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Tokyo Architecture City Guide: 35 Iconic Buildings to Visit in Japan's Capital City

Tokyo Architecture City Guide: 35 Iconic Buildings to Visit in Japan's Capital City - Image 1 of 40

  • Written by Andreea Cutieru
  • Published on April 29, 2022

One of the world's leading metropolises, Tokyo is home to extraordinary architecture that fascinates through its blend of traditional values and high-tech expression. The 1923 earthquake and the bombardments of World War II dramatically influenced the image of the city and its architecture, giving rise to modern urban environments with complex infrastructure.

The Japanese capital constitutes the most populated metropolitan area in the world, housing 33 million inhabitants. Divided into 23 wards and numerous neighbourhoods, the city features a diverse blend of atmospheres and urban fabrics that support an amalgamation of architectural typologies.

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The following list showcases 30 iconic modern and contemporary buildings that will provide a good starting point for your first visit to Japan's largest city, including works from renowned architects such as Nikken Sekkei , Herzog & De Meuron , Toyo Ito , Kengo Kuma , Sou Fujimoto , Kenzo Tange , OMA , Jun Aoki and Kazuyo Sejima .

Ginza Neighborhood

Tokyu plaza ginza / nikken sekkei.

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Maison Hermès Tokyo / Renzo Piano

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Yamaha Ginza / Nikken Sekkei

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Louis Vuitton Matsuya Ginza Facade Renewal / Jun Aoki & Associates

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De Beers Ginza Building / Jun Mitsui & Associates Architects

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Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center / Kenzo Tange

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Tokyo International Forum / Rafael Viñoly Architects

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Louis Vuitton Ginza Flagship Store / Jun Aoki Architects + Peter Marino Architect

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Omotesando Neighborhood

Miu miu aoyama store / herzog & de meuron.

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Omotesando Keyaki Building / Norihiko Dan and Associates

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Coach Omotesando Flagship / OMA

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Shibuya Neighborhood

Yoyogi national gymnasium / kenzo tange.

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Sunwell Muse Kitasando / Takato Tamagami and Tsutomu Hase

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Miyashita Park / Nikken Sekkei

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TRUNK (HOTEL) YOYOGI PARK / Keiji Ashizawa Design

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UPI Shop in Omotesando / Happenstance Collective [HaCo]

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Shinjuku Neighborhood

Japan national stadium / taisei corporation + azusa sekkei + kengo kuma & associates.

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Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower / Kenzo Tange

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Spiral Building / Fumihiko Maki

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Asakusa Neighborhood

Asakusa culture and tourism center / kengo kuma & associates.

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Koenji  Neighborhood

House na / sou fujimoto architects.

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Setagaya  Neighborhood

Breeze / artechnic architects.

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Suginami Neighborhood

Za koenji public theatre / toyo ito.

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Shibaura  Neighborhood

Shibaura house by kazuyo sejima.

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Sumida Neighborhood

Asahi beer hall / philippe starck.

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The Ariake Gymnastics Centre / Nikken Sekkei + Shimizu Corporation

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Sekiguchi Neighborhood

St. mary cathedral / kenzo tange.

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Oshiage Neighborhood

One @ tokyo / kengo kuma & associates.

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Kodaira Neighborhood

Musashino art university museum & library / sou fujimoto.

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Hachioji Neighborhood

Tama art university library / toyo ito & associates.

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Harumi  Neighborhood

Harumi residential tower / richard meier & partners architects.

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Meguro City

Tokyo institute of technology hisao & hiroko taki plaza / kengo kuma & associates.

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Minato District

Azabudai hills / heatherwick studio.

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Toranomon Hills Station Tower / OMA/Shohei Shigematsu

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Nihonbashi Neighbourhood

K5 tokyo hotel / claesson koivisto rune.

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We invite you to visit our list of Architecture City Guides .

Editor's Note:  This article was originally published on April 29, 2022.

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Tokyo Architecture City Guide: 35 Iconic Buildings to Visit in Japan's Capital City - Image 1 of 40

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© Nacása & Partners Inc.. ImageMiyashita Park by Nikken Sekkei

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Architecture tourism: The best U.S. buildings, parks, and museums to visit this summer

Tours, parks, and buildings for architecturally-minded travelers to add to their itinerary

You can scan social media and admire great architecture and design from afar, but there's something to be said about seeing a great work in its natural environment. With summer travel season at its apex, there's plenty of time to get site-specific with pilgrimages to architectural masterpieces or make time for urban innovations during your next long weekend out of town. We've assembled a list of some of our favorite tours, sites, and buildings for architecturally minded travelers to add to their itinerary, organized west to east and including new openings of note. We can’t cover it all, but this should be a good start.

A pioneering residential development along the northern coast of California, the Sea Ranch , which features the landscape designer Lawrence Halprin, architect Charles Moore, and graphic artist Barbara Stauffacher Solomon , among many others, was an attempt at a pastoral utopia for the middle-class Bay Area intellectual. The development of the original site—and the timber-clad, shed-roofed buildings nestled within it—have deeply influenced modernist design. Key trends, such as vernacular modernism that incorporates local materials and graphic interiors, can all be traced back to this singular project. Note that the development is still a private community; those wanting to visit can access public beaches and trails or rent a house there to take advantage (the Lodge at The Sea Ranch is also due to reopen in late 2019), but visiting renters should take care to respect the rights and privacy of current homeowners.

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A house on a cliff adjacent to a body of water. The house facade is brown and the house structure is angled.

Portland Building

Considered the first major work of postmodernism when it was completed in 1982 (not to be confused with earlier, example-setting buildings like the Vanna Venturi house ), the Portland Municipal Services Building exemplified the style’s playful re-interpretations of classical design elements. Architect Michael Graves saw the project as a ”symbolic gesture” to reclaim design from Modernism’s staid, boxy, glass-and-steel grip. Wrapped in several colors and featuring bold design flourishes—including keystones, pilasters and belvederes—the 15-story building made a case for creativity in architecture. The debate still rages on: Is such a design choice engaging recontextualization, or whimsy light on symbolism?   Currently, the building is in the process of a contentious $195 million “reskinning,” which city officials say will remove, strengthen, and replace the facade;  preservationists feel  many of the materials used in the replacement will compromise the form and facade of the building.

The exterior of a postmodern Portland building. The facade is red and white. There are trees in the foreground.

Golden Gate Bridge

Even when it’s shrouded in the Bay Area fog, this 1.7-mile suspension bridge, arguably the most famous in the country, still attracts cyclists, crowds, and onlookers marveling at one of San Francisco’s most recognizable symbols. Learn more about this infrastructure marvel at Curbed San Francisco , then plan a visit.

The Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is red and spanning across a body of water. In the foreground is a rocky hill.

Hallidie Building

It may seem a little short to be the forerunner of today's skyscrapers, but when it was built in 1918, the Hallidie Building was the first of its kind with a glass facade. A recent multi-year restoration project restored a bit of the nearly century-old structure's shine.

The exterior of the Hallidie Building. The facade has many windows.

According to Curbed San Francisco editor Brock Keeling , the long-anticipated expansion of one of the city’s signature cultural institutions has been both an “unabashed success” and “standout in the neighborhood.” Snøhetta’s 10-story contoured facade, an update on the classic Mario Botta building , was inspired by San Francisco's characteristic fog and choppy Bay waters.

The exterior of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The facade is white and contoured with many windows.

Space Needle

One of the symbols of Seattle, this space-age observation tower , built for the 1962 World’s Fair, just completed a $100 million renovation last fall. Visitors to the local icon, whose designers left a large footprint on Seattle architecture , will be able to check out a new 360-degree observation deck, complete with a glass floor and excellent views of Mt. Rainier.

The exterior of the Space Needle in Seattle. The tower is tall with a green top. There is a city skyline in the background with buildings of varying heights.

Gas Works Park

A revolutionary creative reuse project, and a “ beautiful way to remember a toxic past ,” this Seattle park, designed by architect Richard Haag, reimagined a coal gasification plant on the city’s waterfront as an active park and children’s play place. Landscaping and repurposing of different sections of the abandoned industrial facility have made this one of the more unique parts of the city’s landscape.

An aerial view of Gas Works Park. There is a large green lawn and at the edge of the lawn is an industrial coal plant.

Hearst Castle

The inspiration for Xanadu in Orson Welles’s classic film Citizen Kane , William Randolph Hearst’s castle in San Simeon was built on family land where he would take camping trips as a child. Architect Julia Morgan designed the ranch and hilltop estate based on the newspaper tycoon’s eclectic tastes, including Spanish themes. "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill") became a sprawling enterprise, complete with the nation's largest private zoo, a movie theater, the Neptune Pool (which contained the façade of a Roman temple Hearst imported from Europe) and a private power plant. A perfectionist, Hearst often ordered different sections to be redesigned and rebuilt; Morgan started pitching ideas in 1915, but the project still was incomplete by the time Hearst died in 1951.

The exterior of Hearst Castle. The facade is white and there are multiple towers. There are palm trees in front of the building.

The Majestic Yosemite Hotel

One of the defining examples of “ parkitecture ,” the rustic style of design found throughout the National Park System, the Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee Hotel) has hosted generations of tourists. Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in 1927, the building was made to match its surroundings, and reflects the natural splendor that makes Yosemite so compelling.

The exterior of the Majestic Yosemite Hotel. The facade is red brick and stone with columns. There are mountains and trees in the background.

Eames House

Anybody convinced that modern design means cold edges and a stark palette need only peek inside the exuberant home Ray and Charles Eames designed for themselves in 1949. Commissioned as part of Art & Architecture magazine’s Case Study program and placed amid a eucalyptus grove in the Pacific Palisades, the prefab exterior, a Mondrian-like assembly of off-the-shelf parts—colorful panels, glass, and steel—conceals a playful and living room. The inspiring, oft-photographed space, an artful array of toys , tchotchkes, and furniture, embodies the couple’s imaginative and all-encompassing design philosophy.

The exterior of the Eames House in California. The facade is white with colorful glass panels. The house is surrounded by trees.

Sheats-Goldstein House

The LA County Museum of Art's first-ever architecture acquisition , the Sheats-Goldstein House high in the hills of Beverly Crest, designed by John Lautner and owned and loved for decades James Goldstein, is one of the most spectacular houses in Los Angeles: triangular concrete jaws held open by walls of glass, and filled with transparent sinks, built-in leather furniture (including a bed), outdoor corridors with no rails, and windows that look into the pool.

The interior of the Sheats-Goldstein house. There are red couches, a glass table, and floor to ceiling windows. The ceiling has a triangular concrete design.

Schindler House

A radical departure from architectural convention at the time it was built in 1922, R.M. Schindler’s experiment in shared space, separated by sliding glass panels, came from an unlikely inspiration: a vacation village at Yosemite National Park. The layout of those shared campsites gave Schindler the idea of creating a live-work space appropriate for two families, a pair of L-shaped apartments with two studios and a utility room apiece. While it may not look it from the road, the home’s then-unique blurring of interior and exterior created a precedent, Also known as the Schindler Chace House, since his friend Clyde Chace and his wife were the first family to share the home with Schindler (Richard Neutra was next), this unique building was a early Modernist classic.

The exterior of the Schindler House. The facade is white with a dark brown roof. There is a lawn and flowers in the foreground.

Stahl House

Pierre Konig’s classic midcentury modern design for the Stahl family has become an icon of California cool, perhaps the most instantly recognizable of the Case Study homes that helped defined this era of modernist architecture. Tour spots for this hillside home are hard to come by, so make sure to reserve well ahead of time.

The Stahl House in California. There is an in-ground swimming pool in the foreground. The pool is adjacent to a house with glass walls. The house is on the edge of a cliff. In the distance is the city of Los Angeles.

Griffith Observatory

One of LA’s true gems, the Griffith Observatory boasts some of the best views in the city, from sunset panoramas and the excellent framing of the nearby Hollywood Sign to the celestial wonders found inside this astronomy center. The best part is, it’s still free.

The exterior of the Griffith Observatory. The facade is white and there are multiple brown domes. The observatory is on a cliff. The city of Los Angeles is in the distance.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Hollyhock House

A '20s masterpiece that may have set the tone for California modernism, Wright's most famous California project was reopened to the public in 2015 year after a painstaking restoration; an entire year was spent just studying and mapping out the updates that needed to be made to the former home of an oil heiress.

The interior of the Frank Lloyd Wright Hollyhock House. There is a skylight, tables, couch, and a fireplace.

The Broad Museum

Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s design for this Los Angeles museum, a serrated, 120,000-square-foot home for contemporary art, adds to the collection of cultural institutions on Grand Avenue. Inside, the curvaceous interiors and broad galleries make for a “fascinating museum experience,” according to Curbed critic Alexandra Lange.

The exterior of the Broad Museum. The facade is white with a serrated design.

The Gamble House

A lot of weighty associations are attached to this airy Pasadena home and its gabled roofs: it’s the finest surviving example of architectural duo Greene and Greene’s work, an exemplary California bungalow, and a high point of the Arts and Crafts movement. But its romantic silhouettes, Japanese influences, and exemplary woodwork also point to an early example of Southern California cool, a thoroughly modern attempt to create a building wedded to the climate (note the numerous sleeping porches). Commissioned by David Gamble, an heir to the Procter & Gamble fortune, and designed in 1908, the summer home has become one of L.A.’s most-loved residences.

The exterior of the Gamble House. The facade is brown and there is a stone fence.

Chicano Park

On April 20, 1970, this recreation space became the site of a successful protest against a city plan to build a California Highway Patrol substation on land where the government promised to build a community park. It’s since become an important historic site for the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, a National Historic Landmark, and contains the Chicano Park Monumental Murals, a massive and multicolored collection of street art.

A mural with a sign that reads: La Tierra Mia Chicano Park.

Spiral Jetty

Built in 1970, Robert Smithson’s 1500-foot long curlicue of mud, salt crystals and rocks is considered an icon of land art and statement on the nature of entropy. The sculptor, who declared that museums were simply "mausoleums for art,” scouted out locations in Utah for this work, and settled on Rozel Point, in part due to its red hue and nearby industrial remnants. To construct the huge outcropping into the lake, he hired a local construction company to push 6,650 tons of material into the water. "That was the only thing I ever built that was to look at and had no purpose,” said the contractor in an interview. "It was made just to look nice.” Despite the size, it's part of the small minority of projects in our Land Art map that's actually finished.

The Spiral Jetty. This is a long path of rocks that juts out into the ocean. There is a sunset in the sky and the sky is orange, pink, purple, and blue.

Summer is all about finding your own utopia, right? If you're headed through Arizona, make a detour to this utopian eco-city started in the '70s, a prototype-in-the-making for a more sustainable way of life.

A dome shaped structure with shelves and furniture inside.

David & Gladys Wright House

Designed for Frank Lloyd Wright's son, this spiraling home in Phoenix has been called a precursor to his Guggenheim design, and an epitome of site-specific architecture in the desert. A non-profit foundation is set on preserving the home.

The exterior of David & Gladys Wright house. The facade is tan brick and the house structure is shaped like a spiral.

Taliesin West

Originally designed and built in 1937 as a reflection of the desert landscape (petroglyphs discovered onsite formed a basis for a motif found throughout), Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter camp for the Taliesin Fellowship offers a striking model of his philosophy, and functions as the home of the foundation that protects his legacy. This was a workshop for Wright, both a center for instruction and a constantly evolving creation (after returning each summer, he would quickly circle the site, hammer in hand). In the midst of a large-scale restoration effort, this is one of the 10 Wright projects nominated for UNESCO World Heritage recognition, along with the original Taliesin in Spring Green, WIsconsin.

The exterior of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. In the foreground is a stone fountain. In the distance is a house with a staircase and stone facade. The house has floor to ceiling windows.

Aspen Art Museum

Shigeru Ban's elegant, lattice-like structure became one of the country's most talked about cultural institutions upon opening, though local reactions were mixed .

The exterior of the Aspen Art Museum. The facade is a lattice design.

Denver Art Museum

A mysterious, Late Modernist   fortress, this seven-story addition to the Denver Art Museum is the only building in the United States designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti. Castle-like and clad in glass tiles, the 24-sided slate gray structure is enigmatic, befitting a space of creative expression and contemplation. The architect said of his design, “Art is a treasure, and these thin but jealous walls defend it.” Last January, the museum broke ground on a  $150 million renovation  of the campus, timed to finish in 2021, the 50th anniversary of Ponti’s design.

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The exterior of the Denver Art Museum. The facade is grey and there are multiple windows.

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United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel

Master planned in the ‘50s by a Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM) team led by the then 34-year-old Walter Netsch, the legendary Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has become a National Landmark, due to its sharp layout and striking Cadet Chapel, a transcendent religious building that looks like a fleet of jet straining towards the heavens. It’s a picture of streamlined steel, strength, and fearlessness, all set against the backdrop of the Rockies and an azure mountain sky. Be sure to visit before September 1, when planned repairs on the roof are set to begin.

The exterior of the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. The facade is steel with sharp shapes.

Judd Foundation

The Judd Foundation spaces in Marfa, Texas, may appear more museum than home, especially considering the numerous studios and architecture offices spread among the sprawling town centered on a former Army base turned art mecca (don’t forget the famous middle-of-nowhere Prada store courtesy Ballroom Marfa). But the private residence of Donald Judd, set inside La Mansana de Chinati, or The Block, a former Quartermaster Corps office turned city block-sized development, is an adobe walled-home complete with a garden and Judd-designed furniture. Set within the larger complex, which provides unheard-of space to artists, the home suggests not merely a sense of freedom and Southwestern flourishes. Taken as part of a larger vision, Judd’s home and studios represents a different model of art, creative practice, and large-scale installations.

The interior of the Judd Foundation. There are wooden work tables with art supplies. The ceiling is high and has orange steel support beams.

Klyde Warren Park

This award-winning parkland bridges different neighborhoods of downtown Dallas by virtue of a deck design set above the Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

An aerial view of Klyde Warren Park. There is park space in the foreground. In the distance are multiple tall buildings.

Dallas Pritzker District

It's not an official landmark, but as this article pointed out, Dallas has the most acclaimed architecture per square mile of any major American city, if judged solely by Pritzker Medals: I.M. Pei (Meyerson Symphony Center), Rem Koolhaas (Wyly Theatre), Renzo Piano (Nasher Sculpture Center), Norman Foster (Winspear Opera House), Philip Johnson (Thanks-Giving Square) and Thom Mayne (Perot Museum of Nature and Science) are all represented. If you're time-starved and looking to check a few names off the list, the Dallas arts district gives you bragging rights in just a few blocks.

A building in the Dallas Pritzker Medal district. The building has a tan facade with glass.

Fair Park Dallas

The rides within Dallas’s Fair Park have earned legendary status over the years. But perhaps the most striking creations within this famous fairground, outside of the increasingly elaborate deep fried treats, are the buildings themselves, Art Deco masterpieces first unveiled during the Texas Centennial Celebration of 1936. The park played host to the state’s massive centennial birthday party, then the biggest party in Texas history. Twenty-six of the original buildings built for that headline-generating celebration remain, making the Dallas landmark one of the largest collections of Art Deco architecture in the country.

The exterior of Fair Park Dallas. The building has a curved structure with a tan facade. There is a gold statue above the entrance.

Price Tower

Frank Lloyd Wright described his lone high-rise as “the tree that escaped the crowded forest,” an apt way to paint a picture of this asymmetrical beauty, comprising 19 stories of angular walls that look different from every angle. Based on a design for apartments in Manhattan the architect created in the ’20s, the basic idea was transplanted to Oklahoma when Harold Price, owner of a local oil and chemical concern, hired Wright to create his first skyscraper. Opened in 1956, the copper-clad tower dominates the skyline. Visitors can now stay in a hotel in the top half of the building. 

The exterior of the Price Tower. The facade has green and tan design flourishes.

Menil Drawing Institute

The latest addition to the Menil Campus, an exceptional collection of art housed in a series of superb buildings, this new design by Johnston Marklee is worthy of the already high bar set by the work of other architects such as Philip Jhnson and Renzo Piano. The husband-wife team “have succeeded brilliantly,” argues Curbed critic Alexandra Lange , “taking Piano’s long lines, the bungalows’ peaked roofs, Johnson’s palm court, and creating a building that is simultaneously secretive and spectacular.”

The interior of the Menil Drawing Institute. There are floor to ceiling windows overlooking a courtyard with trees.

Saint John's Abbey and University Church

This modernist church is rightfully praised for its bell tower, a raised plane of concrete and crucifix that looks like a stone sail. But architect Marcel Breuer made the interior of the building, illuminated in part by a honeycomb of hexagonal stained glass, just as noteworthy.

The exterior of Saint John’s Abbey and University Church. The facade is brown. In the front of the building is a flat concrete bell tower.

Whitney Plantation

While there certainly are grander, more opulent plantation homes across the South, it’s hard to imagine one that offers both architectural history and a true reckoning of what these buildings represented to those who toiled in the nearby fields. The centerpiece of the first museum in the United States dedicated to telling the story of slavery, the architecturally significant grand French Creole mansion on the grounds, seems meant to be glimpsed at from inside the recreated slave jail. The home sits amid a collection of slave cabins, artwork, and a granite memorial etched with the names of 107,000 slaves who were forcibly brought to the state before 1820. Since re-opening in 2014, this plantation has stood apart from other such buildings on River Road.

A house on the Whitney Plantation. There are two levels and a wrap around porch on the upper level. The roof is brown with chimneys.

Gateway Arch

Eero Saarinen’s simple yet profound design for this stunning monument still inspires after decades, a stainless steel symbol of St. Louis and the American West that welcomes countless tourists and roadtrippers every summer. The 630-foot-tall catenary arch is still the world’s tallest. The recently-opened, 91-acre Gateway Arch National Park , featuring a renovated landscape, park, and museum, attempts to add more angles to the Arch experience.

A large steel arch.

Piazza d'Italia

Considered a seminal example of postmodern landscape design, this joyful, earnest celebration of Italian design was conceived of as a tribute that rises far above Disney-style kitsch. Architect Charles Moore was tasked with creating public space that touted the achievements of the large Italian-American community in New Orleans. The resulting set piece is filled with colonnades, a clock tower, a minimalist Roman temple, and a public fountain in the shape of the Italian peninsula. Conceived of as a redevelopment project for the city’s Warehouse district, the space initially fell into disrepair after it opened to the public in 1978, but has since been preserved, in a recent series of renovations that wrapped last year.

The Piazza d’Italia in New Orleans. There is a cobblestone plaza surrounded by colorful buildings.

Jazz Houses: Where They Lived

The artistry of Big Easy jazz pioneers lives in smokey clubs and second lines across the city. But to see the building where they actually called home, a recently updated app from the Preservation Resource Center can help guide you to hundreds of locations, including the residences of Jelly Roll Morton and Buddy Bolden.

A large red brick house on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans.

Farnsworth House

Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House was designed, in the words of the famous Modernist, to "bring nature, houses, and human beings together into a higher unity.” Sadly, nature has been getting a little too close to this landmark lately, as flooding of the Plano River has recently threatened the home, and preservationists have begun debating potential ways to relocate or preserve the structure . While nothing is happening immediately, it still may be a good idea to visit while its still in its original state.

The exterior of the Farnsworth House in Illinois. The house is one level with a flat roof and floor to ceiling windows. There is a lawn and trees surrounding the house.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory

These glass-covered conoidal domes have served as Milwaukee’s own set of retro-futuristic greenhouses for decades, recreating both arid and tropical climes year-round for residents of the lakefront Midwestern city. While these giant bubbles, created by hometown architect Donald Grieb, may seem like they owe a great deal to Buckminster Fuller, they have a number of unique structural characteristics, including a cast-in-place concrete undercarriage. Gelb’s striking concept has become a massive maintenance headache, and was closed in 2016 for repairs. In 2018, it was named a  National Treasure  by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which should hopefully help secure more resources for repair.

The exterior of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory. There are multiple glass domes. The entrance is a series of arches.

Milwaukee Art Museum

One of the largest museums in the country, Milwaukee's lakefront art museum is also a work of art in itself, thanks to the beautiful brise soleil of Santiago Calatrava's design. The Spanish architect has riffed on these forms, shapes, and colors before, but he's rarely achieved this kind of grace. Perfectly positioned on the Lake Michigan shore, it looks like a massive bird perched on the waterfront.

The exterior of the Milwaukee Art Museum. The facade is white and angular.

Unity Temple

A radical church done in reinforced concrete, considered by many to be one of the first modern buildings in the world, the Unity Temple boldly challenged and redefined ideas about religious architecture, and a recent renovation showcases the full beauty of Wright's creation. Part of Wright’s bold approach was informed by the relatively small budget, which pushed him toward to more cost-effective choice of concrete, and a tight lot, which resulted in the cubic shape. But his artful use of space within the main sanctuary—arrayed with mathematical precision around rich wood, stained glass, and furniture of Wright’s own design—offers a perfectly proportioned place of repose and tranquility. A recently completed restoration only underscores this building’s incredible design.

The interior of the Unity Temple. There are multiple benches and an altar with a musical organ.

Those comparing Chicago's 606 park to New York's Highline perhaps have it half right; an abandoned elevated rail track turned showcase park, it does offer a new view of the city . But by adding cycling access and threading together a string of vibrant neighborhoods on the city's new northwest side, the 606 does an even better of altering the way residents get around.

A path with people walking, running, and riding bicycles. There are trees and grass on both sides of the path.

James R. Thompson Center

If you’re taking in Chicago and its wealth of magnificent architecture this summer, don’t overlook this postmodern gem, which may not be around next time you visit. A towering pedestal of multicolored steel and tapered glass, the James R. Thompson Center takes up an entire downtown block, and could easily be mistaken for a retro-futuristic stadium from the 22nd century. The structure’s colossal atrium certainly doesn’t dispel that notion. Designed by Helmut Jahn, the ambitious structure, nicknamed “Starship Chicago,” was meant to embody a new vision for government offices and agencies when it opened in 1985. And while the building has its share of detractors—the former governor and namesake of the building called it “a scrap heap,” and  current governor J.B. Pritzker’s  plans to sell it are currently moving forward—it’s become a rallying cry for preservationists (one of the National Trust’s most endangered buildings ), and a symbol of the fragility of Chicago’s rich postmodern architectural heritage.

The interior of the James R. Thompson Center. The walls have colorful steel support beams and glass.

360Chicago John Hancock Observatory

A signature part of Chicago's skyline, the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed John Hancock Center provides some of the best views of the city. While it officially changed its name to 875 North Michigan Avenue while owners await a new deal for naming rights, it’s doubtful Chicagoans will give up the original title anytime soon. Perpetually locked in a panoramic arms race with the Willis Tower, the city's tallest structure, the Hancock upgraded its 94th-floor observatory, now called 360 Chicago, with stadium benches, and previously added TILT , a movable glass box that leans visitors over the city streets 1,000 feet below.

A tall black building.

Chicago Riverwalk and Architectural Boat Tours

Visitors to Chicago often flock to the Lake, and for good reason; it’s one of the city’s greatest natural resources. But increasingly, the Chicago River is becoming a public space worth adding to your itinerary. A series of parks, concessions, and performance spaces installed along the river over the last few years has made it an engaging and enjoyable addition to downtown, a new waterfront gem that shows how urban public spaces are evolving. And, while Chicago Architecture River Cruise is a cliche, it’s a cliche for a reason; the entertaining and engaging tour, the ideal way to scope out the city’s incredible buildings, was named the country’s top tour by TripAdvisor .

An aerial view of Chicago Riverwalk. There is a waterfront with a boat and a path where many people are walking. There are city buildings along the path.

John J. Glessner House

Sullivan, van der Rohe, Wright: All iconic designers who made Chicago an international center for architecture, and all admirers of this historic landmark in the city’s elite Prairie Avenue District. Architect Henry Hobson Richardson’s most notable creation and final work, a severe looking, castle-like structure finished in 1887, conceals a revolutionary layout. Recognizing that construction advances meant thinner, stronger walls and a new relationship between form and function, Richardson pushed exterior walls to the edge of the property and planted a vast private courtyard in the center of the lot, allowing for a private, light-filled urban residence. The home became a prototype of urban design, signifying a decidedly modern shift in building layouts, and conceals a magnificently appointed interior.

The exterior of the John J. Glessner House. The house has multiple windows and a brick facade.

Pullman National Monument

A former factory town on the city's far South Side, and an example of utopian thinking, corporate paternalism and central planning gone wrong, Pullman was designated a National Monument by President Obama. The late 19th century factory town , built by the owner of a luxury train car company on a 4,000 acre site, is an architectural oddity that played a pivotal role on labor and African-American history.

The top of the Pullman National Monument. The facade is red and the roof and tower are dark grey.

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument

From the A.G. Gaston Motel, a symbol of African-American entrepreneurship and a center of movement activity as well as the 16th Street Baptist Church, the tragic site of a KKK bombing in 1963 that outraged the nation, this collection of sites showcases Birmingham’s important place in history and pivotal role in the Civil Rights struggle, and grew out of the city’s own efforts to recognize its past and focus on preservation.

A large brown building with a brick facade, towers, and multiple windows.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice

Located midway between the site of a historic slave market, and the river dock and train station where slaves arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and its sibling institution, the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, present new memorials to African Americans’ experiences, as well as a powerful examination of America’s prolonged history of racial injustice. MASS Design Group , a Boston-based practice with a focus on social impact, designed the memorial, the first in the country dedicated to victims of lynching. Set within a Miesian box on a hillside, the somber building features 805 six-foot-tall monuments to lynching, each a piece of weathered steel representing one of the counties where a lynching took place. Hanging from the ceiling of the memorial, the markers offer cold, calculated reminders of the victims.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. There are multiple steel monuments hanging from the ceiling.

Miller House

The work of many of the leading lights of Modernism come together at this glass-walled Midwestern home: architect Eero Saarinen , interior designer Alexander Gerard , landscape architect Dan Kiley, and owner, industrialist and philanthropist J. Irwin Miller, whose vision turned Columbus, Indiana , into an architectural “Athens of the Prairie.” The streamlined exterior and 10-acre lawn, featuring two rows of honey locust tree, just hints at the colorful, open interior, accents with Gerard’s playful patterns and an iconic sunken conversation pit.

The interior of the Miller House. There is a red conversation pit with couches, tables, shelves, and multiple planters with flowers.

Columbus, Indiana

One of America's unlikely centers of midcentury design is located far from the coasts, miles from any big city and squarely in the center of the Midwest. Columbus, Indiana, the beneficiary of the largesse and foresight of industrialist Irwin Miller and the Cummins Engine Company, now contains one of the most celebrated collections of modernist architecture in the world, featuring work by I. M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Robert Venturi, Richard Meier, John Carl Warnecke, Harry Weese, and Eero Saarinen (whose North Christian Church is pictured below). In late August, Exhibit Columbus , a new citywide architecture showcase featuring new installations, returns for its second iteration.

A building with a black roof that has a tall thin spire rising from it.

Alden B. Dow Home and Studio

The son of the founder of Dow Chemical and briefly, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin, Alden B. Dow had the means and skills to create something unique. His home and studio, built in the late '30s utilizing Unit Block construction, is a masterpiece of organic construction and syncs with the surrounding pond, garden and plum grove.

The exterior of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio. The roof is wooden and the house sits adjacent to a body of water.

Cranbrook Academy of Art

This bucolic campus outside Detroit not only boasts an impressive list of alumni who basically wrote the rules on midcentury American design (Saarinen, Eames, Knoll, and Bertoia all taught and/or attended), but a gorgeous campus designed by Elliel Saarinen that stands as a masterpiece of planning and integrating with the landscape.

The exterior of the Cranbrook Academy of Art. There is a fountain in the foreground. There is a structure with columns in the background. The fountain is flanked by trees on both sides.

Fisher Building

“They don’t make them like they used to” can seem trite, but in the case of this stunning Art Deco skyscraper, barely begins to describe the magnificent craftsmanship and design on display. This 30-story art object conceived by architect Albert Kahn and built in 1928 is still the world’s largest marble-clad structure. There’s a lot of exciting new things happening in Detroit, but this is a classic you can’t pass up.

The exterior of the Fisher Building. The facade is tan and there are arched windows.

The Guardian Building

Known as the Cathedral of Finance, this 1929 tower could also be called the Mountain of Masonry. Designed by Wirt C. Rowland for the Union Trust Company, the 40-story work of art features incredible interiors of carved pink granite, Mankato stone, Italian Travertine, and Numidian marble, as well as colorful pottery tiles featuring Aztec and Native American designs. The facade alone contains 1.8 million orange bricks, nicknamed “Guardian Bricks,” made exclusively for the Guardian.

The interior of the Guardian Building. The ceiling is domed with elaborate design. There are columns and arches.

Packard Automotive Plant

One of the largest redevelopment projects in the world started earlier this year in Detroit, and a new tour will be offered so visitors can learn more about the history and the future of the iconic site, as Curbed Detroit reports . The colossal Packard Plant—at one a symbol of the city’s automotive heritage, decades of disinvestment, and current wave of redevelopment—is undergoing Phase One of a  long-term redevelopment  of the massive site, bringing office space, food options, and gallery space to the eastside. Pure Detroit, who leads popular tours of the Guardian and Fisher Buildings, will partner with Arte Express on these new Saturday tours. While many have wandered the massive site on their own in the past, these tours will be more legit.

The exterior of the Packard Automotive Plant.

Biltmore Estate

At the largest private residence ever built in the United States, superlatives abound. George Washington Vanderbilt II spared no expense at his 125,000-acre estate in Asheville, North Carolina, which features the work of celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Said to be modeled after three historic French chateaus in the Loire Valley, the sprawling estate may appear to be modeled after all of them, since the combined living space inside the numerous buildings totals 178,926 square feet (roughly four acres). To construct the home, a project which lasted from 1889 to 1896, a brick kiln and woodworking factory were built on site. The four-story home, divided into two wings, offers commanding views of the Blue Ridge Mountains as well as a vast collection of incredible statues, artwork and architectural eye candy, including a 70,000-gallon indoor pool, bowling alley, winter garden, 1,700-pound chandelier and a magnificent limestone staircase. Designated a national historic landmark in 1964, it’s currently a major tourist attraction and draws nearly a million visitors annually.

The exterior of the Biltmore Estate. The facade is tan and the roof is grey.

Placed amid 180 acres of mangrove swamp and tropical forest, the “Hearst Castle of the East” is noteworthy for adapting Mediterranean and European architectural styles to the balmy Florida coast (the name references a northern Spanish province). French and Italian styles are reflected in the garden and façade, designed by Colombian Diego Suarez and F. Burrall Hoffman, respectively. Owner James Deering, who derived his fortune from being an executive at the family business, Deering McCormick-International Harvester, even created his own crest of sorts for the estate, a caravel, a type of Spanish ship. The home reportedly cost $26 million to build in 1916 and employed 1,000 workers.

The exterior of Vizcaya. The facade is white. The building is situated alongside a waterfront.

Faena District

The brainchild of a prominent Argentine developer, this $1 billion, six-block addition to the Miami cityscape offers a series of crisp, white structures imagined by some of the top names in architecture and design, including Foster + Partners and Rem Koolhaas. This new development adds another draw to a rapidly growing cultural and design capital, which also features a Buckminster Fuller dome in the middle of a new shopping center, a new Zaha Hadid tower, and a legacy of Art Deco greatness.

The exterior of Faena district in Miami Beach. The building is white and there is a green and white awning over the entrance area. A sign above the awning reads: Versailles.

Fallingwater

As Donald Hoffman notes in his book about this iconic home’s history, numerous streams run down the Appalachians throughout Western Pennsylvania, but Bear Run, the one ingeniously channeled through Frank Lloyd Wright’s magnificent Fallingwater, probably has the real claim to fame. The waterway’s steep drop on an elevated piece of woodland property owned by Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann, forms the dramatic nexus of Wright’s most famous example of organic architecture, a home of interlocking, cantilevered concrete terraces designed in 1935 and arranged so that a waterfall runs through it. This might be the most famous home on the list, but despite all the accolades, photos, and features, there’s still something remarkable about hearing rushing water in the middle of a living room.

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St. Petersburg, Russia: Rococo

The Rococo movement came about in the 18th century in France as a way to fight against the strict, symmetrical Baroque style that came before it. While both movements are known for their richly decorated architecture styles, Rococo has elements all of its own: think curves, pale colors, and secular, light-hearted themes. The style made its way across Europe , where it found favor with the female rulers in St. Petersburg. The Catherine Palace (commissioned by Catherine I and expanded by her daughter, Empress Elizabeth) is by far the most famous example in the area.

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Brasília, Brazil: Futurism

When Juscelino Kubitschek became President of Brazil in 1956, he set forth a plan to build a new capital city in the barren center of the country—and thus, Brasília was born. He commissioned architect Oscar Niemeyer to help with the project; within a matter months, Niemeyer designed residential, commercial, and government buildings for the new town. Chief among them were the National Congress of Brazil, the Cathedral of Brasília , the residence of the President, and the Attorney General's office (pictured). The buildings—defined by the dynamic lines, use of materials like concrete and glass, and sharp contrasts typical of Futurism (a branch of Modernism)—give Brazil's capital a true sense of aesthetic unity.

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Athens, Greece: Classical

Visiting the architecture and world-renowned ruins in Athens is like taking a step back in time to ancient Greece, where stonework dates back to 400 BC, temples are held up by centuries-old columns, and sculptures of deities are a common sighting. For perfect examples of Classical architecture, turn to the Temple of Hephaestus, Temple of Olympian Zeus, or the iconic Parthenon (pictured).

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Budapest, Hungary: Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau came into fashion in Budapest in the late 19th century to early 20th century, and the city remains one of the best places to see the architectural style today. One can find curving forms, organic shapes, use of iron and glass, and colorful flourishes all over this stretch of the Danube, including the Gresham Palace, Hotel Gellért and spas (pictured), Museum of Applied Arts, and Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.

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Rome, Italy: Baroque

The Romans were known for being great innovators, so it should come as no surprise that the city of Rome has exemplified and adapted to pretty much every architectural style since the ancient Classical movement (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance—you name it). Today, the city is one of the biggest centers of 17th-century Baroque architecture, known for its grandiosity, opulence, and contrast between light and shadow. Visit Rome's St. Peter's Square, Santi Luca e Martina, or Trevi Fountain (pictured) to see the dramatic style in person.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: French Colonial

As the name suggests, French Colonial is a style of architecture used by the French during colonization. The style is especially prominent in Southeast Asia, as exemplified by the early 20th-century buildings in Hanoi. Notable examples include the Presidential Palace (completed in 1906) and the Hanoi Opera House (pictured, completed in 1911), two bright yellow, ornate reminders of French rule in Vietnam.

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Miami, Florida: Art Deco

Perhaps the most iconic on this list, Miami Beach's Historic District comprises the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. To transform Miami into an ultramodern and luxury tourist destination during the 1920s and 1930s, architects turned to Deco's symmetrical and geometrical patterns, floral and animal motifs, and pastel colors to invoke fluidity and movement, which are synonymous with the city today.

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Mason City, Iowa: Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School

Inspired by the flat terrain and open sky of the Midwest, Wright's Prairie School was defined by bold, horizontal lines, low profiles, natural lighting, and an uninterrupted flow within and between interior and exterior spaces. He used this style when designing the Park Inn Hotel (pictured here) in 1910 and G.C. Stockman's house in 1908; neighbors (and some copycat architects) followed suit, which is why this small Iowa town has one of the largest collections of Prairie-style homes in the world.

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Tel Aviv, Israel: Bauhaus

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site , Tel Aviv's “White City” contains 4,000 International Style buildings, many of which were built in the 1930s and 1940s. To accommodate the influx of Jewish immigrants fleeing Europe, German Bauhaus-trained architects integrated the modern style's affordable and functional building techniques with curved lines and a color well-suited for the Mediterranean climate to create a habitable city by the sea .

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Barcelona, Spain: Catalan Modernism

Taking cues from modern Gothic and oriental techniques, the early-19th-century Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí wanted to create organic, urban spaces in the city he loved. A walk around Barcelona leads you through the largest concentration of his signature ceramic and stained-glass mosaics, as well as his undulating stonework and ironwork, which include Park Güell and culminate in his unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Família (pictured).

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Seattle, Washington: American Arts & Crafts

The early-20th-century American Arts & Crafts movement, whose ideals rest on hardwoods and artisanal handcrafting, found a natural home in the timber country of the Pacific Northwest. Nowhere are Craftsman bungalows more prominent than in West Seattle, home to the landmarked Bloss House (pictured here), and in Seattle's Queen Anne district, where the movement’s simple construction, balanced proportions, and matching gardens provided a sweet departure from the ornate Victorians of that era.

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Chandigarh, India: Mid-Century Modernism

Shortly after India's 1947 partition, Prime Minister J. Nehru tasked Swiss modernist architect Le Corbusier with designing an organized, progressive city: one that would break from past traditions from the ground up. Its planned supergrid, exposed masonry and concrete, and the eccentric sculpture-work that peppers Chandigarh has made the city a study for planning and design students around the world. Pictured here is the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Le Corbusier.

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Florence, Italy: Renaissance

It's hard to escape Renaissance aesthetics in Florence , the birthplace of the late-14th-century movement. The era's embellished but symmetrical and geometrical structures—columns and domes—and emphasis on realism and the human form departed from the irregular and severe lines of the Medieval period. They're most visible at Florence's Duomo and Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

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Istanbul, Turkey: Byzantine/Ottoman

A historic crossroads of culture and design , Istanbul's landscape provides a prominent display of its two conquering empires. Travelers needn't look farther than the Hagia Sophia mosque for the aesthetics central to both: the Byzantine dome and colored mosaics, and the Ottoman minarets and Islamic calligraphy.

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Columbus, Indiana: Modernism and Post-Modernism

Columbus, Indiana has a population of only 44,000, but it's a surprising trove of Modernism: The town claims more than 70 buildings designed by star architects, including I.M. Pei, Eero Saarinen , and Richard Meier. Credit for this belongs to philanthropist and architecture lover J. Irwin Miller, who, in the 1950s through 1960s, commissioned a revamping of the local churches, public buildings, and his own estate, leading the American Institute of Architects to rank Columbus sixth in the nation in architectural innovation and design. (Pictured here is the North Christian Church.)

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Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, New York: Victorian

The hundreds of free-standing 1900s Victorian single-family mansions transport visitors to another time and city, when developer Lewis Pounds helped create an ornate, middle-class pocket south of Prospect Park (on farmland previously owned by the Van Ditmarsen family), replete with wraparound porches and manicured lawns.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Contemporary

Over the course of ten years, Dubai's landscape has transformed. Home to the world's tallest building, a seven-star hotel (the Burj al Arab), and the only man-made archipelago modeled after the seven continents, Dubai's development has lured top contemporary architects like Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas to feed into its outdoor design frenzy.

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Marrakech, Morocco: Moorish Architecture

The presence of riads , palaces with interior courtyards and gardens and open skylights, are specific to Morocco and essential to Islamic design because of their emphasis on privacy. The lack of street-level windows and the use of clay walls also lends to the feeling of intimacy and grace. The density of Marrakech's riads —combined with the city's mosques, minarets, and mosaics—makes it an exceptional place to view the Moorish architecture of the 12th through 17th centuries.

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Oxford, England: Gothic Revival

Poet Matthew Arnold once called Oxford the "city of the dreaming spires." Taking notes from earlier Medieval stonework, the towers of Oxford's mid-19th-century Gothic Revival skyline define the city, embedding it with a sense of gravity and academic prowess—just like its namesake university.

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Portland, Oregon: Green Architecture

Although Chicago has the most LEED-accredited buildings in the U.S., Portland, Oregon, whose population is a quarter of the size, has the sixth highest number, making it the city with the highest concentration of green buildings. In addition, zoning regulations that preserve urban agricultural spaces, a bike-friendly layout, and energy-efficient homes whose designs take on organic shapes and materials make Portland—along with the design firms it is home to—a leader in sustainable architecture.

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Book cover

Heritage Tourism Beyond Borders and Civilizations pp 163–183 Cite as

Architecture’s Role in New Tourism Trends: Cases from Poland and Turkey

  • Adam Siniecki 6 &
  • Ayşe Nilay Evcil 7  
  • Conference paper
  • First Online: 30 June 2020

486 Accesses

1 Citations

The search for new recreational spaces and the development of new forms of tourism is nothing new in the tourism industry. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, tourism associated with famous architects’ buildings and architectural events (biennials, design weeks, etc.) have become a popular motive for travelling. Especially with the completion of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the power of architecture to create waves in tourism, and in turn, accelerate the economic development of cities, has been recognized. This phenomenon is referred to as “architourism,” which increases both government and private investment. The aim of this study is thus to explore architourism by focusing on two countries: Poland and Turkey. The study concludes that, with or without an iconic building, architecture is itself a motive for tourism and will continue to provide opportunities to increase municipal revenues if it is enriched by cultural links and community connections.

  • Architourism
  • Architecture tourism
  • Heritage tourism
  • Architecture lover
  • Iconic building

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Yeniasir, M., & Gokbulut, B. (2018). Perception & attitudes of local people on sustainable cultural tourism on the islands: The case of Nicosia. Sustainability, 10 (1892), 1–16.

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Faculty of Architecture, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland

Adam Siniecki

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Beykent University, Istanbul, Turkey

Ayşe Nilay Evcil

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İnci Oya Coşkun

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Norain Othman

Gökçe Yüksek

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Siniecki, A., Evcil, A.N. (2020). Architecture’s Role in New Tourism Trends: Cases from Poland and Turkey. In: Coşkun, İ., Lew, A., Othman, N., Yüksek, G., Aktaş, S. (eds) Heritage Tourism Beyond Borders and Civilizations. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5370-7_13

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tourist architecture

Moscow skyline: the 50 most iconic buildings and best views in Moscow

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1 The Moscow Kremlin

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3 Bolshoi Theatre

4 gorky central park of culture and leisure, 5 krasnaya ploshchad'.

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6 St. Basil's Cathedral

7 the state tretyakov gallery, 8 cathedral of christ the saviour, 9 red square, 10 kolomenskoye, 11 museum of cosmonautics, 12 all-russian exhibition center, 13 the pushkin state museum of fine arts, 14 novodevichy convent, 15 state historical museum.

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26 Central Armed Forces Museum

27 afimall city, 28 winzavod, 29 mini hotel rest on paveletsky train station, 30 catherine palace, 31 st. peter and paul orthodox church, 32 mayakovskaya, 34 kuskovo estate museum.

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46 Grand Kremlin Palace

47 moscow art theatre, 48 moscow cathedral mosque, 49 zachatyevsky monastery, 50 house on the embankment, top searches in moscow, popular road trips from moscow, what's the weather like in moscow.

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The 40 Best New York City Landmarks to Visit

By Jessica Cherner

“Skyscraper National Park.” That is what Kurt Vonnegut famously labeled New York City in his 1976 novel  Slapstick . It’s true; the city is filled with tall buildings, and many of them are stunningly beautiful. Yet, New York City also has other, lesser-known landmarks that don’t necessarily touch the clouds. And these locations—Warren Place Mews in Brooklyn or the Cloisters on Manhattan’s northern tip—are just as worthy of a trip to the Big Apple as any of its iconic buildings. Whether you’re a New Yorker or planning your maiden trip to the city,  AD  rounded up 40 of the best architectural landmarks to visit while walking the streets of the city. Some you will recognize instantly, but there are sure to be a few that will leave you impressed by the New York you never knew existed.

exterior of a building attached to another building

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, The Shed is a $475-million arts center. This structure is a 200,000-square-foot cultural space, and it’s an amorphous building with an outer shell that sits on a set of wheels connected to a short track. Once activated, the shell moves away from the mainframe of the building, in effect creating an entirely new building that’s part of the original one. “The technology used to move the structure is actually old-fashioned,” Diller says. “To open and close the Shed takes the same horsepower of one [Toyota] Prius engine, making it very economical.” (For reference, the 2019 Toyota Prius runs on 121 horsepower.)

a view of Jane's Carousel with the Brooklyn Bridge and One World Trade Center in the background.

Jane’s Carousel

Originally built in 1922 and located on the banks of the East River, Brooklyn’s Jane’s Carousel has become a popular destination to visit. After extensive renovations, the carousel reopened in 2011 and featured, among other additions, a jewel-like glass exterior that was designed by architect Jean Nouvel.

a view of Ellis Island from the water.

Ellis Island

Built in 1900 by architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring, Ellis Island was once the gateway for over 12 million immigrants hoping to find a new home in the United States. Today, it is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

exterior view of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub by Santiago Calatrava.

World Trade Center Transportation Hub

The Santiago Calatrava–designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub opened in the spring of 2016. From its initial design through to its final completion, the project proved to be arduous for its symbolism, its physical complexity, as well as for the number of commuters it would need to accommodate. The interior of the Oculus (as it’s commonly known) opened the Westfield World Trade Center mall in the summer of 2016. The 365,000 square feet of retail space accommodates some 113 tenants.

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image of the Queensboro Bridge heading towards Manhattan.

Queensboro Bridge

Opened in 1909, the Queensboro Bridge is often overlooked due to the legendary Brooklyn Bridge located a few miles south on the East River. Yet, the 3,724-foot-long bridge that connects Manhattan to Queens should not be overlooked. Designed by the American architect Henry Hornbostel, the Queensboro Bridge was featured in blockbuster movies such as  The Dark Knight Rises  (2012) and  The Great Gatsby  (2013)

image of the Metropolitan Life Tower lit up at night.

Metropolitan Life Tower 

When it was completed in 1909, the Metropolitan Life Tower (pictured on the left) was the world’s tallest building (a title it held until 1913). Designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons, the building is located on the corner of East 23rd Street and Madison Avenue (it’s actually the most southern landmark on Madison Avenue).

exterior view of the Ansonia Hotel with trees in the foreground

Ansonia Hotel

Completed in 1904, the Ansonia Hotel is a Beaux Arts–style building with a storied past. It was first conceived as a self-sufficient hotel, and the rooftop was home to a farm with chickens, ducks, and goats (the animals didn’t stay up there long). The Ansonia was also the first address that Babe Ruth called home in the city. In 1972, the hotel was designated a New York City Landmark, and officials called its effect as one of “joyous exuberance profiled against the sky.”

exterior view of the Flatiron Building.

Flatiron Building 

The 22-story, steel-framed Flatiron Building, was completed in 1902. Conceived by architect Daniel Burnham, its wedge shape fit perfectly into the triangular plot that intersects Broadway and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. While many buildings at the time were designed with bulky, fortified bases, the Flatiron is consistent from the bottom to the top, making the architecture that much more charming.

Washington Square Park with people walking through it.

Washington Square Park

At nearly ten acres, Washington Square Park is considerably smaller than other New York parks. Yet the densely used green space—which is positioned in the midst of the trendy Greenwich Village neighborhood and includes the beautiful Washington Square Arch—has become a hallmark of the city.

view of the Brooklyn Bridge with taxi cabs driving on it.

Brooklyn Bridge

In 1883, thousands of New Yorkers showed up at the opening ceremony of the Brooklyn Bridge. After 13 years of construction, locals were still concerned over its safety, and to prove its strength, authorities invited a circus entertainer to walk 21 elephants over the bridge. The 1,595-foot-long structure was the world’s longest suspension bridge until 1903 when the nearby Williamsburg Bridge overtook it by 4.5 feet.

view of Trinity Church in downtown Manhattan.

Trinity Church

Trinity Church in downtown Manhattan is located at the intersection of two of the city’s most famous thoroughfares, Broadway and Wall Street. The Gothic Revival structure was completed in 1846, and it was New York’s tallest building at the time at 281 feet tall. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the church stood strong, even while modern buildings around it crumbled.

exterior view of the Brooklyn Museum.

Brooklyn Museum

Located along the western tip of Brooklyn’s picturesque Eastern Parkway Blvd., the Brooklyn Museum is a 560,000-square-foot museum that contains roughly 1.5 million works of art. Designed by the once prominent architecture firm McKim, Mead & White, the Beaux Arts structure is the third largest museum (by way of sheer size).

a view across the Hudson River in New York of the building VIA 57 West.

VIA 57 West

Designed by starchitect Bjarke Ingels, VIA 57 West is a beautiful residential building that was completed in 2016. The structure has a pyramid-like design with an open-air garden in the middle of the structure for tenants to enjoy.

interior of the New York Public Library and people reading at desks

New York Public Library

Built in 1911, the library is located in midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue, between 40th and 42nd streets. Here pictured is the General Research Room of the New York Public Library.

The High Line with flowers in New York and clouds in blue sky

The High Line

The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long park built on an elevated stretch of the former New York Central Railroad (which operated from 1831 to 1968). The first of three planned phases of the park opened to the public in 2009.

interior of Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal was first opened in 1891. The Beaux Arts building features a ceiling in its main concourse that depicts the zodiac signs, including some 2,500 stars. Outside the station, the famous statues atop the façade were conceived in France, but were built in Queens.

looking up at One World Trade Center with clouds and blue sky

One World Trade Center

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One World Trade Center officially opened to its occupants (including Architectural Digest ’s parent company, Condé Nast) in late 2014. Standing a symbolic 1,776 feet tall, the patriotic building is currently the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.

exterior of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was designed by architect and founding trustee architect Richard Morris Hunt, opened to the public in late 1902. Located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the Beaux Arts structure became the first public institution to acquire a work by Henri Matisse in 1910. Today, tens of thousands of artworks and objects are on view in the two-million-square-foot building.

looking up at the Woolworth Building.

Woolworth Building

When the Woolworth Building opened in 1913, it soared 792 feet over downtown Manhattan, making it the world’s tallest skyscraper. Financed by businessman Frank Woolworth and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, the stunning skyscraper held on to that title for nearly two decades.

aerial view of the Statue of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty

A gift to the U.S. from France, the Statue of Liberty was erected off the southern tip of Manhattan in 1886. From the ground to the tip of her torch, Lady Liberty stands just over 300 feet tall. Designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the statue has a crown of seven rays, representing the seven seas and continents, and a tablet inscribed with “July IV MDCCLXXVI,” celebrating the date the U.S. declared independence from British.

aerial view of the Chrysler Building.

Chrysler Building

When the Chrysler Building—among the most recognizable examples of Art Deco architecture—was completed in 1930, it was 1,050 feet tall and took the crown for the world’s tallest building, though not for long, as the Empire State Building superseded it in 1931. Striking gargoyles decorate corners of the 61st floor, and all floors above the 71st are unoccupied, simply there to facilitate access to the spire.

an aerial image of the Empire State Building.

Empire State Building

When the Empire State Building opened in 1931, then-president Herbert Hoover pressed a button from the White House to turn on the tower’s lights. The gesture was symbolic, of course—a building employee in New York actually switched on the lights. At 1,454 feet, the Empire State Building was the world’s tallest skyscraper for over four decades.

image of New York's Cloisters with flowers in the yard

The Cloisters

The Cloisters, which opened to the public in 1938, is the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. The museum and gardens are located near the northern tip of Manhattan, on a four-acre lot overlooking the Hudson River.

exterior of New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel.

Waldorf Astoria

When the Waldorf Astoria opened on Park Avenue in 1931, it became the tallest and largest hotel in the world. Over the years, the Art Deco luxury hotel has entertained many famous patrons. In 1955, at the height of her career, Marilyn Monroe resided in the Waldorf Astoria’s $1,000-per-week suite. What’s more, every sitting U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has stayed at the hotel while visiting New York.

an image of the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts at dusk in New York.

Lincoln Center for Performing Arts 

Among those in attendance at the 1959 groundbreaking ceremony for the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts was then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower. The performing arts center, located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was opened in 1962 and began a decade-long renovation in 1999. The architects and firms involved include Frank Gehry, Cooper, Robertson & Partners, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

an image of the Seagram Building in New York City.

Seagram Building

Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, New York’s iconic Seagram Building was completed in 1958. The building, which was the headquarters for the Canadian distillers Joseph E. Seagram & Sons became a model for future corporate skyscraper designs. Mies was so adamant about uniformity that he did not want irregularly placed blinds ruining the aesthetics. So the German-American architect implemented a system where the blinds could only be positioned in three ways: Up, halfway-down the window, or completely down.

the Tenement Museum brick building in new york city on overcast day

The Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum is located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood, on the corner of Orchard and Delancey Street. Built and occupied in the 19th century, the building was boarded off for decades until it reopened in 1988. Eventually, it turned into a museum that showcased the way in which immigrants lived after starting their new lives in New York City between the 19th and 21st centuries. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

Audubon center at Brooklyn's Prospect park with visitors on a boat

The Boathouse and Audubon Center

The Boathouse and Audubon Center in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is one of the many hidden gems in the rapidly gentrifying borough. Built in 1904 by Helmle & Huberty (protégés of McKim, Mead and White), the structure exudes neoclassical architecture. By 1964, however, the boathouse was rarely used (with fewer than ten people an hour by some estimates), which led the Parks Department to coming within forty-eight hours of demolishing it. Ultimately, it survived, and by 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

interior of a several stairwells on a structure

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the Vessel is the centerpiece in Hudson Yards, New York’s newest neighborhood.  The cost was around $150 million , an amount that irked many local New Yorkers. Nevertheless, the structure, which is an interactive sculpture comprising a network of stairs and landings that visitors can climb (or take an elevator) to the top, has attracted a lot of attention—namely for its high-profile architect, its sky-high price-tag, and its head-scratching design.

people walking down stairs in new york city

Bronx Stairs

In the Bronx there’s a seemingly inconspicuous staircase between two buildings. While the stairs connect Shakespeare Avenue with the higher Anderson Avenue, they became instantly famous after being used in a pivotal scene in the movie  Joker  (2019), ‎starring Joaquin Phoenix.

inside of a building with trees

The Frick Collection

One of New York’s last surviving mansions on Fifth Avenue, Henry Clay Frick’s enormous estate housed the American industrialist’s family until his wife Adelaide Frick died in 1931. That same year, John Russell Pope transformed it into a public museum, which finally opened just before Christmas in 1935. Throughout his life, the Frick patriarch amassed an impressive art collection spanning the Renaissance through the 19th century. Though the art, which is separated into 16 permanent galleries throughout the home, is almost mesmerizing, the heart of the home is the Russell Pope–designed garden court. 

outside of a building on street

Delmonico’s

New York is one of the world’s food capitals, so it’s almost hard to believe that the city’s first fine-dining establishment didn’t exist until 1837. With cloth-covered tables, French cuisine, and a kitchen helmed by one of the earliest famed chefs, Charles Ranhofer, Delmonico’s offered the city’s elite a place to flaunt their wealth. The Delmonico brothers even bought land in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to grow their own produce, making their dining establishment one of the first farm-to-table restaurants in the country.

stairs leading up to home

Brooklyn Heights

Just south of the Brooklyn Bridge and overlooking the East River, Brooklyn Heights—whose streets are flanked by architecturally significant brownstones—transformed from farmland high up on a bluff just after the American Revolution to the country’s first suburb only four decades later. So many of the structures were the first to be built on the plots of land, making the historic neighborhood even more charming. In fact, one of the first homes constructed in this part of Brooklyn was the Four Chimneys House, which George Washington used as his headquarters during the Battle of Brooklyn. After the war, one of Brooklyn Heights’ earliest prominent residents, Hezekiah Beers Pierrepont, took over the home.

outside of a home

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum

Jan Dyckman, a settler who arrived in what was then New Amsterdam, may be the patriarch of the infamous Dyckman family, but it was his son William who transformed upper Manhattan. He inherited quite a bit of land, and in 1784 built the family farmhouse that is now a museum. The quaint house stayed in the Dyckman family for almost a century until the Dyckmans sold it in 1871. The house hardly changed its appearance, but it served as a rental property and then as an inn for several years. However, in the early 20th century, the Dyckmans bought it back, restored it, and donated it to the city in 1916. 

outside of a government building

Brooklyn Borough Hall

Brooklyn’s oldest public building, constructed in 1848, was New York’s original City Hall. Designed by one of the most famous architects, Gamaliel King, the government building features an imposing Greek Revival look, complete with a monumentally wide exterior staircase leading to six fluted Ionic columns and a triangular pediment. Anyone who appreciates historic architecture will undoubtedly have a field day at this spot. 

park floating on the water

Little Island at Pier 55

Perhaps the only way to describe Little Island is as a floating park on the Hudson River. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick—who also designed Hudson Yards’ Vessel—Little Island mimics an actual park.It’s a hilly landscape complete with trees, benches, and grass. The island comes into play with its complete removal from its urban surroundings. 

window overlooking a city

Summit One Vanderbilt

Only 53 feet shorter than perhaps New York’s most iconic landmark, the Empire State Building, Summit One Vanderbilt observation deck offers a totally new view of the city beneath. Plus, artist Kenzo Digital’s almost trippy installation Transcendence is like a sophisticated funhouse comprised of a double-story room of mirrors. The illusion it creates makes viewers wonder—quite literally—which way is up. Summit One Vanderbilt also has a Danny Meyer–led eatery dubbed Après.

exterior of a building by street

Katz’s Delicatessen

The line outside Katz’s Delicatessen is rarely short, no matter the hour. Opened in 1888 on the corner of Ludlow and East Houston Streets, Katz’s Delicatessen, which at that point was called Iceland Brothers, was a popular watering hole for the millions of newly immigrated families. A few decades later, entrepreneur Willy Katz joined the ranks owners, and in 1910 his cousin, Benny, bought out the Iceland brothers, moved the eatery across the street, and renamed it Katz’s Delicatessen. Known for its now-legendary pastrami and corned beef, Katz’s sandwiches are a must-try. 

outside of a theater

Apollo Theater

In the heart of West Harlem, the legendary George Keister–designed Apollo Theater is famous for its Amateur Night contests that started in 1934, 20 years after the theater opened its doors. So many musical icons, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sammy Davis Jr., played at the Apollo both before and after they reached stardom. It’s now a not-for-profit that puts on elaborate concerts. 

inside of a public garden

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Located in between Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum, the 52-acre garden is home to more than 14,000 types of plants and flowers. Opened in 1910 with botanist Charles Stuart Gager as the director, the garden is one of New York’s most visited landmarks. Though the park is enormous, one of the most flocked-to spots is the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden that landscape designer Takeo Shiota designed in 1933. In fact, it was one of the country’s first Japanese gardens open to the public. 

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THE 10 BEST Moscow Architectural Buildings

Architectural buildings in moscow.

  • Architectural Buildings
  • Points of Interest & Landmarks
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  • 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
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  • Honeymoon spot
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  • Adventurous
  • Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

tourist architecture

1. Moscow Metro

MayiBarov

2. Bolshoi Theatre

TandTSwitzerland

4. The Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh)

sergeyk147

5. Kremlin Walls and Towers

tourist architecture

6. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU)

BrakiWorldTraveler

7. Ostankino TV Tower

X5564XMjimh

8. Our Lady of Smolensk Novodevichy Convent

WhiteMouseBurrow

9. Lenin's Mausoleum

tourist architecture

10. Donskoi Monastery

Alexander_Kudrin

11. Moscow International House of Music

mvp019aa

12. Grand Kremlin Palace

dskid

13. Maly Theatre, Bolshaya Ordynka

gentbrugg

14. Kremlin in Izmailovo

433madinaj

15. Chekhov Art Theater

tourist architecture

16. Andronikov Monastery

X1652OCrichardw

17. Peter's Palace in Moscow

LadyEWestCountry_UK

18. Moscow Cathedral Mosque

lisn7601

19. House of Friendship With Peoples of Foreign Countries (A.A. Morozov's mansion)

tourist architecture

20. Hotel Ukraine

tourist architecture

21. Yeliseyevskiy

minnesotans4

22. Crimean Bridge (Krymsky Most)

AlexeevIgor

23. Pavilion Armenia

tourist architecture

24. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall

basya99

25. Conception Convent

MNaija

26. Kamergerskiy Lane

saronic

27. St. Daniel Monastery

tourist architecture

28. Severnyi Rechnoi Vokzal

Ivars_LT

29. Government of Moscow

drogilmour

30. Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building

FlyingSpaniard

What travelers are saying

Pete17

  • Moscow Metro
  • Bolshoi Theatre
  • Donskoi Monastery
  • Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU)
  • Kremlin Walls and Towers
  • The Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh)
  • Ostankino TV Tower
  • Peter's Palace in Moscow
  • Andronikov Monastery
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • Slovenščina
  • Science & Tech
  • Russian Kitchen

Most CURIOUS new buildings in Moscow (PHOTOS)

tourist architecture

When visiting Moscow, you come across buildings belonging to completely different historical periods: from 15th century churches to the bold avant-garde of the early USSR, the brutal Stalinist architecture of the 1950s and all the way up to the monotonous panel apartment blocks of the Perestroika and gigantic shopping malls of the “wild 1990s”. We look at the most curious examples of new and innovative architecture that appeared in the Russian capital in the past year.  

1. Gymnastics Palace in Luzhniki

tourist architecture

The new sports arena opened on the territory of the ‘Luzhniki’ Olympic complex in 2019. Construction took place under the leadership of Moscow’s main architect, Sergey Kuznetsov, and carries the name of the famous rhythmic gymnastics coach Irina Viner-Usmanova, who trained Olympic champions Yulia Barsukova and Evgeniya Kanayeva, among others.

tourist architecture

The gymnastics hall took only two years to build. Its standout feature is its roof, which imitates a gymnastics ribbon. The arena inside has a capacity of 4,000. The gymnastics hall has already managed to get several architectural awards for its architecture - including for the best sports object in the country and the international MIPIM award for ‘Best Cultural and Sports Infrastructure’ in 2020.

2. Dominion Tower in Dubrovka

tourist architecture

The business center, designed by the Zaha Hadid Architects bureau, opened in 2015 in Moscow’s southeast. Due to its not very convenient distance from other business districts of Moscow, the center did not gain much popularity and was sold in 2021 to new owners. However, when it comes to architecture, it truly stands out from the crowd. 

tourist architecture

Russian avant-garde served as inspiration during the design that contains deviated tectonic plates. The building’s facade is covered in panels that change color depending on the lighting conditions. 

To the naked eye, it looks somewhat asymmetrical. There’s a lot of open space inside, with most of it housing modern office spaces. “It resembles Jenga, a stack of books or a cake with sliding layers,” Russian urbanist and blogger Ilya Varlamov wrote, including it in his top 10 list of most beautiful Moscow buildings in 2016 .

​3. Khoroshevskaya School (‘Khoroschkola’)

The school is located in the Khoroshyovo-Mnevniki district in Moscow’s northwest. The key concept here is transparency. The outside features massive windows, from floor to ceiling, with panels imitating tree trunks. The interior, meanwhile, boasts floating staircases with glass elements.

tourist architecture

The expertise of architects and teachers alike was implemented in the school’s design. A decision was made to move away from the idea of standard school classrooms and replace them with halls, capable of being used for a variety of educational needs. There are laboratories, classrooms designed for robotics, as well as ones suited for computer modeling, a gym, swimming pool and many other specialized auditoriums. The building has also been outfitted with the ‘Smart Home’ system. 

In the five years since the school’s inception, it has received several architecture awards - among them ‘Re-Thinking the Future’ in the ‘Concept of General Education Institutions’ category. 

4. School on former ‘ZIL’ factory territory 

tourist architecture

Another atypical new building in Moscow can be found on the territory of the former ‘ZIL’ auto plant, next to the ‘ZILART’ residential complex. It is based around a system of campuses: aside from classrooms, it also features a hi-tech workshop, used for teaching classes in natural sciences and IT, as well as several gyms. 

tourist architecture

Having opened in 2019, it has received the honor of being considered by Moscow authorities to be the best educational building design. 

By the way, it’s also the largest school in Russia, capable of accommodating up to 2,500 students.

5. Kindergarten at ‘Kurskaya’ station

tourist architecture

“I’d have loved to have gone to a kindergarten like that,” numerous parents of the children enrolled here have commented . 

This is, pershaps, the most original kindergarten design in the capital. The building is located on Maly Poluyarsavsky Lane on the outer edge of downtown Moscow. The Asadov bureau is behind the project. The territory is not very large and has adopted the original concept of converting the roof into a place for daytime walks and activities. There are also outside areas on both the second and third floors, sporting their own terraces. The building itself resembles a sea ship.

tourist architecture

The project was not easy to realize: the designers had to consider not only the aesthetics, but also children’s safety. No engineering decision here is accidental. The building consists of two perpendicular blocks, shielding the playgrounds from wind, while the western facade contains a semicircular glass insert, allowing for a firetruck to maneuver through the territory. 

The windows feature improvised designs, inspired by traditional Russian platbands from different regions. There are also plenty of areas inside with curved contours, which the children really love. 

6. ‘River Park’ apartment complex

tourist architecture

In the south of Moscow, there is the Nagatinsky Zaton District, which stands on the very bank of the Moscow River. Here, a few years ago, a new city block called ‘River Park’ appeared with houses boasting wave-like facades, reminiscent of the proximity to the water.

tourist architecture

The architects also built a wide embankment open for everyone with several levels, where you can find sports grounds, verandas and cafes. In 2021, one of the buildings of this quarter won the competition for the best architectural solutions of the Global Future Design Awards in the Residential Architecture Concept nomination.

7. ‘Klenovy Dom’ apartment complex

tourist architecture

This apartment complex, built in 2015, is situated on an embankment right in the center of Moscow. Prechistenskaya Naberezhnaya culminates at Gorky Park - one of the liveliest areas in Moscow. It was difficult inserting a modern building into an environment filled with rustic architecture, but the result proved to be both interesting and unobtrusive, without ruining the overall landscape.

tourist architecture

The apartment complex consists of a long four-story building with an avant-garde facade reminiscent of the cubist era. Ceramic plates were used for the outside, while the interior has been fashioned with wood and marble. 

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15 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Moscow

Written by Diana Bocco Updated Dec 23, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Moscow is one of Europe's most enigmatic destinations, home to a fascinating history and colorful, awe-inspiring architecture you won't find anywhere else in the world. Moscow might be one of the most populous cities in the world with over 11 million inhabitants, but this hasn't changed its strong cultural and social traditions.

Walk the cobblestone streets of the Red Square or the banks of the Moskva River early in the morning, and it's hard to tell what century you're in.

Tsarist architecture, must-see churches, and glamorous shopping opportunities blend together for a visual experience you won't forget. For ideas on what to see and do while visiting Russia, here's our list of top tourist attractions in Moscow.

1. Marvel at the Size of the Kremlin

2. catch a performance at the bolshoi theatre, 3. shop at the luxurious gum, 4. make your way into lenin's mausoleum, 5. spend an hour (or three) at red square, 6. discover history at the museum of cosmonautics, 7. ride the stunning moscow metro, 8. explore the moscow state integrated museum-reserve, 9. spend a rainy day at the tretyakov gallery, 10. walk up and down arbat street, 11. stop by the vdnkh all-russian exhibition centre, 12. wander around gorky park, where to stay in moscow for sightseeing, map of tourist attractions & things to do in moscow.

Kremlin

Moscow's most recognizable structure is without a doubt the Kremlin, a 15th-century fortified complex that covers an area of 275,000 square meters surrounded by walls built in the 1400s.

The Grand Kremlin Palace -which has over 700 rooms- was once home to the Tsar family and is now the official residence of the president of the Russian Federation, although most heads of state choose to reside elsewhere.

The massive complex also includes many other buildings, some of which are open to the public and can be visited regularly. Aside from three cathedrals (including one where the Tsars were once crowned) and a number of towers, the Kremlin is also home to the Armory building, a museum holding everything from the royal crown and imperial carriages to the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible and Fabergé eggs.

Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theater is home to the largest and one of the oldest ballet and opera companies in the world . While the theater has undergone several major renovations over the past century-including a recent one in 2011 to restore some of the imperial architectural details-it still retains all of its Neoclassical grandeur.

The Bolshoi Theater you see today opened in 1824, after several older versions burned down. Inside, red velvet, a three-tiered crystal chandelier, and gilt moldings give the place a Byzantine-Renassaince grandiose feel like no other.

Catching a show from the resident ballet and opera troupes is a treat, as the theater often presents a number of classic performances, such as Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa and Rachmaninoff's Francesca da Rimini, both of which originally premiered here.

GUM

Moscow's oldest and most upscale shopping center is an architectural marvel. GUM (short for Glávnyj Universálnyj Magazín or "Main Universal Store") was built in the late 1800s in neo-Russian style to showcase a beautiful mix of a steel skeleton and 20,000 panels of glass forming an arched roof.

This was a unique construction at the time, since the glass had to be strong enough to support the snow-heavy Russian winters. The building is just as impressive outside, with all three levels covered in marble and granite.

While GUM is no longer the largest shopping center in Moscow, it's still by far the most beautiful. Home to brands like Gucci and Manolo Blahnik, this might not be the ideal destination for most budget-conscious visitors, but the beauty of the building itself is worth a visit.

On the third floor, there are also great dining options, including a Soviet-style canteen that serves traditional Russian food, and a stand selling ice cream made by hand using an original 1954 recipe originally approved by the Soviet government.

Lenin's Mausoleum

Lenin's Mausoleum, the final resting place of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, occupies a central spot in Red Square. His body has been in the mausoleum since his death in 1924-and although the original plan was for him to be buried after a short period of public display for mourning, the plan quickly changed.

After over 100,000 visited the tomb over a period of six weeks, it was decided that a new sarcophagus and a more permanent display space could actually preserve Lenin's body for much longer than expected-and Lenin's Mausoleum was built.

Over the years, the mausoleum and its marble stairs also became the main spot from where Soviet leaders would watch parades and events happening in Red Square.

Lenin's embalmed body can still be seen today, lying down in a bulletproof glass sarcophagus as if he's sleeping. While a visit to the mausoleum is certainly unusual, it has become a must-do for history buffs looking to understand how Lenin's legacy truly changed the nation. Come ready to wait, though -there are usually lines to get in.

St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square

All of Moscow's main streets start at Red Square, so it's easy to see why this is considered the heart of the city. A massive space of 330 meters by 70 meters, the square is flanked by the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, two cathedrals, and the State Historical Museum.

In 1945, a massive Victory Parade was held here to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Soviet Armed Forces.

St. Basil's Cathedral , one of the most recognizable buildings on the square, was built in 1555. The unique cathedral has architectural details inspired by Byzantine and Asian design, as well as details that resemble those found in famous mosques. There are nine individual chapels inside the church, all decorated with colorful mural art.

Both the square itself and the Kremlin are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . On weekends, there are sometimes stalls selling souvenirs and traditional items here, such as matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls), at the entrance of the square.

Monument to the Conquerors of Space

At one point, Russia and the US were toe-to-toe when it came to space exploration. While that might no longer be the case, the museum's amazing collection-which includes over 85,000 items-is still awe-inspiring.

Main exhibits include the space capsule used by Yuri Gagarin , the first human to travel into outer space; a USSR flag with moon fragments; a Soviet spacesuit; and a rocket propulsion unit from the 1960s. A special two-story hall showcases sections of the Mir space station interior, and there are also models of the first sputniks and a replica miniature spaceship.

English-language tours are available, and there's also a Cinema Hall showing subtitled short films about the history of space exploration programs and the first manned space flight.

The museum is located inside the base of the monument to the Conquerors of Space, which was built almost 20 years before the museum opened.

Komsomolskaya Station on the Moscow metro

Riding the Moscow metro is an experience all in itself, but even just heading underground to walk through the stations is something no visitor should miss. With 223 stations and 12 metro lines crosscutting through Moscow, however, this can be tricky, so visiting at least a few of the most impressive ones is a good start.

Arbatskaya station was designed by a skyscraper architect, so it's no surprise that it features multicolored granite slabs and impressive bronze chandeliers.

Park Kultury station , located next to Gorky Park, is covered in marble and features reliefs of people involved in sports, while Teatralnaya station is decorated with porcelain figures dancing and wearing traditional Russian costumes.

The metro is open between 5:30am and 1:00am but it's very crowded in the early morning and after 4pm, so it's better to visit in the late morning or early afternoon to really appreciate the architecture without the crowds.

Kolomenskoye Estate

The Moscow State Integrated Art and Historical Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve is a cultural open-air museum complex comprised of four different historical sites.

The most important site, the Kolomenskoye Estate, was once the summer residence of Tsars as far back as the 14 th century. The complex, which covers almost 300 hectares, is home to fairy-tale wooden palaces; a tent-roof stone church built in the 1500s; a water tower; fort towers and structures; and the 24-room Museum of Wooden Architecture , which includes the restored dining room of Tsar Alexei I.

Beautiful manicured gardens , riverside picnic areas, and a massive collection of both artifacts and structures make this a great destination to help you see what medieval Russia looked like. English-language tours are available, but you're also free to wander the grounds on your own.

Tretyakov Gallery

The largest collection of Russian art in the world sits here, with over 180,000 paintings, sculptures, and religious art dating back to over a millennia ago. The gallery, built using beautiful red and white colors from classical Russian architecture, is located near the Kremlin and it was built in the early 20 th century.

Significant art pieces include the Vladimir Mother of God; a Byzantine icon of the Virgin and child dating back to the 1100s; Andrei Rublev's The Trinity icon from the 15 th century; and several works by Ilya Repin, the most famous realist painter in Russia.

On the grounds of the museum, there is also an 86-meter-tall statue of Peter the Great, as well as a number of Socialist Realism sculptures.

Night view of Arbat Street decorated for the holidays

Moscow's one-kilometer-long pedestrian street has been around since the 15 th century. Originally a trade route in the outskirts of the city, Arbat Street is now very centrally located, home to posh buildings and lots of places to eat and shop.

Beautiful street lamps and two significant statues-one of Princess Turandot (from Puccini's last opera) and one of Soviet-era poet Bulat Okudzhava-adorn the street, which fills up with both locals and tourists on evenings and weekends.

A great place to pick up souvenirs or sit down at an outdoor café, Arbat Street also offers a chance to visit the former home of poet Alexander Pushkin and the café both Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy used to visit.

VDNKh All-Russian Exhibition Centre and the Friendship of the Peoples Fountain

Although it was originally designed as a general-purpose trade show venue, this park complex now houses amusement rides , ice rinks , and a number of galleries and other attractions for all ages.

The park's most famous landmarks are the Moskvarium, a marine biology center home to over 8000 species of marine animals, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, and a shopping center selling traditional products from former Soviet countries.

There's even a film museum showing Soviet cartoons or even a full-length film (for an extra fee) and an education center offering masterclasses on everything from becoming a barista to video montage (call or write in advance to find out which ones are English-friendly).

Soviet-era pavilions, sculptures, and fountains abound here as well, including the famous Friendship of the Peoples Fountain, which features statues of women dressed in costumes from different former Soviet countries.

Main entrance gate to Gorky Park

Named after the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky (who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times but never won it) and sitting right across the Moskva River, Gorky Park covers 120 hectares of beautiful ponds and green spaces.

Popular with both locals and tourists, the park offers a variety of things to enjoy-from sunbeds, hammocks, and drinking fountains to free yoga classes and children's playgrounds. There's free Wi-Fi and sockets for charging your phone, as well as many food stands and plenty of wild animals, including deer, rabbits, and pheasants.

Visitors can rent paddle boats and bicycles to explore the park-and from May to October, there is also an open-air movie theater, as well as scheduled presentations by street performers, musicians, and artists. Gorky Park attracts the young and old, so don't be surprised to see a mix of people exercising, playing chess, and sunbathing.

Luxury Hotels :

  • Lotte Hotel Moscow is one of the top 5-star properties in Moscow offering the largest Royal Suite in Russia. The trendy rooms and suites here all have contemporary style and great city views. On-site amenities are plentiful. There are two restaurants: one serving contemporary Italian fare, and the other Japanese. There is an impressively lit indoor swimming pool, a well-known spa, and a state-of-the-art gym.
  • Another excellent luxury hotel is the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow . The residential-style property is in the heart of Moscow just next to the Bolshoi Theatre and within walking distance of the Kremlin and Red Square. The rooms and suites have been opulently designed by Tony Chi. The on-site restaurant serves a mix of European and Armenian specialities. There is also a Japanese sushi bar and a rooftop lounge with fabulous city views.
  • The St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya also has a central location just a few minutes from the Kremlin and Red Square. The 5-star property has a mix of elegant rooms and suites, including interconnecting room options for families with kids. There are multiple restaurants on-site including an Italian bistro. Other amenities include the fabulous Iridium Spa, which does a full range of treatments and has an indoor swimming pool, sauna, and steam room.

Mid-Range Hotels :

  • Palmira Business Club is a top mid-range choice. The contemporary lifestyle hotel offers well-appointed rooms and suites, including options for families. Suites are quite spacious and have kitchenettes. Amenities here include a complimentary breakfast at the on-site restaurant, a hot tub, sauna, and spa. There is also a fitness center.
  • The trendy Mercure Moscow Baumanskaya offers a mix of rooms and suites with contemporary decor. The mid-range hotel can arrange airport transportation and offers baggage storage. Other amenities include a restaurant and room service. The front desk is open 24 hours.
  • Boutique Hotel Brighton is about 10 minutes from the city center in a leafy park area. It offers excellent value for money and has charming rooms and suites with sound-proof windows and doors, as well as blackout curtains. A complimentary breakfast is served, and there is also an indoor swimming pool.

Budget Hotels :

  • Hotel Ibis Budget Moscow Panfilovskaya is about a 15-minute drive from Moscow's downtown, and it's within walking distance from a metro station that will take you there. The soundproof rooms at this budget property are clean, comfortable, and can sleep up to three people. The hotel is pet friendly, has paid parking available on-site, and also has a salon.
  • If you just need a budget hotel near the airport then check out Aviator Hotel Sheremetyevo . Located right at the airport, it has soundproof rooms, including options for families. Amenities include an indoor play area for kids, a sauna and swimming pool, and a free breakfast.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

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Exploring Russia: Whether you are interested in history, nature, or architecture, there's much to see in Russia. For a good introduction to some of the most fascinating spots in the country, take a look at our article on the Best Places to Visit in Russia . For more on Russia's second-largest city and all it has to offer, check out our piece on the Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in St. Petersburg .

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6 reasons to visit Khiva, the tourist capital of the Islamic world for 2024

There’s never been a better time to plan a visit to the compelling Uzbek city’s many attractions, from UNESCO-listed architecture to diverse cultural events.

The Silk Road city of Khiva in Uzbekistan is often described as a living museum. Well-preserved streets, mosques made of baked mud bricks and majestic fortress walls evoke the spirit of the Silk Road and its caravans, which once passed through in great numbers. This year, Khiva fought off competition from the likes of Abu Dhabi, Lagos in Nigeria and Urfa in Turkey to be named 2024 Tourism Capital of the Islamic World. The decision was made by the 57 countries that belong to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an intergovernmental organisation that’s striven to be the collective voice of the Muslim world since the 1960s. The OIC has a history of choosing lesser-visited destinations such as Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and Gabala, in Azerbaijan, for this annual award, helping to boost their tourism development and visibility significantly. Here’s why 2024 is the time to visit Khiva.  

1. UNESCO-listed architecture

Khiva’s Itchan Kala, the walled city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best preserved and most impressive destinations on the Silk Road. Founded some 2,500 years ago, this open-air museum is a labyrinth of streets lined with dozens of intricately decorated monuments, most of which date from the 14 th to the 19 th centuries. Khiva’s architectural highlights include the 185ft-high Islam Khoja Minaret, with its alternating rings of glazed blue tiles and sand-coloured bricks; the 160-room Tash Khauli Palace, built for 18 th -century ruler Allah Kuli Khan; and the simple yet exquisite Juma Mosque, the roof of which is supported by 213 elm columns, each carved by a different craftsman.

2. Links with historical figures

Legend has it that Khiva was founded by Shem, one of the sons of Noah, the Old Testament prophet best known for his ark. What’s more easily verifiable by historians, however, is the city’s connection to important characters from the medieval world. The ninth-century polymath Al-Khwarizmi, who’s often described as the father of algebra and gives his name to the scientific term ‘algorithm’, was born here, as was Pahlavon Mahmud, a poet and wrestler whose superhuman strength is still famous from Turkey to India, even 800 years after his death. Inevitably, there are villains in the city’s long history, too: Khiva was conquered by both Genghis Khan and Nadir Shah, a powerful but brutal ruler of Iran.

fortress wall

3. Diverse cultural programmes

With a backdrop as dramatic and historic as the Itchan Kala, it’s no surprise Khiva hosts festivals and other cultural events throughout the year. Highlights of the annual programme include Navruz (or Nowruz), the traditional Persian-Turkic New Year, which is observed on 21 March, the spring equinox; the International Lazgi Dance Festival, a celebration of an elegant traditional dance form inscribed by UNESCO on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list; and the appropriately named Pahlavon Mahmud Strongmen Games, where athletes from around the world compete in extreme strength challenges such as lifting atlas stones and dragging huge anchors.

4. Preservation of cultural heritage

Khiva was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Asia, and great efforts have been made to preserve the city’s historic centre. It’s no mean feat to balance residents’ demands for modern conveniences with UNESCO’s conservation requirements. The whole of the Itchan Kala is now car-free and, during the pandemic, local authorities took advantage of the lull in tourism to bury all electricity cables and water and gas pipes underground, and to repave the previously uneven streets with attractive flagstones. Many of the smaller monuments have been sensitively converted into handicrafts workshops and bazaars, as well as cafes, restaurants and hotels, with the rental income from these businesses paying for the upkeep of this precious historical area.

Uzbek women in traditional clothing

5. Unique places to stay

Visitors to Khiva are spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation options, which vary from family-run guesthouses to the four-star Farovon Khiva Hotel. But if you’re looking for cultural authenticity and charm, the best places to stay are boutique properties in and around the Itchan Kala. Orient Star Khiva Hotel set a trend for the conversion of madrassas (Islamic universities) into simple heritage hotels, and the still faintly monastic ambience of hotels such as Muso To’ra and Feruzkhan is quite something to experience. If you prefer a little more luxury, however, Singaporean media personality Timothy W Go opened his first hotel, Hotel Bankir Khiva, here in 2023. Timothy has a flair for interior design, and the roof terrace has panoramic views of the Itchan Kala.

6. Ease of visiting

Uzbekistan has stripped back its bureaucracy in recent years and more than 90 nationalities — including all UK and EU passport holders — can now enter the country visa-free for up to 30 days. You can fly direct from London to Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, three times a week with national carrier Uzbekistan Airways; or you can route via Istanbul and land at Urgench in western Uzbekistan, in which case the airport is just a 25-minute drive away from Khiva. British tour operators such as Wild Frontiers and Trotting Soles offer small group and tailor-made tours, and as English is increasingly widely spoken, particularly among Uzbekistan’s youth and those working in the tourism sector, communicating with locals in Khiva is easy, too.

Related Topics

  • PEOPLE AND CULTURE
  • CULTURAL TOURISM
  • HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION
  • ANCIENT HISTORY
  • MODERN HISTORY

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tourist architecture

7 things that might surprise you about the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour

T here are plenty of ways to take in the sights, sounds (and smells) of Chicago, but you don't necessarily have to be on land to do that.

And you don't have to be a tourist, either.

In fact, one of the most beloved ways — among locals and visitors alike — to experience city is by journeying across the Chicago River and Lake Michigan while a tour guide talks about buildings and regales you on the untold story of Mrs. O'Leary's cow.

In other words: a Chicago Architecture Boat Tour.

"As you're going up and down the Chicago River and on Lake Michigan, you're seeing the city’s evolving architecture, which is changing every year" said Andrew Sargis, director of sales and marketing for Wendella Tours and Cruises .

Wendella, billed as Chicago's "original" architecture tour, in 1935 gave its first architecture tour of the city from a wooden diesel yacht out on Navy Pier, Sargis said. Now, upwards of 20 architecture tours are offered daily, with more on the weekends. On average, Wendella tours see roughly 100,000 passengers each month over the summer, Sargis said.

And though the majority of guests on any given Wendella architecture tour are tourists, Sargis said, locals take them, too.

MORE: Even Chicagoans can't get enough of this tourist attraction: ‘It's about the only touristy thing I do'

"I was surprised when I first started, we get a lot of repeat locals," Bobby Scheffle, a Wendella tour guide told NBC Chicago. "And always there's a lot of local people that come on when they have guests visiting them in town. They like to show off the city this way."

But there's something else about the experience that makes it so very Chicago.

"I think it is really unique to experience the city from a boat on a river, because we think about other big cities in the United States -- there aren't many that have a river that go right through downtown," Scheffle said. "You feel like you're in the city, you hear the noise, and you see the buildings and all that."

Whether you're taking the ride for the first time or the 50th, bringing out-of-town guests out for a memorable activity or just itching to be a tourist in your own city, here are seven things to know about the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour.

Will weather stop a tour from running?

Wendella's architecture tours run year-round, Sargis said, although "weather is a factor."

Weather events like ice on the river or significant snowfall can impact operations, Sargis said, but they typically don't, since the Chicago River -- a federal waterway -- must remain navigable year-round.

While Wendella's boats do have climate-controlled indoor lounges, tours during the winter may run at limited times. But rain, snow, extreme heat or wind, unflappable Chicagoans still show up.

"We went on drizzly day a few years ago," Kathy Rambo wrote on NBC Chicago's Facebook page. "There were only about 10 of us on the boat!

And most often, the tour will run — rain or shine — so don't hesitate to bring a raincoat.

"I have certainly [given tours] under thunderstorms and downpours, and I've gotten drenched sometimes," Scheffle said. "I've never had a tour get canceled because no one bought a ticket. There's always someone wanting to come out here in the rain or the cold."

What's the best time of year (or day) to go?

It depends on when exactly your favorite time of the year is, and what you're hoping to see.

For Sargis, it's late summer. "There's this point of time in September when the weather is beautiful, but there's not that summer rush."

There are other times that Chicagoans may want to consider, too.

"St. Patrick's Day Celebration when they dye the river, and any Wednesday or Saturday night [over the summer], watching the fireworks over Lake Michigan , especially if you're local" Sargis said.

During the summer months, Wendella's tours run start as early as 9 a.m., with the day's final tour not ending until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., Scheffle said, "so if you want to come for a ride to see the city lights, you can come late, and it's also beautiful, just a little more difficult to see the colors on the buildings if that's what you want to see."

Laura Pubins, who lives in a suburb outside of Chicago, agrees.

"My favorite one was when we were on a boat at sunset," Pubins wrote to NBC Chicago on Facebook. "It was an awesome new view of the city."

What's the most photogenic spot on the tour?

For Sargis, it's "anything out on Lake Michigan," with the skyline in the background.

On the river though, there's one moment that captures the city best, Scheffle said, no matter what time of day you're taking the trip.

"The best place to take a photo on the 90-minute river tour is when we come up the south branch from Chinatown," Scheffle said. "That's the best place because you get the whole skyline from the south. It's really beautiful."

For locals though, it may not be what you're looking at, so much as how you're looking at it.

"You're looking at [the city] from underneath," said Chicago resident Nick Pappas, 55, who recently found himself on a 90-minute river tour. "It's just a different perspective on the river that you don't get on the street level. As amazing as that sounds, you're only, like, 20 feet down, but it gives you a whole different perspective."

What does the training for a tour guide look like?

According to Sargis, all Wendella tour guides are trained in-house -- and the spots are competitive.

"There's high demand," Sargis said, of the position. "There are more people that want to be tour guides than space available. It's certainly a popular job, and people want to do it." While the tour guide of any given architecture tour isn't made public, many people do request certain ones for private events, Sargis said.

For the tours, there's a general script, with highlights that must be mentioned, Sargis said. But improvisation, along with sharing personal history is encouraged, too.

"All of the tour guides have their own experience in the city, and will add parts of their history in it," Sargis said. "We have a tour guide that is a retired police officer, and he will interject anecdotes form his career. We have a tour guide that's a Vietnam War Veteran, and when we go by the Vietnam War Memorial, he will always discuss the importance of it to him."

For Scheffle, the training included joining multiple tours a week for two weeks and flashcards.

"For a while, I, just drove Uber and Lyft," Scheffle said. "And then, I remembered that I really liked Chicago. I like learning fun facts about it. And there are people in the city that have that as a job -- to tell people fun facts about Chicago and I started looking into tourism jobs in the city."

What's the most common question tour guides get?

Believe it or not, it's not always about The Great Chicago Fire , or Mrs. O'Leary and her cow, at least on Scheffle's tours.

"My favorite thing on the tour that happens is probably when little kids ask questions," Scheffle said. "The common question that a kid will ask, because I talk about the tallest building, second tallest building, third tallest building, a lot of times a kid will ask what's the shortest building in Chicago? Which I don't have a good answer for."

Are you supposed to tip your guide?

"It's up to the discretion of the client," Sargis said. "I would say a lot of our passengers do tip our tour guides."

What's the absolute best part of the tour?

Sure the tour is photogenic, and the city's history is fascinating. And though some may go on the tour to find out what buildings are new, others prefer to think about the old.

"My favorite building to talk about is probably the Board of Trade building," Scheffle said. "Just because I remember walking by it much younger and always, I remember, really being impressed by it, thinking was such a cool big city building."

For a local on the tour, the memories are nice. But a day out on the water in Chicago is just hard to beat.

"It's great. I don't have to work," said Pappas, who has lived in the city for 55 years. "Every time, it's a little treat to go down the river."

Video editors Ivonne Ramirez and DS Shin produced and created the video for this story.

The Reid Murdoch Building and Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on October 16, 2022. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The architecture of Tourism

tourist architecture

What is the first thing we do when the vacations are around the corner? The images of the places we wish to visit, beckon our mind. The one constant in those images is that we associate the name of a place with its defining architectural style or monuments. The architecture of a region represents its identity and heritage. Their images imprint effortlessly in the minds of the locals and the visitors alike. This makes the architecture of the area an unavoidable part of the tourism industry.

The architecture of Tourism - Sheet1

The tourism industry is an integral part of the world economy. Various countries have turned to tourism as a solution to alleviate socio-economic issues. It plays a significant role in terms of employment, foreign trade and global markets, etc. Tourism, in turn, began to enhance and mold the architectural identity of regions. Certain cities in the world have incorporated this aspect into the policies and laws that govern their land use and development.

Architecture and tourism when synergized open new avenues to the socio-economic development of the region. This symbiotic existence gave birth to the concept of ‘the architecture of tourism’.

The symbiosis

Postcard cities are an example of the symbiosis between architecture and tourism. Architecture, gastronomy, culture, and scenic beauty are the magnets that attract tourists to a region. The development of tourism is linked to other aspects as well. It involves the preservation and advancement of the social, historical, and economic realms of society. The preferences of tourists are of utmost importance in this case. An in-depth understanding of the community and its culture can help us carve out the potentials within it.

The architecture of Tourism - Sheet2

When mentioning architecture and tourism, the focus is often on the built environment. The structure, aesthetics, and history of a building or monument contribute to its status as a landmark. Also, the building, its site, the entrepreneurial opportunities in its surroundings, and the natural attractions the sites offer to tourists all contribute to its tourism potential. Thus, all these stakeholders contribute to the symbiosis between cultural production and cultural consumption.

The incarnations

The enrichment of the tourism potential of a region favors the utilization of architecture and urban design in multiple ways. The essence of iconic architecture and history of a region is captured into souvenirs. The pyramids of Giza or the Parthenon are transformed into a portable keepsake.

The architecture of Tourism - Sheet3

Another approach is in the form of religious tourism. Here the sacred aspects of a community or city are highlighted to cater to a specific group of tourists. This is evident in cities such as Varanasi. The tourists are fascinated by the spiritual setting and in turn the city gains benefits in the form of revenue.

Cultural tourism depends on the artistic and cultural assets of the region. But the mere existence of these assets is insufficient. These aspects have to be showcased efficiently to play to the gallery. This is where the museums and craft villages come into play. The built environment that houses the aforesaid itself becomes an icon in this process, such as the Guggenheim Museum or Smithsonian museums.

Sometimes a city in itself is designed to cater to the tourists. In this case, urban design becomes the defining factor. Favorable characteristics include the ample presence of gastronomic hotspots, shopping centers, and photogenic spaces. The  redesigning of central Glasgow by MVRDV  to make it tourist-friendly also aimed to enhance its liveability.

tourist architecture

The creator and creation

The existing potentials within a region is definitely a principle part of tourism generation. The conventional approach is to enhance these assets and their imageability to attract tourists. This approach is most suitable for regions that possess a unique asset. The heritage, culture, or architecture of the particular region has to be one of a kind to stand out. These marketable features are essentially inimitable. It needs to be preserved as close to its original state as possible. Most of the UNESCO world heritage sites exhibit this quality.

Certain cities, on the other hand, opt to rescript its design instead. After extensive analysis of current tourism trends, the city takes on a new form. They draw from their regional contexts and reinvent it to cater to a more global taste. The characteristics of such cities are exclusive but still accessible and comprehensible to the broader public. The contemporary cities elucidate this international and universal value. This doesn’t make them plebeian; instead, it creates a compelling sense of prominence. They celebrate the differences within them and transfigure an illusion of paradise to the visitors.  The regional center of 1937 Paris exposition  was a harbinger of this trend.

The architecture of Tourism - Sheet5

The desirability of a city does not merely contain itself to the built environment. The political, economic, and social layers of a city are also the beneficiaries and key players of the tourism industry. A city like Las Vegas becomes a prime example of this. In its case, architecture becomes a tool that converts an arid landscape into a success story of ‘ experience economy’ .

The architectural language that developed here is a poster child of hedonism. Here tourism not only gave birth to a new urban design approach, but it also influenced the legal, economic, social, and political planes of the area.

The architecture of Tourism - Sheet6

The architecture of tourism

The tourism industry is an influential determinant of architecture and urban design. The dynamism of the tourism industry acts as a stimulus to the economy, employment generation, infrastructural development, and social development of a region.

The fiscal benefits are not the only aspect it caters to. Tourism ultimately aims to provide recreation and relaxation to visitors. The travelers crave a break from their humdrum lives. The quest for new destinations, new experiences, and personal development defines a tourist. The same pursuit becomes the foundation on which the design of the tourism industry stands.

In this aspect, architecture is undergoing a transformation. It is essential to determine what should be an architect’s prime approach. Should architecture be visually fascinating, or should it be utilized to fascinate tourists?

tourist architecture

Namita is an architect. Her experience at COSTFORD paved her interest in the architectural philosophies of Laurie Baker. She has a passion for writing. Her mother, a preceptor in English literature instilled in her the passion for books and languages. She also loves to explore new places and wishes to be a globetrotter.

tourist architecture

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IMAGES

  1. Sydney Opera House, The Tourist Destination with The Best Architecture

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  2. Tokyo Storeys: Tourist Information Tower by Kengo Kuma, Tokyo, Japan

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  4. Vincent Callebaut Envisions Shell-Inspired Eco-Tourism Resort in The

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  5. 11 Architectural and Historical Sites You Must See in Chennai, India

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  6. The world's most popular tourist attractions

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VIDEO

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  17. 15 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Moscow

    Tsarist architecture, must-see churches, and glamorous shopping opportunities blend together for a visual experience you won't forget. For ideas on what to see and do while visiting Russia, here's our list of top tourist attractions in Moscow. On This Page: 1. Marvel at the Size of the Kremlin; 2. Catch a Performance at the Bolshoi Theatre

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  22. Treyam: A Luxury Lagoon Resort on the Gulf of Aqaba

    Discover futuristic architecture, breathtaking views and premier hospitality including a luxe habour and premier resort. ... Your virtual tour of Treyam starts here. Stay informed Register your interest in Treyam, a new destination in NEOM. Be the first to uncover all it has to offer, and learn about exciting new experiences and partnership ...

  23. The architecture of Tourism

    The tourism industry is an influential determinant of architecture and urban design. The dynamism of the tourism industry acts as a stimulus to the economy, employment generation, infrastructural development, and social development of a region. The fiscal benefits are not the only aspect it caters to.

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