10 Most Influential Buildings

The Eiffel Tower1 |

Built in 1889, the tower was assumed to be unfeasible when it was first proposed.

The building is unique for being largely useless, an enormous monument to industrialism more than anything else. This is why it was so important – the Eiffel tower was an exploration in engineering.

2 | The Highland Park Ford Plant

The Highland Park Ford plant (built in 1904) is perhaps the most influential of all buildings in the western world when it comes to modern cities.

The plant was the first place to implement the modern assembly line – it had enough space that a row of cars could be produced sequentially.

3 | The Home Insurance Building

The Home Insurance Building was constructed in Chicago in 1885. It is largely considered the first skyscraper ever and was the first building to make use of structural steel.

Steel frames have since become the norm for all modern skyscrapers including the tallest, but the method had its origins in this building.

4 | Robie House

The Robie House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909 and completely redefined the domestic home space.

The building was typical of the style Wright would eventually be known for: Japanese-inspired, horizontal buildings with big, solid interiors.

5 | The Seagram BuildingThe Seagram building is immediately recognisable – even to those who have never seen it before. That’s because it set up a new standard for office buildings that has since been seen a hundred times over.

The building was constructed in 1958, in New York City, and aimed to make the structural components of the buildings apparent. The columns are exposed at the bottom of the building, reminding passersby of the steel frame, but also breaking down the intimidating barrier to entry of other buildings.

6 | Casa Da MusicaA lesser known building designed by Rem Koolhaas, this was created in 2005 to house musical productions.

The building represents a balance between technical achievement and architectural flourish. It is neither the severe simplicity of the Seagram building, nor the absurd playfulness of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It balances ability with function.

7 | Walt Disney Concert HallOne of the most popular modern buildings is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry in 2003.

The building pushes against the uptight structure of many other modern buildings, rebelling against the limits of physical construction.

8 | The Dulles Airport

The first public airport to cater to jet planes only, the airport was an idealistic leap forward in architecture and design.

A man made lake nearby was dug out to collect rainwater and the dynamic building itself aimed to reflect the trajectory of flight.It was, and is, a building that was widely respected for the advances it made.

9 | The Shard

The tallest building in London, the Shard was built in 2012 by Renzo Piano.

It has proven a controversial building, one of a confidently futuristic design.

The building marked a return of an unapologetic style of architecture that had largely been dormant with the recent focus on minimising environmental impacts.

10 | Military History Museum

This Dresden museum shows an intelligent awareness of its place in history – a soaring shard has been introduced to an historical building. At once reminiscent of a cutting blade, the hull of a ship and the stab of a bayonet, the symbol is an aggressive response to a dark history.

The thin metal aims to represent the transparency of democracy, in stark contrast to Germany’s history of control and fascism.

Further reading• How Buildings Change The Way Kids Learn:http://www.centralbuild.com.au/blog/how-buildings-change-the-way-kids-learn/

• How Much Does A Factory Cost To Build?http://www.centralbuild.com.au/blog/how-much-to-build-a-factory-or-warehouse/

• 5 Most Impressive Office Buildings In The World:http://www.centralbuild.com.au/blog/the-5-most-impressive-office-buildings-in-the-world/

• 5 Lessons from Great Architects:http://www.centralbuild.com.au/blog/5-lesson-from-great-architects-for-your-project/