As an innovative and creative company, we love to see work that is striking and unique.
We’ve put together a list of some of the world’s most dazzling buildings to keep you inspired …
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
Designed by architect Frank O. Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is a spectacular structure made from a combination of materials, including glass, titanium and limestone. Stretched over a 32,500-square metre site along the city’s Nervión River, the building is curved to catch the natural light. The interior is designed around a large atrium, which was nicknamed ‘The Flower’ because of its shape. The outer shell of the structure is made from around 33,000 very thin titanium sheets, which give the building its distinct ability to change colour with the weather and light conditions.
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia
The aesthetic of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) was inspired by the skin of a pine cone, and has a specially designed façade that responds to its environment, just like a living organism. The façade acts as an articulated sunshade to deal with heat, sunlight, glare and wind deflection, all while maintaining views and natural light. Because of the way the building is designed, energy use is minimised and rainwater is harvested for optimal sustainability. In fact, the environmental management plan for the site set a construction waste recycling target of at least 80 per cent.
Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
Originally built for the 1958 Brussel’s World Fair, this unique structure was designed to look like an atom, and consists of circular pods connected by giant tubes. The building represents an iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times and is made up of nine interconnected spheres. Although it was not intended for any use after the World Fair, the unusual building has since become a popular tourist attraction and houses various exhibitions devoted to architecture, design and society. At 92 metres tall, the upper sphere of the building offers panoramic views over the city.
Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium, Beijing, China
The Beijing National Stadium, commonly known as the Bird’s Nest Stadium, was constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games. An architectural masterpiece, the stadium measures 69.2 metres tall, 330 metres long, and 220 metres wide with the design of the building based on 24 columns, each of which weighs 1000 tonnes. It took around 42,000 tonnes of steel to construct the outer shell alone. With a seating capacity of up to 91,000 people, the structure had to undergo advanced seismic analysis to ensure that it could withstand any major seismic shocks, for which the area is at risk.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Currently the tallest building in the world, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa draws crowds for its impressive design. The building stands tall at just over 828 metres and boasts more than 160 stories. The construction was no small feat, with over 110,000 tonnes of concrete used. The steel foundation is buried more than 50 metres deep, while the tower broke a world record for the highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, which stands at 512 metres high. It is said that the total weight of aluminium used on the building is equivalent to that of five A380 aircraft!
Don’t forget to get in touch if you have a project of your own in mind. We work on various types of projects and offer a range of services, from drafting and detailing to fabrication and erection.