110 Times People Made Something Amazing Out Of Wood (New Pics)

It’s peak summer, which usually means — vacation time! But while some people choose to sip delicious cocktails by the pool, others want to see everything a foreign city can offer. Seeing gorgeous architecture is one of the best things you can do while on a city break, and that’s exactly why iconic spots like the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, or the Taj Mahal draw in millions of people every year.

But for every piece of stunning architecture that you won’t have time to visit in person this year, Pandas, we give you this list. Compiled from the iconic “Architecture” subreddit, this list of gorgeous buildings and genius architectural decisions is a feast for the eyes and the soul. Scroll through them and marvel at the wonders human minds and brains are able to build!

More info: Reddit

#1 This Preserved Edo Period Street In Japan. Is It Actually?

#2 Temple In The Lake. Longxing Temple, Chengdu, China

#3 The Ceilings Of Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The ‘Shadowless’ church in Chengdu is undoubtedly one of the greatest modern architectural feats. Designed by the Atelier Shanghai Dachuan Architects, the church was inspired by impressionist painters. More specifically, French Impressionists. The building’s official name is Sino-French Science Church, drawing inspiration from Provence with its style and its surrounding lavender fields.

Although from afar, the church looks like it’s made of paper, its core component is actually aluminum. The church has no walls per se, but the way the light illuminates it makes it look even more ethereal. During the day, the sun creates a dynamic visual experience that changes as it moves across the sky. At night, the church is illuminated from within, creating the illusion of floating and blurring the edges.

#4 Yuxin Bookstore In Shenzhen

#5 Shadowless Church In Chengdu

#6 MCM Bowling Alley In Phoenix

I recently discovered that Phoenix has the second highest concentration of mid century modern buildings behind Palm Springs. Going to try and photograph the unique and fun styles on film for a personal project as I discover them.

Another architectural wonder in Chengdu, China, is the Longxing Temple. Today, the site’s stunning architecture is famous for its surrounding urban project that masterfully incorporates a lake. The temple itself has stood for more than 1,500 years, but the new urban project, completed in 2024, includes many more buildings.

The renewed Chengdu Pengzhou Longxing Temple Area has dining facilities, hotels, an art gallery, a civic center, a park plaza, a library, and even an exhibition hall. The temple is in the very center, and the other buildings are situated around it according to the concept of the “Ten-sided bushes of Buddha.”

#7 Similarity Between Apple Stores And Soviet-Era Architecture

#8 The Entrance To The Cathedral Mosque Of Saint-Petersburg

#9 Architecture Inside Mysore Palace, India

One member of r/Architecture posted Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house and asked: “What makes Fallingwater an icon of American art?” Perhaps it’s because Wright managed to design a house that seems seamlessly incorporated into nature. His goal was for the family who lived there, the Kaufmanns, “to live with the waterfall…as an integral part of [their] lives.” Since 1964, the house has operated as a museum and has seen over five million visitors. In 2019, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

#10 In Love With This Beautiful Building In Medellin Colombia

#11 The New Library Of The University Of Amsterdam. It Incorporates The Old Buildings Of A Hospital

#12 Ferdows House, Tehran, Iran

Many users on r/Architecture wonder why much of the architecture from the Islamic world features geometric patterns. The same can be said about Islamic art in general, and if we keep in mind that Islamic mathematicians and astronomers made significant intellectual contributions to the sciences, it might make more sense.

#13 Brickwork On Sidewalk Which Turns Into A Public Bench In Shiraz, Iran

#14 Casa Hezbo By French Architect Ludwig Godefroy Embraces A Bold Brutalist Aesthetic While Blending Indoor-Outdoor Living In Puerto Escondido

#15 The Amount Of Detail On Chinese Column Supporter Architecture

In Islamic art, four basic shapes are the most common: circles, squares and four-sided polygons, stars, derived from squares and triangles in a circle, and multisided polygons. Artists would play with these geometric shapes by combining, duplicating, and interlacing them over and over, creating possibilities of an endless number of patterns. What makes it so pleasing to the eye is the symmetry and the vastness of the ornamentation, almost like a promise of endlessness and freedom.

Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

#16 Old University Architecture Is So Beautiful (Oxford)

#17 The Staircase At The Kansas City Public Library

#18 The Magic Of Bricks. Lumbini Museum, Nepal, By The Legend Kenzo Tange, 1978

Which architectural wonders caught your eye the most, Pandas? And how many of these stunning buildings have you seen in real life? Tell us all about your personal stories in the comments! If you’re in the mood for more gorgeous architecture, be sure to check out our previous publications about unique homes that might make you wish to live there and these incredible wonders of modern architecture by architects who weren’t afraid to think outside of the box!

#19 Some Of Louis Sullivan’s ‘Jewelboxes’, Which Are Banks He Designed In Small Towns The Midwest. National Farmer’s Bank, Owatonna, Minnesota (1908)

#20 Does Anyone Still Build Homes Like This

#21 What Makes Fallingwater An Icon Of American Art?

I was listening to Cormac McCarthy’s conversation with David Krakauer, and he said something striking about Fallingwater: “My brother Dennis says—and I think he’s. right, after some reflection—that Fallingwater is the absolute icon of American art in the 20th century. And this covers poetry, painting—everything. There’s one iconic entity, and this is it… There’s not a painting, or a poem, or another piece of architecture that has this stature. It’s an astonishing thing.”
Quite something to hear from one of the icons of American literature.
I’m curious to know, why does Fallingwater holds such iconic stature? And, what philosophical current of 20th century American culture is reflected in Fallingwater?
Any reflection or response is warmly welcomed…

stereoroid:

It “fits” in to its surroundings so well: it’s not natural (of course) but doesn’t appear blatantly unnatural. The use of the stream is part of that too.

#22 Conversion Of A Ruined 18th Century Church Into Cultural Centre, Santpedor, Spain – David Closes (2011)

#23 Yasuyo Building In Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

#24 My Photograph Of Ratcliffe Power Station Was Shortlisted For The British Photography Awards

#25 Aftab Commercial Building – Arak, Iran

#26 Does Anyone Agree We Need More Painted Classic Architecture? I Love This

#27 Mud Architecture. Hadramout, Yemen

#28 Chinese Wok-Ear Houses

#29 Bus Stop On The Greek Island Of Tinos

#30 Maison Mystique Hotel – Khao Yai, Thailand (Inaugurated In 2025)

#31 Sagrada Família Blew My Mind

It’s the most interior of a building I’ve ever seen.

#32 Any Fans Of Chinese Cantonese Architecture?

#33 13th Century — Four Marble Columns In Trento Cathedral, Carved Into Intricate Knots That Feel Almost Impossible In Stone. Location: Trento Cathedral, Italy

#34 An Art Gallery In My Hometown, Located In Chengdu, China

#35 Nieuw Bergen By Mvrdv

#36 Is There Any Evidence That Mosques Or Hindu Temples Are Based On Psychedelic Experiences?

I’ve been wondering if the intricate designs, symmetry, and symbolism found in mosques and Hindu temples could have been influenced by psychedelic experiences. Are there any historical records, academic studies, or credible theories that suggest a connection between sacred architecture and altered states of consciousness?

#37 Why People Are Not Building Something Like This Which Lasts For Generations

#38 A Library In My Hometown, Which I Often Visit To Read Books Because It’s Close To Home, In Chengdu, China

#39 New Maaqal University In Basra, Iraq

#40 Galleria By Oma In The Suburbs Of Seoul, South Korea

#41 Beautiful Beaux Arts House In Alta Gracia, Córdoba (Argentina)

#42 Lishui Airport – Zhejiang, China By Mad Architects (2024)

#43 Architecture In The Dune Movie Was So Beautiful

#44 This Apartment Building In Bucharest

#45 Uae Pavilion At Expo 2020 Dubai By Santiago Calatrava

#46 Form Follows Function

#47 Summer In Italy

#48 Interesting Examples Of Mid-Rise Apartments In Iran

#49 Chengdu Metro Station, China

#50 Babel Tulum Residential Complex In Tulum, Mexico By Studio V Taller

#51 Grand Egyptian Museum By Heneghan Peng Architects In Giza, Egypt. The Largest Museum In The World For A Single Civilization

#52 Thoughts On These Apartment Designs By Architects Sahar Kamaleddin And Nima Safdari? Some Of These Projects Are Currently Under Construction

#53 That’s Sad. Tehran’s Unesco-Listed Golestan Palace Reportedly Damaged By Us-Israeli Strikes

#54 San Martín House, Ocoyoacac, Mexico – 2022

#55 Superb Wooden House In The Hills Of Brazil In Cunha, By Mariana Caires & Co (2024)

#56 Khayyam Project By Esfandiar Abdeshah

#57 The Atrium In The British Museum: One Of My Favorite Indoor Spaces

#58 Yanjin, The Narrowest City In The World. At Its Widest, The City Spans No More Than 300 Meters (1,000 Feet), With Some Sections Narrowing To Just 30 Meters (100 Feet). The Population Is About 500,000

#59 Taj Mahal From A Different Angle

#60 Why Has The Sagrada Familia Taken So Long To Build?

Paro-Clomas:

The client is not in a hurry. To clarify. This is something Gaudi himself said when asked about why it was taking so long. The mentality for which this was built was closer to that of the cathedrals built in the middle ages, which routinely took centuries to build. It’s not the modern bourgeois paradigm of a client who hires a professional for a very clearly delimited service that will used specifically for him. Gaudi did build for this paradigm also, most notoriusly for Eusebi Guell but who also acted in a very similar manner to renaisance patreons, sponsoring his artistic talent.
Productive practices that go beyond the indivudal always existed and are present today. Most forms of human organizations tend to have vast and abstract plans that go well beyond the interest of a single person, or a mere extrapolation and amalgamation of individual interests. The same happens with countries, cities, religious organizations, even corporations.
The problem is the ever intensifying bout of hyper individualism makes this kind of thinking harder and harder to understand, even tough its a basic and probably unavoidable part of every civilization and culture that ever existed.

#61 A Look Inside The Grand Egyptian Museum

#62 Hernández House – Mexico City (1973)

In Mexico City, the Hernández House was designed by architect Agustín Hernández Navarro for his sister, the dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández. Built in 1973, the residence served as the home for the founder of the Ballet Folklórico de México for twenty-seven years. The design combined brutalist and organic forms to create a structure that functioned as both a living space and a sculpture.
The turning moment in the architecture was the decision to suspend the home’s primary volumes, allowing it to float above the landscape with minimal contact with the earth. The interior featured dramatic, curved concrete walls and large circular windows that mirrored the fluid movement of the owner’s choreography. This outcome created a fusion between her artistic life and the physical environment she inhabited until her passing in 2000.
The residence stands as a permanent tribute to the creative bond between a visionary architect and the artist who defined Mexican modern dance.

#63 This View Of The Grand Lisboa Hotel From The Streets Of Macau

#64 Sydney’s New Fish Market Has Officially Opened

#65 When Paris Was Paved With Wooden ‘Cobblestones’

#66 Absolutely Insane Apartment Building In Turin I Just Stumbled Upon

#67 Biosphere At Treehotel By Snøhetta

#68 Studio In Gushichan, Okinawa, Japan – 2024

#69 Bent Road In Songkou Ancient Town, Yongtai, Fujian

#70 Dominion Office Building By Zaha Hadid In Moscow, Russia

#71 Vakil Metro Station, Shiraz, Iran

#72 Iranian Brick Work

#73 The Dallas, Texas City Council Is Actually Considering Demolishing This Im Pei Designed City Hall Building Because It Is Too Expensive To Repair / Update

#74 Gare De Mons Station By Santiago Calatrava In Mons, Belgium

#75 Sea Of Cortez Research Center – Mazatlan, Mexico (2023)

#76 Stuttgart Library

#77 Are The Venice „floating” Houses Floating Away From Each Other?

#78 Campus Of The Higher School Of Oil By Parsec In Almetyevsk, Russia

#79 Regarding The Issue Of Greening Under The Overpasses I Observed In Chengdu, China

#80 United States Pavilion At World Expo In Montreal, Canada (1965-1967) By Richard Buckminster Fuller

#81 1990s Architect At His Workstation

#82 Crystal Houses By Mvrdv In Amsterdam

#83 More Examples Of Contemporary Apartment Buildings In Iran

#84 I Love The Central Space Of The 1736 House In Barcelona, By H Arquitectes. (2023)

#85 The Magic Of Bricks.🧱 This Is The Lumbini Museum, Nepal, Designed By The Kenzo Tange, 1978

#86 Discovered The Work Of Ricardo Bofill In Calpe, Spain By Shear Luck. And Now I’m Obsessed

#87 Modern Taiwanese Architecture Is Stunning

When I visited Taiwan last December, one of the first things that struck about the architecture in Taipei and Kaohsiung was how modern yet nostalgic in can be. You could clearly tell that the country experienced economic booms in the late 90’s and the 2010s based on the designs of the skyscrapers there. Kaohsiung was a city that I had unexpectedly fallen in love with, as the buildings there had so much character and yet I think it speaks volumes how the tallest building there (formerly the tallest building in Taiwan) sits abandoned.

#88 What’s Your Take On Singapore Architecture?

#89 Braga Municipal Stadium – Porto, Portugal – Eduardo Souto De Moura (2003)

Estádio Municipal de Braga is a football stadium in Braga, Portugal. It was built in 2003 for UEFA Euro 2004 and has a capacity of 30,286 spectators. It was designed by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura and structural engineer Rui Furtado.

The stadium is carved into the side of a former granite quarry on Monte Castro, with rock forming one goal end and the opposite end open to the valley. Only two lateral stands were constructed, connected by a canopy-style roof supported by steel tension cables.

Concrete, exposed rock, and steel are the primary visible materials. The design integrates the structure with the landscape rather than enclosing it.

It is the home of Sporting Clube de Braga. The architect won the Pritzker Prize partly for this work.

#90 Red Lobster: Dayi Design Revives Historic Nanjing Site With Sinuous Outdoor Staircase