Category Archives: Historic Buildings

This classic example of auteur architecture was designed in 1912 by the renowned Antoni Gaudi and its controversial design had a significant contribution to the Modernista movement (the Spanish Art Nouveau) and was important to the entire modernism as well. The structure is named Casa Mila but is also called La Pedrera, meaning ‘The Quarry’ due to its undulating stone façade. Located in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Spain, the structure seems rather organic at first glance and its interior…

The Walpole Mayfair is a Grade II listed building and it is located in the center of Mayfair and St. James in London, UK. The building has a lot of historical features and significance being dated in the 18th century and the former residence of Sir Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister. The building was recently restored by the renowned architectural and interior design practice of Oliver Burns, which received a lot of awards for their works during their…

The Ponte Vecchio, which means old bridge in Italian, is a stunning middle age stone bridge across the Arno River in Florence, Italy and it was probably built by Taddeo Gaddi in 1345, at least according to Giorgio Vasari. One of the most interesting things about it is that there are still buildings along it, a thing that was usual in the Old Italian architecture but seems quite strange to the modern visitor. Today the buildings are occupied by different…

Wiener Staatsoper, also known as the Vienna State Opera, is one of the most famous operas in the whole world, located in the centre of Vienna, Austria in a place filled with history, since it dates back to the mid 19th century. Its original name was the Vienna Court Opera (Wiener Hofoper) but due to the changes in the government (The Habsburg Monarchy was replaced by the First Austrian Republic in 1920) the name was changed and this is how…

The Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano as its called in Italian is Italy`s largest cathedral and at a larger scale it is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. One of the most famous buildings in the world, the gothic structure really represented a challenge for architects, since it took nearly six centuries to be completed. The Milan Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola and it is dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente…

One of the most famous churches in the whole world, the Sagrada Familia was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). This is a huge Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and it is known for a fact that its design is incomplete. Nevertheless, it still won a spot in the UNESCO World Heritage Site and Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica in November 2010. The construction of the church began in 1882, but…

One of the most famous buildings in the entire world-the Taj Mahal-has fascinated architects and fans of architecture for such a very long time. The Taj Mahal keeps attracting tourists and one of the first things that you observe when looking at it is the fact that the building is harmoniously integrated with its surroundings. The Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal love, since it was built for Mumtaz Mahal,the wife of Shah Jahan. It is said that more…

The Paris Opera, or Palais Garnier is probably the world’s most well known auditorium, featuring one of the most impressive architectural designs in the world. The Opera was part of a greater project: the reinvention of Paris, a project that was initiated by Emperor Napoleon III of the Second Empire. The opera has 2,200 seats and Baron Haussmann was chosen by the emperor to be in charge of the reconstruction. In 1861 there was an open competition and Charles Garnier…