Atomium, Belgium

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Architect: André Waterkeyn

Date Built: 1958, then reconstruction began in March 2004 and ended February 18, 2006

Reason for building: The original idea was to build it so that it looked like an upside-down version of the Eiffel tower. However, Waterkeyn felt that an atomic structure would be more symbolic of the era.

Public vs. Private: This is a public attraction

Cost: There is no info. on the cost of the original building, but restoration had a budget reaching 25 million euros.

My reason: I'm thinking that I'm really into futuristic kinds of architecture because I just think that it's cool looking and is just an eye-catching sort of thing. It looks like it came out of a movie and just placed there. I like how the structure of it is basically like spheres and not just a square of something. I mean it's not really a building, but just spheres and yea it's so cool. It's just something i would like to go see!

National Centre for the Performing Arts, China

Location: Beijing, China

Architect: Paul Andreu

Date built: July 2007

Cost: over 3.2 billion

Private vs. Public: It is a public attraction

Reason for the building: It was designed as an iconic feature, something that would be immediately recognizable.

My reason: The reason I chose this building was for the fact that it looks incredible and it's just a must-see iconic place. They used this building for the 2009 Olympics and really must have gotten people's attention because i know it got mine. It looks like an egg just floating in that lake, which in fact is artifical! Woah, it's just really cool! What i liked about this building was the features that it had and how awsome it looked with lights and how it looks all futuristic.

Turning Torso, Sweden

Architect: Santiago Calatrava

Date built: August 27, 2005

Location: Malmö, Sweden

Private vs. Public: It is a private residential building

Cost: SEK1.6 billion

Reason for the building: One reason for the building of Turning Torso was to re-establish a recognizable skyline for Malmö since the removal of the Kockums Crane in 2002, which was located less than a kilometre from Turning Torso.

My reason: I chose this building because it's something new to see, like it's not just an ordinary piece of architecture but it's unique. The fact that this place looks like a torso that seems to be twisted, which is probably why it got its name from, it has so much to it too like how green it is. For example, when heat is needed they use locally renewable energy. It's so cool becuase when you think of buildings as big as these and amazing as this you would imagine them wasting so much money on lights and heat and stuff like that, but this one is green and contributes with the earth:)

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

Architect: Tom Wright
Date built: Construction began in 1994 and ended in 2000
Cost: No info.
Location: The beachfront area where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Private vs. Public: This is a public building due to the fact that it is a hotel.
Reason for this architecture: it was designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a ship
My reason: I chose this building because not only is it one of the tallest buildings but on where its location is. I have never heard of such place with an artificial beach and all and the fact that it costs so much to get a room in this hotel or to eat in the restaurant, it should be like a dream. I had seen this building on the discovery channel once and it just amazed me because of its structure. It really swept me off of my feet when i realized that it was basically built on the beach like meaning inside the water! I mean that's just so cool!!

Habitat 67, Canada

Habitat 67

It was designed by architect Moshe Safdie and built in 1967. Located in Montreal, Canada, this famous housing complex is home to 146 people, which is cool because who wouldn't want to live there?! Habitat 67 soon became a thematic pavilion invaded by thousands of admiring visitors that came from all around the world. You would imagine such futuristic building to cost so much, but unfortunately construction costs proved to be prohibitive. This amazing architecture was designed to give privacy, fresh air, sunlight and suburban amenities in an urban location. It was designed as a permanent settlement and consists of 158 little apartments. The reason I chose this building was because I had seen this place in a movie before so i wanted to learn more about it. In the movie, it seemed all futuristic and cool looking and I mean who wouldn't want to know more about it? Another reason I chose Habitat 67, was because it just had more to it like it was different and very green. It's like one of those things that are good for the environment like those cars that run on electricity and the sight just looked lovely!