenhagen
A remarkable 17-story building in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn neighbourhood, The Silo is a prime example of creative adaptive reuse in architecture. The Danish company COBE converted the former grain storage facility into a mixed-use project with 39 distinctive residential apartments and public facilities. By keeping the building’s original concrete inside, the design honours the building’s industrial past while adding a new, angular, galvanized steel front that improves energy efficiency and offers a modern look.
The Silo — which was finished in 2017 — has won accolades all over the world, including the Azure AZ Award for multi-storey residential architecture and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s 2018 Best Tall Building Europe. This project, which exemplifies how careful design can adapt existing structures to meet modern needs, is crucial to Nordhavn’s transition from an industrial region into a bustling urban quarter.
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