This structure is located in Seville, Spain. The construction started in 2005 and was completed in 2011. This stunning feat of architecture got its’ name because it looks like 6 parasols in the middle of the city. This is supposedly the largest wooden structure in the world at around 230 feet span and 85 feet tall. The structure is known as Las Setas de la Encarnacion to the locals, which translates to Incarnation’s Mushrooms. This structure has 5 levels, 1 below ground and 4 above. The 2nd level is an open air public plaza that is shaded by the wooden structure above them. The upper two levels house a restaurant and some of the most spectacular views of the city. I am absolutely planning a trip to go visit this stunning structure!

This university building is located in Dusseldorf, Germany. The entire building is made of metal and glass. The main visual aspects of this building are the windows, balconies, and stairs. Unlike most university buildings, this one was created to look more like a sculpture than a regular university building. The interior design looks seamless as there is a continuation from the stairs to the floors and ceilings. There is not a single right angle in this building which makes it very unique. Though the interior space houses offices and teaching spaces, because of the flow of the entire structure everything looks open and spacious. This is definitely a building that I would go visit, only because I am curious to see how the design affects echoes.

This house is located in Ludwigsburg, Germany. It was built in 2008 by Jurgen Mayer over an existing structure. Using the existing structure as the main part of the house, Mayer continued the construction by expanding the house outward and upward. The main structure of the house is a square or rectangle while the rest of the house was sculpted with curves and fluidity. Though this house looks very different from our definition of what a normal house would look like, the design idea was very traditional. The idea was to build a house that could be used by multiple generations of a family comfortably. This house is very minimalistic. I think this is a stunning work of art. If I could live in a house that looked like this one I would never leave!

This is the Mont. Saint Michel! It is one of my favorite places in France let alone all of Europe. It is located in Normandy and is a tidal island. Before visiting I had no idea what a tidal island was until I was there and saw it become an island right in front of my eyes! The tides in this region of France don’t just recede by a few feet, they recede by several kilometers. So when there is a low tide Mont. Saint Michel is part of the mainland but in a span of minutes as the tide rises it becomes an island. Many people try to walk across from Mont. Saint-Michel to the main land and if it is not timed correctly many die when the tide comes in. Unfortunately we actually saw this happen while we were there. Apart from the impressive tide the city of Mont. Saint-Michel is a stunning renaissance village built on a small rock island. When you walk into Mont. Saint-Michel it is like entering a different world, a world full of history and culture and art. The cathedral takes up a large portion of the island and is the main feature that you can see from miles away. At night the entire island is covered in lights that stream through every window and small street you would love to walk down. I cannot wait to return to this magnificent location in France and visit the cathedral and and the little shops and restaurants on the island. For anyone who has never visited this magnificent place in France I would absolutely suggest you do! It is definitely worth it!

La Sagrada Familia is a cathedral like no other in Barcelona, Spain. I have only visited this cathedral twice in my life and both times you could not go inside unfortunately. I can’t even imagine what the inside looks like when the outside is already so stunning! It is well known that the cathedral has been under construction for over a century and has had many different designers and artists work on it! I have been to so many cathedral and other religious buildings all over the world but the Sagrada Familia looks nothing like any of the other ones I have visited. I remember telling my mother one time when we visited that parts of it looked like sculpted bones. The absurd amount of detail and intricate sculpture is unlike any other monument I have ever visited in my life. I am so glad that I will hopefully, finally be able to go inside this splendor next year! I cannot even fathom how my heart will be able to take in such a sight!

This is the Notre-Dame de Paris. It is located in Paris, France. I have been to this stunning cathedral many times in my life. The artwork in the cathedral along with all the glass art makes it much more than just a cathedral. The designs and sculptures along the walls and pillars are so intricate and beautiful! The rose windows are so beautiful and bring in so much color and light into the cathedral. Though from the front of the cathedral, the building looks more simple, when you see the back and sides of the building the complexity of this cathedral becomes clear. I have always loved the architecture of the cathedral and how it looks like a completely different building from the front compared to the back. I always love visiting Notre-Dame de Paris when I am in France. I was so upset and depressed when I saw it burning last year but I am so glad that they will rebuild even though it will never be the same as it was before.

This is the Great Wall of China. It stretches the length of about thirteen thousand miles across Northern China. I visited the wall while touring through China in 2009. We did a tour with a guide and he told us about the history of how it was built and that every time someone would die during the build they would just throw them under the stones. It is by far the oldest and most spectacular piece of architecture I have ever seen in my life. There are parts of the wall that have now completely deteriorated. There are also stairs so steep no one can walk up them anymore without actual climbing equipment. I cannot wait to return and see more of this marvel!