10 Iconic Buildings you need to know
At Prudêncio, we are passionate about the construction industry and we develop solutions that extend the life of public and private buildings. See here our selection of the most fascinating buildings in the world, which you should visit on your next trip.
1. Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is one of the most important buildings of the Byzantine Empire. It was built between 532 and 537 to be the cathedral of Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Greek origin of its name means “Holy Wisdom.”
This impressive building is famous mainly for its dome and it’s considered to represent a moment of change in the history of architecture. Until the conclusion of Seville Cathedral in 1520, the Hagia Sophia was considered the largest cathedral in the world.
2. Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum is one of the best known and most visited museums in the world. Located on the right bank of the Seine in Paris, this magnificent building houses the Palais du Louvre, which until 1682 was the residence of the kings of France, and occupies the site of a 13th-century fortress. Its collection of approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century is displayed over an area of 72,735 square meters.
The construction of its famous pyramid has caused controversy because of the clash between futuristic and classic architecture. But some have also interpreted this juxtaposition of contrasting styles of architecture as a successful fusion of old and new, classic and modern.
3. St. Basil’s Cathedral
St. Basil’s Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral erected on Red Square in Moscow between 1555 and 1561. It is one of the most sought after monuments for those visiting the Russian capital, and probably the most famous image of the country internationally. In the heart of the city, this stunningly beautiful building marks the geometric center of the city and the center of its growth since the 14th century.
It was built under orders from Ivan the Terrible after his victory in the battle of Kazhan, and has functioned as a division of the State Historical Museum since 1928.
4. Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is more than a fascinating building, it is an icon of the city of Paris and all of France. Its symbolism and presence in popular culture, especially in cinema, have made this iron tower one of the most visited paid monuments in the world. Its name is a tribute to its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, and is considered the tallest building in the city.
It is 324 meters high and is about 15 centimeters higher in summer due to the thermal expansion of the iron. It ceased to be the tallest structure in the world in 1930 when it lost its place to the Chrysler Building in New York.
5. Notre-dame
Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral is one of the most recognized and popular monuments in the world. This year’s fire was particularly sad because the cathedral is loved by many people around the world and because this imposing building has been a symbol of resistance, surviving centuries of turbulent French history.
It began to be built in 1163 in honor of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus and is one of the oldest French cathedrals in the Gothic style. Its location on Île de la Cité in Paris, surrounded by the waters of the Seine perfectly completes the beauty of the building.
6. Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House, also known as the Sydney Theater, is one of the most impressive show buildings in the world and one of Australia’s great symbols. Its location on Sydney’s famous Bay perfectly matches the impressive architectural work of the building. Construction, designed by Jørn Utzon, began in 1959, and although the architect abandoned the project in 1966, the building was inaugurated on October 20, 1973.
Sydney Opera House is considered one of Australia’s premier tourist attractions, attracting millions of visitors from around the world, especially the most passionate about architecture.
7. Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, UAE, and is considered one of the tallest hotels in the world (seventh highest), although 39% of its total height is made up of unoccupied space. Burj Al Arab is on an artificial island 280 meters from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curved bridge.
The fascinating shape of the structure is designed to look like a ship’s sail. It has a helipad near the roof at a height of 210m (689 ft) above the ground.
8. Empire state building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in midtown Manhattan, New York, on Fifth Avenue. It is considered an American cultural icon and has been ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It is also an efficient and sustainable energy structure, being the tallest building in the United States with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which it received in September 2011.
The building is currently the fifth tallest skyscraper in the United States and the 31st tallest in the world.
9. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
This museum is situated on the banks of the Nervión River in Bilbao, Spain, and is distinguished above all by the way its complex curvilinear forms merge with the rest of the building. Proving the profound connection between art and architecture, this museum already hosts over a hundred exhibitions and more than ten million visitors. The term “Bilbao Effect” was even coined, which is now used to refer to the phenomenon of a city’s transformation after the construction of striking architectural work.
10. Georges Pompidou Center
When visiting Paris, it is impossible not to be impressed by the contrast between the extravagant architecture of the Pompidou Center, which includes colorful air tubes running through the exterior of the building, and the landscape where it is located. Inaugurated in 1977 in one of the oldest districts of the city, the Pompidou Center was a pioneer work of contemporary architecture. In addition to the Modena National Museum of Art, the Pompidou Center houses a center for musical and acoustic research and a public library.
The building is divided into six floors of 7,500 square meters each, of which the fourth and fifth concentrate the permanent exhibitions of the National Museum of Modern Art.
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