Fallingwater is Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature creation. The Pennsylvania house, which hangs over a river due to its cantilever design, is a national landmark and an excellent example of modern architecture.
Australia’s Sydney Opera House is comprised of shell-shaped curved roofs, consisting of more than a million V-shaped tiles. Designed by Jørn Utzon, the venue has won numerous awards and has even been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chicago’s unique corncob-shaped towers are official known as Marina City, a residential building with many on-site recreation facilities, an open-air roof deck, and several stories worth of parking. Architect Bertrand Goldberg designed it to have almost no right angles.
These buildings are different, but they have a common thread: All are made of concrete.
The Guardian has two lists of the ten best concrete buildings, with one list selected by architecture critic Rowan Moore, and the other by readers.
Among Moore’s picks were the Bank of London and South America in Buenos Aires; St John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minn.; and the nearly 1,900-year old Pantheon in Rome. Readers suggested the three buildings listed above, along with other choices like the National Theatre in London and The Lotus Temple in Delhi.
Tiles on the Sydney Opera House. Photo: Jimmy Harris/Creative Commons.
Marina City in Chicago. Photo: clarkmaxwell/Creative Commons.
Fallingwater. Photo: Timothy Neesam/Creative Commons.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA Course: Building with concrete – Design and construction techniques
Concrete maintains a special reputation for strength, durability, flexibility, and sustainability. These associations and a host of other factors have made it one of the most widely used building materials globally in just one century. Take this free AIA/CES course from Building Design+Construction and earn 1.0 AIA learning unit.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA Course: Historic Masonry — Restoration and Renovation
Historic restoration and preservation efforts are accelerating throughout the U.S., thanks in part to available tax credits, awards programs, and green building trends. While these projects entail many different building components and systems, façade restoration—as the public face of these older structures—is a key focus. Earn 1.0 AIA learning unit by taking this free course from Building Design+Construction.
| Aug 11, 2010
Tall ICF Walls: 9 Building Tips from the Experts
Insulating concrete forms have a long history of success in low-rise buildings, but now Building Teams are specifying ICFs for mid- and high-rise structures—more than 100 feet. ICF walls can be used for tall unsupported walls (for, say, movie theaters and big-box stores) and for multistory, load-bearing walls (for hotels, multifamily residential buildings, and student residence halls).
Concrete | Aug 11, 2010
8 Innovations That Will Rock Your Next Concrete Project
If you think you've seen it all when it comes to concrete construction, then you haven't sat down with Blaine Brownell. The architect-turned-blogger-turned-author has become the industry's foremost expert in everything that is unconventional and provocative in the building products field. For the past eight years, this LEED Accredited Professional, BD+C “40 Under 40” winner, and vis...
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Products
14. Mod Pod A Nod to Flex Biz Designed by the British firm Tate + Hindle, the OfficePOD is a flexible office space that can be installed, well, just about anywhere, indoors or out. The self-contained modular units measure about seven feet square and are designed to serve as dedicated space for employees who work from home or other remote locations.
