This is the Viaduc de Millau, a bridge which completed the A75 autoroute from Clermont-Ferrand to Beziers in France. The bridge spans the 2.46 kilometer gap between one plateau to another over the River Tarn, which is the “geological generator of the landscape.” The bridge itself is not only functional, but eye-catching because of its massive size while retaining the graceful, minimalistic aesthetic it portrays. There is also an emphasis on this structure marring the landscape and environment as little as possible, which allows for the scenery and landscape around the bridge to still be seen. Completed in 2004, the bridge is made of sections 342 meters long. The piers range from 75 to 245 meters and the masts rise to 87 meters above the road deck, breaking the record for the highest pylons in the world and passing the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure in France.

As I was scrolling though the Foster + Partners website looking at buildings, the Apple Park caught my eye because of its unusual shape and sheer size. The park consists of the Ring Building, Steve Jobs Theatre, Fitness & Wellness Center, Visitor’s Center, and South Parking and covers 175 acres with 4 miles of trails. There are 9000 trees planted in the park along with sports fields and a pond. The park is powered 100% by renewable energy and is the largest LEED Platinum certified office space in North America. While reading about the building, the most interesting thing I read is about the glass façade of the Restaurant, which is described as a town square of the campus. The glass façade north eastern glass façade is made of glass doors that measure 15 meters tall by 55 meters wide that move via tracks beneath the floor. These are absolutely huge and I think it would be very cool to see the doors be opened and closed and learn about what powers the doors and their presumably immense weight. I think that the contrast between the nature-centered park that focuses on beautiful scenery and renewable energy and the fact that it is for Apple Inc, a huge tech company, is very meaningful. The fact that Apple runs a company that is arguably the complete opposite of nature-related yet decided to ensure that their office building is not using more resources than necessary is very admirable and speaks for the company’s values.

This building caught my eye because of its spiritual purpose. This is one of ten chapels, each designed by a different architect and curated by Francesco Dal Co, and this one is located in the woods of San Giorgio Maggiore, a Venetian island. The structure consists of wood slats creating a tent like shape that covers three supports. Each of these supports is in the shape of a cross. This stood out to me because the symbolic meaning of the chapel being supported by crosses enhances the beauty and significance of the structure as a chapel. There is also jasmine that was planted around the chapel so that it will eventually grow to cover the structure and make it seem more combined with the wooded landscape and the scent is said to “enhance the spiritual calm.” The chapel was completed in 2018 and covers an area of 128 square meters and stands 6.8 meters tall.

This last building by Murcutt is one that I would personally love to live in. The Donaldson house in Sydney, Australia is very natural looking, so natural that you could miss it if you weren’t looking for it. The roof is covered in Zinc panels to make the building resistant to wildfires. Throughout all of his designs, Murcutt seems to keep the climate of the area in mind and plans for the best use of lighting to allow for excellent energy efficiency. He also uses collected rainwater for the home that can also be used as a fire suppressant if the need arises.

The last of Nouvel’s work is my favorite of all the buildings I found. Building C1 in Bolougne Billancourt, France is a magnificent building that has shops and offices in it. From the pictures I have seen it looks remarkable. There are rooftop terraces, gardens, and a retractable cover that can go over the roof to cover the garden. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it is green and healthy for the environment. There are three parts to the structure, almost like a wedding cake. The bottom part is dark and looks more like office buildings, the middle part is offset and has terraces with gardens around it, it looks better in my opinion and has lots of personality. The top of the building is skinnier and has a V shaped roof, with gardens throughout. This is honestly one of the coolest structures I have ever seen.

One of the coolest building I found, and the only one that I had seen in person, was the Opera Nouvel. At the time I visited I obviously had no idea who Nouvel was, and I did not even know it was named after him. While browsing through his work I found it and recognized it from my childhood trip to France. The Opera house is a blend of present and 1800’s architecture. This was a renovation, so some of the original Opera house design stayed, but Nouvel added his own flair. The renovation doubled the building’s height with a steel and glass vault. The top of the building is what really separates it from other designs in the area.

The second Nouvel building that caught my eye was the Arab World Institute. Nouvel used Islamic architecture for the buildings design. This is a work of art; I really wish I could see it in person. It is made up of light sensitive apertures, these are inspired by oriel windows. This structure is huge, the outside looks like a bunch of windows with crazy designs to an untrained eye like mine, so it is really interesting reading that they are designed after oriel windows. It was founded in 1980 and is located in Paris, France.

The Idea of natural light continues in the Magney House, but the building itself is more round and less sharp than Murcutts normal design. The building Uses corrugated metal formed into a V shape to collect rainwater for reuse within the home, and is insulated by bricks. The building was planned with three things in mind: lightweight, natural, and to be split into two separate areas.