Slideshow: Vitra Design Museum and Campus – Basel, Switzerland

A variety of buildings quietly sit on the Vitra campus outside Basel, each designed by one of the world’s top architects. Ando sits next to Gehry across the street from a new Herzog and de Meuron. Grimshaw, Siza and Gehry added factory buildings, with a fourth under construction designed by Sanaa. The firehouse was Hadid’s first completed building and a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome completes the campus. An impressive collection of architecture compliments the exquisitely designed furniture Vitra is famous for, including designs by Charles and Ray Eames. My visit there was all the more interesting with an exhibit of the work of the Campala Brothers, fantastic designers and artists.

Slideshow: Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut – by Le Corbusier – Ronchamp, France

For a lengthy description of this icon of 20th century architecture read this article, previously posted on talkitect.com:
http://www.talkitect.com/2009/11/notre-dame-du-haut-ronchamp-france.html

Slideshow: Luzern Culture and Congress Center – by Jean Nouvel, Luzern, Switzerland

A unique piece of architecture in a beautiful city. The Luzern Culture and Congress Center calmly sits at the edge of the lake, reflections of the immense cantilevered roof sparkle in the water. The boardwalks surrounding the building are alive with people flowing in and out of the restaurants, cafes, theaters and museum within. It is really a fantastic design, especially the facades facing the water. It is iconic and yet isn’t presumptuous. It doesn’t shout for attention yet draws crouds under its extended canopy. Truly spectacular architecture.

Slideshow: Ohel Jakob Synagogue – by Wandel Hoefer Lorch Architekten – Munich, Germany

This beautiful synagogue in Munich was one of the precedents I used for my thesis design project. The exterior stone facade with the metal mesh sanctuary rising out of becomes an elegant form that reveals the interior functions. The entrance to the synagogue when there isn’t a service is a bit disappointing, having to go through the nearby community center and through a tunnel. I understand the security concerns, and the tunnel was actually rather well designed but it didn’t offer a sense of grandeur or spirituality. I was also a bit disappointed with the interior design of the sanctuary. It came off as looking a little to corporate for some reason. But the quality of light in the sanctuary was great and all in all it was a wonderful experience visiting a fantastic work of modern religious architecture.

Slideshow: Kunsthaus Bregenz – by Peter Zumthor – Bregenz, Austria

This is one of the most elegant buildings I have visited. It is truly magnificent in its simplicity, attention to detail, materiality and lighting – everything you hope for in a Zumthor design. I was also incredibly impressed with the artwork of British sculptor, Antony Gormley who filled all three galleries with incredible sculptures that really transformed the spaces. It was just a fantastic experience and I will let the photographs do the rest of the talking.

Slideshow: BMW World – by Coop Himmelb(l)au – Munich, Germany

One of the most disappointing buildings I’ve recently visited, the BMW World, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, is a lavish showroom for cars and motorcycles. The architecture was promised to be flashy and groundbreaking yet left me cold and annoyed. The dark glass ruined any idea that the immense roof was floating while the extravagant twists and turns of the form seemed kitschy and extraneous. This building is an ideal symbol of how the excess of the past decade has led architecture astray, taking the art of building and turning it into an amusement park of unwarranted icons.

Slideshow: Olympiastadion – Munich, Germany

Unfortunately the lighting in these photos isn’t great and the overcast sky washed out the backgrounds, but they still offer an up close view of a stunning piece of architecture. Still impressive after 30 years, the Munich Olympic Stadium steals the thunder from the newer flashier design of the BMW World by Coop Himmelb(l)au, across the street. These flowing tent like structures decked out with glass roofs are magnificent to behold, an expression of structure that captivates the imagination and boggles the mind. It’s amazing the calculations and design challenges overcame in this project long before digital design tools were the norm for architectural practices.

Slideshow: Kolumba by Peter Zumthor – Cologne, Germany

The Kolumba museum in Cologne, Germany was high on my list of places to visit and it turned out to be a spectacular experience. Although not all of the images are fantastic do to some low lighting conditions and no tripod, you should get an overall sense of the elegant design by Peter Zumthor. This was definitely one of the best pieces of architecture I have visited on my travels. Truly stunning both in the design of the building, the materiality and tectonics as well as the art shown within – an interesting juxtaposition of historic and contemporary art.

Check out the Kolumba website for more information: www.Kolumba.de

Slideshow: The Cologne Dom – Cologne, Germany

A monumental example of spectacular Gothic Architecture, the Cologne Dom dominates the city’s skyline and is a truly spectacularly detailed edifice. Climbing the towers offers stunning views of the city and reveals that every inch of this building, from the foundation stones up to the highest peak of the towers is intricately carved with immaculate details. Definitely worth visiting and one of the best examples of gothic architecture that I have visited.

Slideshow: The Royal Theater Opera – Copenhagen, Denmark

An incredibly controversial building in Copenhagen, The Royal Theater Opera sits across the harbor from the historic city center. Unlike the local residents I actually kind of liked the architecture of the building, at least the main facade. However, it is an obvious rip off of Jean Nouvel‘s Luzern Culture and Congress Center. The building was actually a gift – completely privately funded – by Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller and designed by Henning Larsen. However, the client was apparently very controlling of the project and even pressured the government to let him chose any site he wished within the city. He also exercised control of the design often making additions and changes against the architect’s wishes – including a controversial change of the main facade by adding a steel grill over the pristine glass.