Gems of 21st Century Architecture

"Appropriately called The Blue Planet, Denmark’s newest aquarium is home to 7 million liters of water and a design that suits the fluid nature of the ocean precisely. Designed to look like a whirlpool from above, The Blue Planet’s exterior seamlessly transitions from placid water features to sweeping, sculptural tiled stainless steel, effectively embodying the ocean’s power and beauty. Inside, the aquarium’s immersive exhibits all radiate from a central hub; the building itself can be expanded by 30 percent if the need arises. The design of The Blue Planet perfectly complements its intended purpose while adding to Copenhagen’s already impressive urban landscape." (Gear Patrol)

Formerly known as the London Bridge Tower, The Shard is an 87-story glass tower that looks like an extravagant transparent pyramid.  Designed by the Italian architect Rienzo Piano, it can be easily spotted from any corner of London.  The Shard's construction began in March 2009; it was topped out on 30 March 2012and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. This open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor provides stunning views of London.  

The Shard comprises 26 floors of high specification office space, three floors of restaurants, the 19-floor five-star Shangri-La Hotel, 13 floors of residential apartments and London’s highest public viewing gallery.  The offices are now home to 32 companies across a variety of business sectors including energy, retail, technology, finance, professional services, education and healthcare.

Interestingly, a controlling interest (95%) in The Shard is the State of Qatar, where the World Cup is currently underway. 

Sources: The Shard website, Wikipedia, KNYCX Journeying, Gear Patrol

Gando School, Burkina Faso

"The “rural high-tech” school buildings Francis Kéré has built in his home village of Gando, 125 miles south-east of Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou, stand as a compelling, climate-conscious alternative to steel, glass and air-conditioning. Kéré designed the primary school while he was a student in Germany, and it embodies his low-energy, low-cost principles: a pair of simple rectangular volumes made of mud bricks, crowned with a “flying roof” of vaulted corrugated metal, providing extra shade and encouraging air flow. A model of gadget-free ecological elegance." (The Guardian)

The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 250 acres in the Central Region of Singapore. The park consists of three waterfront gardens and boasts the largest glass greenhouse in the world. 

The project was part of the nation's plans to transform its "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden", with the aim of raising the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city. First announced in 2005, Gardens by the Bay was intended to be Singapore's premier urban outdoor recreation space and a national icon.

A national garden and horticultural attraction for local and international visitors, Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece for species ranging from cool, temperate climates through tropical forests and habitats.

Sources: Gardens by the Bay, Wikipedia

The ultra-modern Dongdaemun Design Plaza is located in Seoul, South Korea. The design and the infrastructure features spaces for global exhibitions, a rooftop walking park, and retail shops designed in a futuristic way. 

The British Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid designed the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The building is created in a spacious area with a space frame system, a large roof truss, and a fabulous building model. The main attributes of this design by Hadid were porousness, transparency, and durability. He made this building intending to provide an open social area to the people who visited it, and he succeeded in it. The design also had several attributes that were dedicated to ecological reasons, such as solar panels, a facade with double skin, and water flow with recycling features. (Korea Travel Post)