I imagine it’s one of those Marmite things – you either love it or hate it. I think it’s rather splendid, the Bierpinsel. This building, dating from the 1970s, is supposed to ‘look like a tree’ (truly) but from day one has been known as...
I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’ll find myself in United Arab Emirates in the near future. But nevertheless, I’ve just spent the morning checking out the exhibits and the remarkable architecture at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Before I...
A modern castle – that’s what it was called when it was built. And remarkably, that was seventy years ago. It was seen as being astonishingly modern, nested as it was in the countryside of the somewhat traditional Northern France. It was created as the...
I could spend weeks in Berlin just looking at the architecture. And one building to see before it gets destroyed, or simply crumbles away, is the Stadtbad Lichtenberg. The building was opened in 1928 as a public baths. But more than that. It had swimming pools, a spa,...
You know what Londoners are like. If you think that there are buildings in London that have official names such as the Gherkin then you’d be wrong – although just about everyone refers to it as such. There’s also no building that’s officially...
To be honest, the photograph above only shows a segment of Marina Bay Sands but I thought it was rather stunning and couldn’t resist. Here’s a photograph showing the entirety of this amazing structure. Pretty astonishing, right?It’s quite an...
Architecture buffs visiting Montreal are sure to head to see Habitat 67 in the flesh. I’d live in one of its 148 apartments in a heartbeat. What a fabulous complex in a wonderful location. I’d live there in a heartbeat. (Oh, I said that already – two...
Do you remember when steampunk was a thing? Well, the perfect interior to match that look is to be found in this building. It’s gorgeous, it’s got a curious history and it’s been used in umpteen films, TV shows and music videos. And, it’s open...
Number two Willow Road is the central apartment in a row of three – built in the late thirties and designed by Ernő Goldfinger. Goldfinger was a well-known designer and architect – he was originally from Budapest but made his home in London for many years...
I’m not sure that Downey, California has a huge amount to fascinate the traveller but if you’re on a road trip and passing through, it’s an idea to take a look at the world’s oldest branch of McDonalds. It opened in 1953 so I’m imagining...
This is a curious house with a curious history. It’s been seen in films and TV shows and residents need to access the place via a funicular. And it had curious beginnings. The original owner had been given the piece of land and the fact that he didn’t have...
Just as Eileen Gray did in the South of France, so Lina Bo Bardi created another dream house – this time in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The house is named el Casa de Vidro (the Glass House) and was designed in 1951. Lina, born in Rome, was a pioneer of...
Sheats Apartments building is an early example of the work of architect John Lautner. Built in 1949, it was intended for use as accommodation for UCLA students and seems to have spent most of its life to date as such. The building contains eight self-contained...
Leeds is a splendid city. There are many things to see and to do within the city itself and going a little further afield to the outskirts takes the traveller to even more fabulous places. But today, we’re staying in the city centre itself. We start by shopping...
If I told you that the connection between a Swedish water tower and a café in Canvey Island, Essex, UK, was the Sydney Opera House then you’d probably think that I’d lost it at last. Fair enough. But read on. Canvey Island in Essex is not really the sort...
Incredible Irish designer Eileen Gray designed the house that I – and plenty of other people too I’m sure – would describe as a dream home. Completed in 1929, the house overlooks the sparkling blue sea. It was a labour of love – more about...
Swimming is one of the most popular forms of exercise and these days, more and more people are enjoying the benefits of swimming outdoors. In England. Yes, although many people in other countries seem to think that Egland is always cold and always raining (it...
As the man in the video says ‘these are proper English chips – none of yer poncey French fries’. The super-stylish frontage – those wonderful tiles and that fabulous font! – could be the work of a modern architect but it is original to...
This astonishing edifice – a private home – was built in 1976. Architect William Nicholson created the building as part of an experimental series featuring what was referred to, not surprisingly, as ‘Blob Architecture’. The process involved...
Bornholm is a pretty special island (as you’ll see in the video below) and one of the most picturesque places on the island is Svaneke. It’s popular with travellers and there’s plenty to occupy you when you visit. But for architecture fans, a side...
Although its name suggests otherwise, The Green Citadel in Magdeburg isn’t green. It’s pink. With splashes of red, yellow and bright primary colours. It was designed by Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and is just one of the excellent reasons...
St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales has many outside exhibits that are either original historical buildings or, in the case of the Iron Age roundhouses, replicas of ancient structures. So it might surprise you to know that one of the most fascinating...
The sub-title for this article could be ‘Dine in the Olympic’ – except the word ‘Olympic’ could be crossed out and the word ‘Titanic’ substituted. But I’m getting ahead of myself… I’ll get back to that in a...
Built in 1934, this modernist building housing small but efficient (and wonderfully designed) apartments became popular with its inhabitants – and those inhabitants included artists, designers, writers, architects … and even spies. Today the building is...
You could describe Asmara as a tiny chunk of early twentieth century Italy, right there in Africa – close to the Red Sea. Why Italy? Italy occupied Eritrea for many years and during the Mussolini days, modern architects were encouraged to travel there to create...
This amazing mid-century building is the official residence of the President of Brazil but it is open to the public who wish to visit this Oscar Niemeyer-designed masterpiece. It was built in 1957 and 1958. Needless to say, because the building is the home and...
Even a humble filling station can be a thing of wonder when it’s created by a world renown designer. The Skovshoved Petrol Station, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, was designed in the nineteen thirties by Arne Jacobsen. His client was the Texaco Company. The...
When you read about the history of this astonishing building – erected in 1975 – it’s likely that you’ll be told that the architect was Spaniard Ricardo Bofill. Well, yes, but in fact Bofill never completed his architectural training. The...
Of course, there are those who think that fast-food burgers are the work of the devil but even amongst us there are also those who love Mid Century Modern architecture (and the lifestyle it conjures up) and if you’re in the Hollwood area, then Bob’s is...
Once you’ve visited the obvious tourist traps in London, the chances are that you’ll start to explore the less-familiar aspects of the city. And there are several reasons why you might end up in the Cleveland Street area. For example, Charles Dickens lived...
In the USA, domestic air conditioning wasn’t available until the mid-nineteen fifties but other countries had the problem solved in ancient times. Take, for example, the beehive houses of Harran – examples of which are pictured above. Beehive houses were...
Some people think that they were built by aliens but the fact of the matter is that the Cape Romano Dome House, now abandoned, was built in 1980 by an American businessman named Bob Lee. (I’ll admit that the alien story is more romantic though). I imagine that...
it seems that in the 1930s, Hitler and Mussolini were on the same page when it came to building coastal resorts of the people. Hitler had Prora and Mussolini had Colonia Fara. And both still exist and are equally spooky. Also, both are in the process of being...
England abounds with eccentrics – people and buildings. And the Royal Pavillion at Brighton is so much a part of English culture that it’s only when I take a step back, and see it as a foreigner would, that I realise just how bizarre it is. Let’s...
It’s not only me who finds this building (above, left) perfectly awful. In 2015, the building won the Carbuncle Cup – which is awarded annually to the ugliest building in the UK. And it’s not just ugly, it also has a serious solar glare problem....
One of the most famous buildings in Spain had its construction started in 1882. And it’s still not completed. It’s estimated that Gaudi’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona will finally be fully completed in 2026. Gaudi himself died exactly one hundred...
It’s not often that anyone can use the phrase ‘you’ve seen the chair, now see the house’. But I really imagine that most of us know the chair. Look at the image of the house above – doesn’t it have familiar design features? The...
In the spring of 2017, it was announced that Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Vicens in Barcelona would be opened to the public as a museum later in the year. What wonderful news for those of us who have drooled over his other buildings in this fabulous city. We’ve...
Ramla is a short, about thirty minutes, drive from Tel Aviv. It’s notable for its museum and White Tower but in recent years, travellers have been visiting because of another curious attraction – the Pool of Arches. Descend the stone stairs and once you...
Since 1961 Justo Gallego had had just one aim and that is to build a cathedral in Mejorada del Campo in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Opinions are still divided regarding Justo – is he devout or simply a madman? He has no permit to erect the building and there...
Oxford is an amazing place – and only about 60 miles from London – so if you’re looking for accommodation in the area it’s unlikely that you’ll beat staying in one of the university buildings there. These bed and breakfast accommodations...
There are many reasons to visit the Lingotto Building in Turin. It houses a fabulous hotel, concert halls, a convention centre, theatres, shopping centres and more. But it’s also an incredible building – with a history. Construction of the building started...
One of my favourite places to visit in the Miami area is the 12th century St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church – known as the Ancient Spanish Monastery. It’s such a calm and peaceful place especially in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Miami today. But if...
