Hotel Rogner Bad Blumau, Austria
ARCHITECT: FRIEDENSREICH HUNDERTWASSER
BUILT: 1997
Photo by Intentionalart, via Creative Commons.
Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser has made his distaste for straight lines quite apparent, which he once labeled as “a tool of the devil.” One would be hard pressed to find a straight line in his most famous project, Rogner Bad Blumau. This seemingly mythical hotel is tucked into some beautiful rolling hills in the Austrian countryside. All of the buildings are adorned with colorful patchwork facades, uneven windows, princess towers, and most notably…grass-coated roofs. The grass coated roofs give the illusion of the structures actually being a part of the beautiful rolling hills. In his manifesto Mouldiness Manifesto against Rationalism in Architecture he stated: “We should reject any modern architecture in which the straight line or the circle have been employed…The straight line is not a creative line, but simply a reproductive lie. In it there live not God and human spirit, but a mass created, brainless ant addicted to comfort.”
The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
ARCHITECT: Frank Gehry
BUILT: 2007
LAS VEGAS – JUNE 18 : The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in downtown Las Vegas Nevada on June 18 2016 the modern building designed by the architect Frank Gehry
This Dr. Suess esque building is quite an achievement. Gehry’s ability to break rules and make strides in architectural design is unmatched. His works are the most distinctive and innovative architectural phenomena in existence. His deconstructive structures are iconic, as such, tourists flock to his buildings around the world and marvel at the forms he has created. Labeled by Vanity Fair as “the most important architect of our age,” he continues to inspire all of us with his unique designs.
Burj Al Arab in Dubai
ARCHITECT: Tom Wright
BUILT: 1999
Dubai United Arab Emirates – Dec 2 2014 : View of the illuminated Burj Al Arab at the sunset. View from the Jumeirah beach. Burj Al Arab is a luxury 7 stars hotel built on an artificial island.
This man doesn’t have the repertoire that some other architects in this article have, as none of his other structures are as distinct. But this building is the most recognizable in Dubai. It is acclaimed for its endless luxury as a hotel and also one of the most recognizable buildings in modern architecture. Noted with the world’s tallest atrium, and equipped with its own helicopter landing pad and the tallest tennis court in the world. Tom Wright has most definitely made his mark on the world with this wonderful building.
The Sustainability Treehouse
ARCHITECT: MITHUN
BUILT: 2013
Photo by Joe Fletcher
Located in a forest at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, this interactive facility serves as an icon for adventurous design, sustainability, and high performance construction. Travelers climb indoor and outdoor platforms to experience the forest from multiple vantage points. They engage with educational exhibits that explore the site and ecosystem at the levels of ground, tree canopy, and sky. Innovative green building systems—including a 6,450-watt photovoltaic array output, two 4,000-watt wind turbines, and a 1,000-gallon cistern and water cleansing system—combine to yield a net-zero energy and net-zero water facility that touches its site lightly.