What's the most beautiful building you've ever seen?
This was a question posted by one Trippy user. Everyone has a different answer to this fun question. Wouldn’t you agree, beauty is abstract? Our answer will largely depend on our interest and where we’ve been. The prose “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” is true when it comes to naming the most beautiful buildings in the world. After sifting through numerous answers given by Trippy users, I’ve listed 11 most beautiful buildings in the world.
1. Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Without a doubt the still under construction and Antoni Gaudi’s most celebrated work, Basílica de la Sagrada Família is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The project started in 1882 and is due to be completed in 2026. Look at this video published by the basilica in 2013 and imagine how it will look like when completed:
The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia was Trippy users JL Englehardt, Jennifer Franco, AZ Koehn and Rocio Acevedo’s first choice. JL wrote:
As an architecture junkie, it is so hard to single any out with one exception. Basílica de la Sagrada Família, a Gaudi creation. It is truly an architectural experience.
Sagrada Família is the number one thing to see. Make reservations and get an entry time to walk right in or you may have to wait hours. Be sure to go downstairs and visit the displays of how it was built. You mentioned kid-friendly. There is a very nice aquarium on the waterfront. Otherwise, everyone's suggestions are great. Then walk around and look. Or take the blue or red circle bus tour of the city. They are double deck buses so sit up top. Get all-day tickets, and you can get on and off at will.
2. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St Petersburg
Almost every inch of the outside and inside of the Savior on the Spilled Blood is decorated with multi-colored and detailed mosaics. Located by the Griboedov Canal on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, this church also known as Church of the Resurrection of Christ is one of my favorites in Europe.
Built between 1883 and 1907, funded by the imperial family and private donors, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is an excellent example of Russian-style church with onion-shaped domes and mosaic coverings on ceilings and walls.
3. Pantheon, Rome
Laura Weber from Buenos Aires, William Smith, and Maria O’Dwyer liked Pantheon. Maria said:
Great question that got me thinking...I can't decide between my two favorites: The Pantheon in Rome - because it's one of the oldest structures of Ancient Rome and is a feat of great building and design and anytime I visit I feel part of history. I also love the Sydney Opera House because of its elegance, beauty, and location.
Built in 609 AD, the Pantheon is a well-preserved ancient Roman building, has the single largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world and is the site where the famous Renaissance painter Raphael was buried.
4. Sydney Opera House, Sydney
I have to agree with Maria O’Dwyer on Sydney Opera House being one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. I’ve been to Sydney three times, and the Sydney Opera House was always one of the first places I visited each time. My preferred hotel in Sydney is the Sydney Harbour Marriot Hotel at Circular Quay because some of the rooms offer views of the Sydney Opera House.
It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind.
5. Tabatabayis House, Iran
A trippy user, Mahsa Aslani from Tehran, introduced her country’s beauty. She wrote:
The most beautiful building I have ever seen is Tabatabayis House built around 1880 in Kashan, Iran. The house is renowned for its intricate stone reliefs, fine stucco and wonderful mirror and stained-glass work. The house consists of three sections: the andaruni (the internal area where family members lived), the biruni (external area used for entertaining and housing guests) and the khadame (servants' quarters). These are set around four courtyards, the largest of which boasts a fountain pool. From mid-afternoon (depending on the month), sunlight and stained glass combine to bathe some rooms in brilliant colour.
6. Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest
Trippy users Flor and Leslie from Cologne liked Parliament House in Budapest. They said:
Oh boy... There is so much to choose from! One of the most incredible buildings is the Parlament in the wonderful city of Budapest.
The Hungarian Parliament Building located on the banks of Danube River is an iconic Hungarian landmark and a great example of Neo-Gothic architecture. Constructed in 1885 and completed in 1902, this 691-room is the world’s third largest parliament building.
7. Cologne Cathedral
Trippy user Todd Karberg wrote:
I'd say definitely the Cologne Cathedral. You walk out of the train station there it is larger than any building I've ever seen, and the detail is just amazing.
The cathedral towers over everything else in Cologne since the late 1800s. The foundation of the building was laid on August 15, 1248, construction stopped in the early 16th century because of the lack of funds and the cathedral was later completed in 1880. It took over 600 years to complete this Gothic masterpiece.
Cologne Cathedral treasures include Gero Cross, Shrine of the Three Holy Kings, South Tower, Milan Madonna and the Modern Mosaic Glass Window.
8. Flatiron Building New York City
According to Business Insider, the Flatiron Building is the sixth most photographed spot in New York City. I’ve contributed at least 10 of these photos on my social media platforms. Located at the crossroads between Broadway and Fifth Avenue, this 22-story triangular steel-framed building is utterly unique. To me, it’s one of the most beautiful buildings in New York City.
9. Taj Mahal, India
To Linda Matama from Nairobi and Marie-France Roy from Toronto, Taj Mahal is the most beautiful building. Marie-France wrote:
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India. This is a building you can watch for hours, under different angles, and different light. Its symmetry is probably a big part of what makes it so beautiful. All that pale marble, as well as the inlaid stones and Arabic calligraphy that decorate it, are also very elegant.
10. Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur
Argentine-born American architect Cecil Pelli designed the Petronas Twin Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers. These twin towers, completed in 1998 stand at 1,483 feet and have a skybridge that connects both towers on the 41st and 42nd floors.
Most of the beautiful buildings in the world are either churches or centuries-old buildings. None are modern skyscrapers. The Petronas Towers are the finest among the skyscrapers of the world.
11. Harpa, Reykjavik
Harpa, a massive colored glass façade building, has 9,211 window panes and over 850 hexagons designs. It’s a concert hall and a conference center in Reykjavik, set at the old harbor of Reykjavik. The building’s window panes illuminate the interiors with natural light, and the exterior reflects the sky and the harbor.
