Iconic Buildings Around the World and the Stories behind Them

Discover seven of the most impressive buildings in the world, as chosen by Domestika teachers

From airport terminals to exhibition spaces, some of the most visited cities in the world are defined by their architecture.

Buildings have a unique ability to bring people together, whether to enjoy a shared space, start a conversation, inspire a design movement, or capture the personality of the culture they’re a part of. They've even been recognized for their positive impact on wellbeing, with everything from a building’s layout to its interiors having the power to spark joy in those who pass through it.

Celebrating the stories behind great buildings, we asked seven Domestika teachers who specialize in architecture and interior design to share their favorite architectural masterpiece and what makes it so special.

Salk Institute, San Diego

Chosen by Ana García (@anagarcialopez)

Established in 1960 by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine, the Salk Institute was designed by architect Louis Khan with the aim of creating an inspiring environment for scientific research. The truly unique three-story building is home to countless laboratories and was awarded the Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Ana García is an architect who specializes in both residential and office projects. She explains more about the Salk Institute and why it’s such a standout piece of architecture: “The Salk Institute in San Diego is the first building to be considered neuroarchitecture. As early as the 1950s, buildings and environments were thought to influence people's behavior and mental state. In this sense, neuroarchitecture would be the dialogue that is established between spaces and our minds."

Ana continues, "It’s a building with asymmetrical composition, with two volumes separated by a central patio or plaza, presided over by a narrow watercourse that runs through the central axis and culminates in a fountain, facing the Pacific Ocean. These typical elements of classical architecture provide the complex with a symbolic and monumental value.”

To find out more about neuroarchitecture, take a look at Ana's course, Design of Healthy Spaces: Wellness and Comfort.

La Fábrica, Barcelona

Chosen by Brenda Roqueta and Alba Estevez, Architecture On Paper (@architectureonpaper)

Renowned late architect Ricardo Bofill first encountered this old cement factory back in 1973. Almost fifty years later, he called La Fábrica his family home, as well as his office. With the aim of rethinking the relationship between space and function, the impressive building on the outskirts of Barcelona combines both residential space and a truly unique working environment thanks to Bofill’s architectural expertise.

Brenda Roqueta, co-founder of architectural visualization studio Architecture on Paper, and Alba Estevez, a 3D and visual artist at the firm, explain why they consider La Fábrica to be an architectural masterpiece: “Among all his spectacular works such as La Muralla Roja or Walden 7, this iconic masterpiece is one of our favorites.

"The spatial sensibility and the minimalistic approach are the key elements that embrace this space, which nature has been free to shape throughout time. The different functional elements from the former factory are now sculptures that compose this timeless work of art. But it is the contrast between the existing rough structure and the simple interiors which play the main role in the Brutalist, and at the same time romantic, character of this complex from the early twentieth century.”

SESC Pompeia, São Paulo

Chosen by Eduardo Bajzek (@bajzek)

Like La Fábrica, São Paulo’s SESC Pompeia started its life as a factory—this time for barrels in particular. It was brought back to life by architect Lina Bo Bardi in the early 1980s and transformed into a leisure center in Brazil’s southeastern city. Comprising sports facilities, a library, theater, exhibition space, restaurant, and more, it’s popular with residents and visitors of all ages.

Eduardo Bajzek explains why it’s his favorite building in the city: “It's a complex of leisure and cultural buildings, but they're so masterfully designed that you feel you are part of, or inside, a whole system, a body."

Eduardo is particularly drawn in by the building's personality noting how, "It incorporated an old factory, which gave a lot of character to the complex. The big old sheds, with their brick and concrete walls and floors, are now filled with people who enjoy spending time there watching a play, or seeing an exhibition, or just relaxing and chatting. The famous irregular-shaped windows are very peculiar. They were kind of designed on-site, during construction, and that's why they're so organic and playful. The windows contrast with the solidness of the concrete tower. The whole complex is accessible to the public in general, and I think it's very democratic and lively.”

See some of Eduardo's illustrations of SESC Pompeia below and learn more about how to turn technical drawings into watercolor artworks in his Domestika course, Freehand Illustration for Artistic Architectural Design.

Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs

Chosen by Ana Campos and Edgar Esteban, Himera Studio (@himeraestudio)

For Ana Campos and Edgar Esteban of Himera Studio, Kaufmann House is one of the most beautiful American houses of the twentieth century: “Kaufmann House, designed by Richard Neutra in 1946 for the businessman of the same name, is a winter home in the desert. And everything in it revolves around these two concepts. From its materials, which seek to imitate the colors of the environment (or reflect them), to its shape. Its connection with the landscape is indisputable. All rooms receive natural light and make the most of the winter sun of the desert.”

The use of glass, steel, and stone give the design a modernist feel, but for the team who specialize in home design and reform, it’s Kauffman House’s floating effect that makes it stand out from other residential buildings of its kind: “It is a lighthouse that seems to float: the horizontal planes of the roofs, only interrupted by the vertical stone chimney, rest on transparent glass walls, rising from the ground as little as possible so as not to stand out in the landscape. Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful houses of the American twentieth century.”

Lloyd’s Building, London

Chosen by Ehab Alharirri (@archihab)

This internationally-recognized building in the heart of London is made up of over 30,000 cubic meters of concrete and stainless steel, as well as 12,000 square meters of glass.

Ehab Alharirri is an architect, designer, and digital artist who teaches the online course, Artistic Architectural Sketching with Procreate. He first came across Lloyd's Building as a student. Speaking about its history and why it’s such an important building for him, he says: “My fascination with the building started when I was a student. It represented everything that I thought a building should be. It had a unique style, and the exposed services and structure gave it a lot of strong details, and made it very futuristic and ahead of its time.”

Located in London's main financial district, Lloyd’s Building was designed by the late architect Richard Rogers, and took eight years to build. The building is a leading example of radical Bowellism architecture in which the services for the building, such as ducts and lifts, are located on the exterior to maximize space in the interior.

The building was so iconic that in 2011, after twenty-five years of its compilation, it received a “Grade I” listing. At this time, it was the youngest structure ever to obtain this status. It is said by Historic England to be "universally recognized as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch".

Mill Owners’ Association Building, Ahmedabad

Chosen by Yolanda Yuste, YLAB Architects (@yuste_1)

Designed by a world-renowned architect, the Mill Owners’ Association building, which was completed in 1954, overlooks the River Sabarmati in India. It functions as a space for both business and social activities.

For Yolanda Yuste, co-founder of Barcelona-based architectural firm YLAB Architects and interior design methodology teacher, it’s one of the most iconic buildings in the world: “The building was designed by Le Corbusier, the famous Swiss-French architect, one of the pioneers of modern architecture. I had the chance to visit this building, and the first thing that amazed me was the location of the building, right in the middle of the fields. Once you enter the building, you realize that you are actually mostly outdoors.

"The east and west façades are provided with a brise-soleil, designed to frame the views while permitting air and indirect sunlight to enter the space. The sculptural forms, the combination of different orthogonal and curvilinear geometries, the rough textures, and the contrast of the sun and the shadow, are a feast for the eyes."

Madrid-Barajas Airport T4, Madrid

Chosen by Bruno Arancibia (@brunoarancibiaalberro)

Terminal 4 of the Madrid-Barajas Airport was completed back in 2004 and received the Stirling Prize just two years later. As Spain's busiest airport, with millions of passengers passing through all four terminals each year, it serves as an impressive welcome to the visitors of the country's capital city.

Bruno Arancibia is a Mexico-based architect and the teacher of Drawing and Modeling Urban Spaces with AutoCAD and SketchUp.

For him, Terminal 4, designed by Estudio Lamela and Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners (RSHP), combines both beauty and functionality: “Airports, and transport terminals in general, are the type of buildings that I am most passionate about. They are complex infrastructures that process thousands of passengers daily, allowing them to travel around the world, often for significant emotional reasons.

Not only is it a very functional and efficient airport terminal, but it is also an incredibly beautiful building. Its architecture, structural design, and modulation are equally powerful and graceful, and the use and display of color—characteristic of the work of RSHP, but otherwise usually absent in other contemporary buildings—is quite daring and very compelling.”

What are your favorite architectural feats and why? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’re interested in learning more about architecture and developing your design skills, browse Domestika’s online Architecture and Spaces courses here.

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- Richard Rogers: The Architect Who Turned Buildings Inside-Out
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- Architectural Drawing: The Single-Point Perspective, a course by Bradley Van Der Straeten