In a world of bland, corporate buildings, thank goodness for
those architects and designers who express their individuality. They
brighten up our world. From works of art to the downright wacky, here is
a list, some of which I have been fortunate to see in the flesh.
10. Guggenheim Museum – Bilbao, Spain
No list is possible without the architect Frank Gehry. Built
alongside the Nervion River, the curves are typical Gehry and were
designed to catch the light. The museum, opened to the public in 1997,
exhibits Spanish and international artists and the unusual design made
it an important tourist attraction for the town. Gehry wanted the design
to resemble a ship in honour of Bilbao’s status as a port. The building
is made of limestone and glass, and titanium panels made to look like
fish scales.
9. Dali Theatre and Museum – Figueras, Spain
Another Spanish art museum, this houses the largest collection of
Salvador Dali’s artwork in the world. Figueras was the artist’s
birthplace and he wanted to rebuild the old theatre from the ruins left
by the bombs of the Spanish Civil War. The museum opened in 1974 and was
expanded through the 1980s. Dali supervised the design, which matched
the eccentricity of his paintings and sculptures, particularly in the
giant eggs on the roof. Dali’s crypt is in the basement.
8. Turning the Place Over – Liverpool, England
This is an art installation contained within a derelict building,
which has served as an attraction during Liverpool’s tenure as European
City of Culture. Sculptor Richard Wilson’s creation surprises
passers-by. An oval shaped 8-metre diameter section of the wall was cut
and made to spin round on a pivot to reveal the interior of the
building.
7. The Mushroom Tree House – Cincinnati, Ohio
This other worldly construction looks as if it was transplanted
from a children’s picture book. It doesn’t appear to have been built at
all and looks like it sprung up from the ground. The effect was achieved
by the former Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the
University of Cincinnati, the late Terry Brown. Brown’s students helped
with the project and were graded for it. It can be found in the Hyde
Park district of the city.
6. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Building – Branson, Missouri
The Branson museum is
one of a chain of museums, housing the bizarre artifacts owned by the
Ripley franchise. The building was designed to commemorate the
devastating earthquake, which registered over 8.0 on the Richter Scale,
in 1812 in New Madrid, Missouri. The crack across the building gives the
impression that it has just survived its own earthquake. The Ripley’s
Believe It Or Not Museum in Orlando, Florida is designed to appear as if
it is sinking into the ground.
5. The Robot Building – Bangkok, Thailand
The robotic design, by
the architect Sumet Jumsai, houses the United Overseas Bank
headquarters. Located in the Sathorn business district, it was completed
in 1986 when contemporary design was in vogue. It’s a friendly looking
robot with lidded eyeballs for windows. The architect’s remit was to
design something that made a statement about the modern, computerised
nature of banking.
4. Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain
Many visitors go to Barcelona just to see the work of the
architect, Antoni Gaudi. He didn’t like straight lines and he avoided
them whenever possible! His most ambitious construction, the Sagrada
Familia Roman Catholic Church is still to be finished. Gaudi worked on
it from 1852 until his death in 1926. It is scheduled to be open to the
public for worship in 2010. Its towers are the most iconic image of
Barcelona and it looks as if it belongs in a fairy story. The church is
full of Christian symbolism, dedicated to the saints. Gaudi’s other
famous Barcelona landmarks include Casa Mila and Park Guell.
3. The Basket Building – Newark, Ohio
Not many people get to work in a replica of a hand woven gift
basket! This environment is headquarters to the Longaberger Company, a
successful basket manufacturer. The founder, Dave Longaberger, wanted
all his company buildings to be in the shape of a basket but his
daughters countered his wishes following his death. However, this
7-story replica of one of the company’s products is not the only giant
Longaberger basket in the area. Dave had also instigated the Apple
Basket in Frazeysburg, the house sized Picnic Basket in Dresden, and the
Big Easter Basket in Lorain.
2. The Crooked House – Sopot, Poland
The architectural firm of Szotynscy Zaleski took inspiration from
fairytale illustrations and from the designs of Spanish architect,
Antoni Gaudi to design this remarkable construction. The roof is covered
with bluish green enamelled shingles that look like dragon scales. The
interior is conventional and contains bars, shops and cafes.
1. The Dancing House – Prague, Czech Republic
Tourists from
all over the world come to marvel at the beautiful churches and other
historic buildings in Prague, so they are surprised to find this
contemporary gem. It houses the Nationale-Nederlanden insurance company
and was designed by Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry. Construction was
between 1992 and 1996 and was endorsed by the President of the Czech
Republic, Vaclav Havel. A French restaurant occupies the roof, affording
magnificent views over the city. Other nicknames for the building
include the Fred and Ginger, and the Drunk House
Top 10 Most Powerful Rivers in the World
When you
think of a river, the last thing you think about is probably how strong
its water really is. You are more than likely to think about calm
flowing water that brushes over stones at the bottom of the river. Maybe
you envision small fish in the river. Whatever you think about, it’s
definitely not how powerful the river is.
If you’re one
of those people that are fascinated by random yet helpful bits of
information, then this top-ten list is for you. Here are the top ten
most powerful rivers in the world. This list is based upon the flow rate
of the river itself.
10. Mekong River
The Mekong River is located in China. It runs
through Burma, Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The Mekong
is the 11th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. The
river is said to be about 2,703 miles long. Because of the seasonal
changes that cause variations in flow as well as the appearance of
rapids and waterfalls in the river, the Mekong is extremely difficult to
navigate. This river so strong that the level of the river located in
Cambodia is lower than the high tide at sea! In 2000, the river’s rapids
and tides became so overwhelming that it flooded, killing about 90
people.
9. Lena River
Flowing
through Eastern Siberia, the Lena River is the 10th longest river in the
world, bringing water 2,734 miles until it flows into the Sea. The
river flows northeast and joins with two other rivers and finally flows
into the Laptev Sea. The river is known to have strong links to stream
flow, especially during the summer and spring when the water is much
warmer than usual. Once it is spring, the ice on the Lena River melts
before the ice downstream does, which usually causes flooding because
iceblocks hinder the flow of water. In 2007, the river over-flooded and
more than 1,000 houses and 12 towns were under water.
8. Parana River
The Parana River is the 14th longest river in
the world. Though most of the river is located in Brazil, it also runs
through other parts of South America such as Argentina and Paraguay. The
river is about 2,485 miles long and flows into three other rivers. On
the southern part of the river, flooding is extremely common. The strong
currents that the Parana brings have been said to erode river shores,
destroy buildings, and cause many people to have to move out of their
homes. The high winds and the El-Nino effect also play big roles in how
powerful the river is.
7. Yenisey River
The Yenisey
River is the biggest river that flows into the Arctic Ocean. At 3,445
miles long, the river is the 5th largest in the world. The river flows
through Mongolia, the Yenisei Gulf, and then drains in the center of
Siberia. The upper part of the river is subject to floods a swell as
rapids. Because part of the river exits through the Darkhad Valley,
studies have shown that it is often blocked by ice. Once the glaciers
retreat, it is said that as much as 500km ³ of water could escape from
the river and cause a complete debacle.
6. Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the only river in the
U.S. to make the list! The Mississippi River is the second largest in
the U.S. It expands across 2,340 miles of land. It starts at Lake Itasca
in Minnesota and travels all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Those
who live along the banks of the river often have to fear its high tides
and extremely powerful waters. Many of the levees that have been built
to hold back the water have proven extremely unhelpful. In 2008, many
were afraid that the river would over-flood even more than it already
had. The water was topping levees and many had to be evacuated from
their homes.
5. Brahmaputra River
The
Brahmaputra River is located in Bahaduradbad, Bangladesh. It starts in
southwestern Tibet, goes through the Himalayas, the Assam Valley, and
then through Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra River is about 1,800 miles long
and is mostly used for transportation as well as irrigation. While most
of this river is navigable, some parts are prone to catastrophic
flooding in the spring once the snow of the Himalayans melt. This river
is also one of the few that is known to have something called a tidal
bare. This means that incoming tides form waves that travel up the river
against the direction of the current. This is what researchers call a
true tidal wave. This makes the Brahmaputra River that much stronger.
4. Yangtze River
The Yangtze
River is the longest river in Asia as well as in China. It is the 3rd
largest river in the world. The river stretches to about 3,964 miles and
flows through East China Sea in Shanghai. The Yangtze River is known
for its flooding, and dams that have been built to prevent water from
flowing outside of the river’s banks have proven to be useless.
Researchers have realized that the river actually has three different
types of floods and that its tides are much too strong during some
seasons to prevent water from overflowing. Many use the river for
electricity and water transport, but they often, if not always have to
live in the fear of their towns being flooded.
3. Orinoco River
The Orinoco
River is one of the longest in South America. In fact, it is the 3rd
longest in South America. The river is 1,330 miles long and flows
through Colombia and Venezuela. It begins at the Delgago Chalbaud
Mountain. Once the river passes the forested terrain and waterfalls, it
slows. However, the waterfalls become rapids which have proven to be
extremely difficult to navigate, even though during this time the river
is downstream. Eventually the river dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. The
river also experiences coastal upwelling year-round, which often poses a
threat for those who live close to the river.
2. Congo River
You might
know the Congo River as the Zaire River. Whichever name you are familiar
with, this river is the largest river in Western Central Africa. At
2,922 miles, the Congo River is the second longest river in Africa. This
river is also Africa’s most powerful river. Even though the Congo
starts off as a peaceful river, especially near Lake Tanganyika, it
eventually begins to widen and also picks up speed during this time.
Eventually the water passes through the “Gates of Hell,” which is a
75-mile long canyon that presents rapids that are impassable. At the
Upper Congo, the river ends, but has a 60 mile stretch of rapids that
make it dangerous and powerful.
1. Amazon River
The Amazon
River is the largest river in the world when looking at its volume. It
is located in South America, and because it is so large, it can count
for at least 1/5 of the world’s complete river flow. This river is so
powerful and so big that there aren’t any points along the river that
can be crossed by a bridge. The river has an extremely powerful
discharge at the mouth which can release as much as eight trillion
gallons of water each day. The river is said to be about 150 ft. deep,
so if you’re thinking about going for a swim in the Amazon, think again!
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