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A GRAND TOUR OF THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING ARCHITECTURE
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When we travel it’s often to see a building – the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower. We then photograph ourselves in front of them as though needing proof that we stood in their shadows. But why? Because, buildings are endlessly intriguing: things of beauty, symbols of their age and emblems of human endeavor.
Lonely Planet’s book, Amazing Architecture: A Spotter’s Guide, celebrates this fascination, embarking on a grand tour of more than 120 brilliant buildings around the world, a selection that stretches from must-see classics to contemporary marvels.
Here are some highlights from the book and beyond, offering a taste of what the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, once described as “the mother art.”
Palácio Nacional da Pena, Sintra, Portugal
Built: 1885
If the approach lends to the spectacle, Portugal’s Palácio Nacional da Pena is truly spectacular. An hour train ride from Lisbon into the Sintra Mountains, then a winding walk up an ancient road wrapping the mountain (and past Madonna’s 18th-century Moorish mansion) leads to a big reveal – a fantastical, red-and-yellow castle set on a 1450-foot-high mountain top with domes and turrets and romance to spare. Built for Portugal’s King Ferdinand II, the palace is a Unesco World Heritage Site incorporating Moorish, Manueline and gothic elements. Visitors can enjoy the grounds filled with flowers from every part of the Portuguese empire and interiors kept virtually unchanged since Queen Amelia departed around the time of WWI.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Built: 1973
The jewel of Sydney’s skyline, and one of the greatest works of 20th-century architecture, the Sydney Opera House enjoys a plum setting on a peninsula facing Sydney Harbor. The iconic structure consists of a series of 8 roofs that were highly technical to engineer, causing a falling out between Danish architect Jørn Utzon and his client with another architect brought in to finish the job. Innovation ain’t easy. Like flower petals fanning out over the building, the roofs are made of more than 1 million concrete roof tiles held in place by 217 miles of tensioned steel cables. Performance spaces anchor each interior space but even if you don’t go for a show, visit the bars or lounges with views out over the harbor.
