Lotus Temple

20th and 21st-century architecture has transformed city centers with structures that push engineering boundaries. Observation towers like the Seattle Space Needle and experimental residential complexes like Habitat 67 in Montreal demonstrate the evolution of construction techniques. Architects have explored new forms using materials such as steel, glass, and concrete, creating structures that meet the growing demands of metropolitan areas. This collection includes buildings that marked their time with innovative design. In Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí's Casa Milà features a wavy facade that breaks traditional norms, while in London, 30 St Mary Axe incorporates energy-saving technologies into its 180-meter structure. From Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum clad in titanium to artificial islands shaped in the Persian Gulf in Dubai, these projects illustrate the diversity of architectural approaches worldwide. Each building reflects its urban context while offering solutions to technical and functional challenges of its era.

This collection brings together notable domes and cupolas from all continents, signs of diverse architectural traditions extending from the Vatican to Australia, Russia to the United Arab Emirates. From the famous dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to the colorful domes of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg, the Renaissance dome of Florence Cathedral, to the cast-iron dome of the US Capitol in Washington, each structure tells a particular story and reflects the ambitions of its era. These buildings span several centuries of architectural innovation and serve various functions: religious structures like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Côte d'Ivoire, civil buildings such as Oxford's Radcliffe Camera or the Australian Exhibition Palace, and even thermal spas like Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths. Each dome illustrates construction techniques and aesthetic decisions specific to its culture, offering insight into skills that enabled the creation of these monumental coverings.

This collection brings together some of the most technically ambitious structures ever built, from record-breaking skyscrapers and suspension bridges to high-speed roller coasters that push the boundaries of what steel and concrete can achieve. These sites span continents and represent decades of engineering progress, offering visitors a chance to experience human innovation at heights and speeds that were once impossible. Whether you're standing on the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, walking across the glass floor panels of the CN Tower in Toronto, or racing through the launch sequence of Kingda Ka in New Jersey, each structure tells a story of technical ambition and problem-solving. The collection includes landmarks like the 324-meter Eiffel Tower in Paris, completed for the 1889 World Exhibition, and modern marvels such as Tokyo Skytree, which rises 634 meters above the city. You'll find the Millau Viaduct spanning the Tarn River valley in France at a height of 336 meters (1,100 feet), the tilted medieval bell tower in Pisa leaning at a 3.97-degree angle, and Russia's SkyBridge suspended between mountain peaks at 2,320 meters (7,600 feet) elevation. These places attract millions of visitors each year, offering not just views and thrills but a firsthand understanding of what modern engineering can accomplish when designers set out to build something exceptional.

Architecture does not have to follow straight lines and right angles. This collection presents buildings that stand out through their form: domes, spirals, tilted facades or organic structures that recall animals or plants. From Gaudí's mosaic covered works in Barcelona to the stacked concrete cubes of Habitat 67 in Montreal or the conical trulli of Alberobello, these structures demonstrate alternative approaches to construction. Some emerged from technical necessity, such as the temporary cardboard cathedral in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake. Others are artistic statements: the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao with its titanium plates, the Dancing House in Prague or the cubist houses in Rotterdam. In Đà Lạt, the Crazy House transforms tree trunks and caves into habitable spaces, while the Atomium in Brussels represents a magnified iron crystal. These structures attract visitors but also raise questions about function and livability. The Longaberger Basket Building in Ohio takes the form of a seven story basket. The Lotus Temple in New Delhi uses concrete shells to form 27 petals. The Aldar headquarters in Abu Dhabi resembles a circular coin. These buildings expand the definition of what architecture can be.

Major temples worldwide display architectural and cultural achievements of ancient civilizations. From temples in Cambodia to pyramids in Mexico, these structures document religious practices, construction methods and social structures of their time. The complexes in Asia, Europe and America present different building styles, ornaments and ceremonial spaces.