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| Nevsehir Bus Terminal, Turkey, 2010, by Bahadir Kul Architects A stone wall – positioned 5m (16.5ft) forward from the main glass and steel structure – provides shelter and shade at this bus station. The amorphous abstracted forms reference what the architects refer to as the ‘mysterious topography’ of the Cappadocia region, of which Nevsehir is part. Cappadocia is famous for its troglodytic buildings. Photo: . Picture credit: Kadri Bayram/KET Kolektif |
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| Muzeum Susch, Switzerland, 2018, by Chasper Schmidlin and Lukas Voellmy The remains of a 12th-century monastery and brewery were combined to create this contemporary art gallery in an alpine valley. The former brewery took advantage of a source of mineral water and was partly hewn from the rock in the 19th century. Both buildings are protected and the architects were keen to preserve their religious and geological resonance. External architectural changes were deliberately minimal. Internally, however, 8,000 tonnes of rock were excavated to provide additional gallery space. Photo: Studio Stefano Graziani. Courtesy Art Stations Foundation CHMuzeum Susch |
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| Moorish Wall in Alto Albaicín, Granada, Spain, 2006, by Antonio Jiménez Torrecillas This 40m (131ft) high wall extends and completes the remains of an early 14th-century Moorish wall. Adopting the volume of the old wall, this new section is actually hollow and acts as a narrow covered pathway. Randomly spaced gaps in the stacked pink granite slabs afford views across the landscape and illuminate the walkway. Photo: Theo Coutanceau Domini |
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| Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, 2001, by Snøhetta This huge library and cultural centre was intended to reinvigorate Alexandria as a place of learning, recalling its heyday when it was home to one of the most important libraries of the ancient world. A giant disc tilts towards the Mediterranean, its angled roof providing glare-free northern light to the seven-tiered reading room – the largest in the world – which accommodates 2,000 readers. The project was beset by criticism on completion; some argued that more had been spent on the building than on the collection itself. Photo: Gerald Zugmann |
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| Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2007, by Yusef Abdelki This huge mosque, the largest in the UAE, can accommodate 40,000 worshippers. It is a project of extraordinary statistics. There are 82 domes, the tallest 85m (279ft) high, and the world’s largest carpet, which measures more than 5,500m2 (59,200 sq ft). The exterior is clad in a pure bright white marble, while a warmer off-white marble makes for a calmer interior. The design is a combination of Moorish, Arabian and Mughal architecture, linking European and Asian interpretations of the Islamic aesthetic. Photo: Marc Schmittbuhl/Getty Images |
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| Casa do Penedo, Fafe, Portugal, 1974 This ‘House of the Rock’ was created by an engineer who took advantage of the way huge glacial rocks had littered the landscape. Walls were bridged with rough concrete to create a simple shelter. It now sits in the middle of a wind farm, though ironically remains off-grid. Photo: Daria Chuvaeva |
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| Himalesque, Jomsom, Nepal, 2013, by Archium At 3,000m (10,000ft) above sea level, it was not only expedient, but also essential to use locally sourced labour and materials – in this instance, gneiss, a metamorphic rock – for this radio station that broadcasts across the remote north-west of Nepal. Studios and meeting rooms are arranged around this courtyard, while deep canopies provide shade. Photo: Jun Myjungjin |
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| King Abdullah Financial District Grand Mosque, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2017, by Omrania This dramatic mosque is part of a new $10bn financial district in central Riyadh. Due to the preponderance of neighbouring high-rise offices and apartments it is mostly seen from above, rendering the elaborate roof an important consideration. The projecting plates were inspired by naturally occurring crystal clusters formed in desert conditions, called desert rose. Photo: Mohammad Ballool Omrania |
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| Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct over Gardon River, France, first century AD This exceptional Roman aqueduct, the highest anywhere at 49m (161ft), was part of a 50km (31 mile) channel that delivered about two million litres of fresh spring water to Nîmes every day. Many Roman constructions were ruined and looted for stone after the fall of the Empire, but this largely survived intact, likely due to its use as a toll bridge. The stones are cut with incredible precision and no mortar was used to render the aqueduct stable or watertight. The larger blocks weigh a staggering 5.5 tonnes (6 tons). Photo: Ivoha/Alamy |
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| Sancaklar Mosque, Büyükçekmece, Turkey, 2012, by Emre Arolat Architects Challenging conventions of mosque design, this subterranean sacred space is reached via shallow, terrace-like steps that emphasise the relationship between the landscape and the low-slung building itself. Because the building is partly submerged, it benefits from natural insulation, making it low energy. Photo: Cemal Emden/Courtesy EAA Emre Arolat Architecture |
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