Seven most magnificent palaces in the world
The prestigious magazine Architectural Digest has published a ranking of the world's most beautiful palaces. Let us take a look at the buildings that topped this list
Z Line House (Indonesia)
Non-standard design and a unique combination of geometric shapes distinguish the private residential unit - Z Line House in the Indonesian city of Semarang. It was created by architect Revano Satria. While planning this building, the most taxing part for the architect was to combine the opposites: stunning modern architectural forms and elements of national culture. Luckily, Revano Satria managed to do so without losing the functionality of the space.
Fengyuan Restaurant (China, Guangzhou)
Architects Lily Xie and Fan Huang came up with a fun idea for the construction of the Chinese restaurant Fengyuan. The space where the visitors gather should evoke in them the feeling of playing Lego. The idea for such a curious construction design came from the restaurant's signature dish – chicken in coconut milk. Steel elements in the decor of the restaurant with a green hue look like the leaves of palm trees. The interior details of Fengyuan, including droplet lamps and spring-style tables, immerse visitors in the atmosphere of a fantastic forest.
Cloud of Luster Chapel (Japan)
A fascinating wedding venue in a streamlined shape, the Cloud of Luster Chapel, was designed by famous Japanese architect Tetsuya Matsumoto. This building became an architectural miracle of the small town of Himeji. A cloud-shaped space was enveloped in transparent curved glass that brings daylight from all directions. Architectural minimalism and transparent construction make the whole wedding ceremony fabulous and fairytale-like. Besides, the simplicity of the building will not distract the attention of the audience from the main event. Matsumoto believes that the architecture of most chapels is too pompous, and the wedding ceremony itself takes a back seat. For this reason, he wanted to create the space of the Cloud of Luster Chapel in a way as if it were open to the whole world. It should light up hearts and tranquil.
K11 Musea Shopping Center (China, Hong Kong)
Sometimes it takes years to bring some innovation to life. At the same time, ideas that were considered revolutionary are revised over time. This is exactly what happened during the creation of the K11 Museum Shopping Center, located on Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui embankment in the Victoria Dockside district. K11 Musea Shopping Center is considered a Silicon Valley of culture. "The goal of K11 Musea is to become the silicon valley of culture in Hong Kong, injecting art, architecture, design, sustainability and all forms of culture into new consumers' daily lives," the architect said. The construction of the shopping center took 10 years (2009-2019). The creators of the project, the K11 architectural group, planned to introduce innovative art forms into the current reality. The key future of the K11 Musea complex is the 35-meter atrium (Opera House). Searchlights shaped in a special way create a fantastic atmosphere with elements of space, turning the shopping center into a mini-galaxy.
Ranwu Lake Campsite (India, Tibet)
When creating the Ranwu Lake Campsite, located in the mountains of Tibet at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters, architects tried to create a little bit stretching but yet invisible building. Arch-Hermit built this hotel along China national highway 318 (G318) 10 years ago. During the construction of Ranwu, a prefabricated steel structure was used in order to increase the building's seismic stability. Besides, its construction does not harm the local environment. The outward appearance of the campsite resembles the movements of an eagle spreading its wings. Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks that spoil the charm of the place: its remoteness, severe local climatic conditions, and low attractiveness for tourists.
Illumination of Solar Skywalks Bridge (Germany)
This idea is still in the germ but experts believe that its implementation is not far off. Thanks to German architect Peter Kuchia, an ordinary pedestrian bridge has turned into an intricate installation. During the creation of solar-powered lighting, he put an accent on the white and black colors play, as well as the interweaving of light and shadow. However, the grandiose idea lies in its other function. It is meant to charge electric vehicles. Initially, the solar-powered lighting was created for Chinese bridges but then was adapted in other parts of the world. The first layouts of such bridges were created for Shanghai and Beijing but were used in Munich. As a result, it turned out that Solar Skywalks can be installed in different climate zones.
Sorec Horse Park (Morocco, Rabat)
Nowadays architects are interested in creating environmentally-friendly buildings. The Sorec Horse Park, which is now under construction in Morocco, is one of such green projects. During its design and construction, only environmentally friendly materials were used, and the construction was carried out with minimum damage to the environment. Sorec Horse Park chief architect Vicki Chan emphasizes the special role of the horse in Arab culture. This idea is reflected in the design of the building structure: the gable roof of the racetrack resembles the silhouette of a galloping horse.
The prestigious magazine Architectural Digest has published a ranking of the world's most beautiful palaces. Let us take a look at the buildings that topped this list
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