St. Vitus Cathedral- Prague

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague is a Roman Catholic Cathedral. This Cathedral is the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals that i have visited. The Gothic architecture is the most important and biggest in the country. The detail of the carvings are stunning and one aspect of my visit which was mind-blowing for me was the stained glass windows. The rose window, as shown above shows the scenes from the biblical story of creation. And when the sun light shines through the window the stained glass reflections in the cathedral are breath taking, the cathedral becomes its own art piece to admire,  words can not explain how stunning it is. 

The inspirational thing about this cathedral is the harmony you feel when you are inside, its peaceful and is a pleasure to be in. Definitely worth a visit when you can, this is truly memorable and is an experience you will not forget in a hurry. 

Cabot Circus- Bristol

Bristol is the 8th largest city in the UK, however the shopping facilities was ranked as 23rd in the country. So there was need for change and Cabot Circus was going to be the answer.

The new Cabot Circus shopping centre in Bristol is one of the closest shopping centers for me to visit now. It has only just opened on Thursday 25th September.

I think the new building is highly impressive in terms of architecture, and it definitely will transform Bristol. Cabot Circus has been uniquely designed and is rather striking in terms of looks. A main aspect of design which is rather impressive is the new elegant glass-shell-shaped roof, which to me looks like a net from the inside. This clever design creates a light, spacious and airy feel to the shopping area and it also become the main focal point in the shopping centre.  

This architecture is great because the design has brought the outside in.

The Glass house

I was watching a film called the Lake House, and in the film there is a Lake house which is made out of Glass and steel. This reminded me of an inspiring piece of architecture that i knew of, called the 'Glass house'.

The Glass house is a 47 acre property, built in 1949 in New Canaan Connecticut by architect Philip Johnson. This building inspires me due to the basic materials used and the proportion, geometry and minimal structure. This building expresses geometry and proportion and also keeps in with the natural environment surrounding it.

The exterior is composed of glass sides and charcoal painted steel frames and a brick floor which is 10 inches above the ground. The interior is a huge open space which is divided by walnut cabinets, which also keep in with the surrounding natural environment.

What is clever about this glass house, is that the landscape and views become the real walls of the house, and act as a sort of wallpaper in the interior and exterior.

Ice hotel- Jukkasjärvi

The Ice Hotel is a great example of innovative architecture. The Ice Hotel is situated in a village  in Jukkasjarvi which is 200km north of the Artic circle in Sweden.

The Ice hotel is only a temporary hotel, made up of snow and crystal clear ice. The hotel has 80 rooms, which are decorated with ice carved sculptures by artists around the globe. The hotels fixtures and fittings and walls are held firmly together by using a substance called Snice, which is a replacement for the Mortar which is normally used for brick work.

The buildings entire design is breath taking and magical. This is no ordinary hotel experience. 

California Academy Of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate park is planned to be the highest green building rating in the US green building council. This building is nearly finished and is going to be officially opened on September 27th 2008. This unique building represents how the world is turning green through every opportunity it gets in the design world and how environmental issues are the prime concern today. 

I love the way that this spectacular building becomes disguised among the surrounding greenery. The four dome structures on the roof of the building really mimic the the nearby hills of nearby Twin peaks. This design is highly innovative and is visually a pleasure to look at. 

Burj Al Arab- Dubai

The architecture of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai is a highly inspirational building. It looks spectacular and luxurious. It is used exclusively as a  7 star hotel and was successfully designed by Tom Wright. The hotel is 321 m, which makes it the tallest building used as a hotel. Construction began in 1994 and the hotel was officially opened in 1999. The design of the hotel was to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel, and as you can see, it certainly does that. The idea of the sail dominating the water makes this building incredibly beautiful, realistic and mind blowing. Not only is the exterior stunning but the interior is also unique, extravagant and fits in superbly with the rest of the concept of design.