Most of us don't give much thought to the buildings we pass on our daily commute. But every so often, we come across one that makes us stop, stare, and marvel at its “beautiful impossibility.”
Sometimes it’s the sheer scale or location of a structure that leaves us wondering how on earth it was built and appreciating the craftsmanship behind it. Other times, it’s simply the building’s beauty—its symmetry, color, or decorative details that have long since fallen out of favor.
Whatever the case may be, you don’t need to know your arches from your architraves to appreciate these architectural gems. And, luckily, with online communities like the one that shared the images we’re featuring here today, you also don’t need to travel very far to admire them.
The buildings featured in today's collection inspire a sense of wonder in all kinds of ways. Let's take a closer look at three of these architectural gems to see what makes them so extraordinary.
#21 The Margravial Opera House In Bayreuth, Germany. It Was Built In 1744
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30points
#22 Hamburg Planetarium, One Of The World's Oldest Modern Planetariums
Housed in an Expressionist-style former water tower designed by architect Oskar Menzel(1873-1958) and built between 1912 and 1915. Hamburg Stadtpark, Winterhude, Hamburg, Germany
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30points
#23 The Workshop Of Master Glassmaker Clas Grüner Sterner, Also Known As The Victor Marchal House-Workshop
Located at number 6 Rue du Lac in Ixelles, Brussels, is an emblematic example of the Art Nouveau style in Belgium
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30points
#24 Living Room With A Glass Roof In The Maison Losseau, An 18th-Century House Renovated In The Early 1900s In The Art Nouveau Style By Paul Saintenoy, Mons, Wallonia, Belgium
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29points
#26 The Gros Horloge, A 14th-Century Astronomical Clock Installed In A Renaissance Arch Over A Street In Rouen, Normandy, France
The Renaissance facade represents a golden sun with 24 rays on a starry blue background.
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29points
#27 The Floor Of St. John's Co-Cathedral In Malta, A Floor Made Entirely Of Marble Tombstones Housing 400 Knights Hospitallers
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29points
#28 West-Facing Posterior Of The Neuschwanstein Castle With A Two-Storey Balcony, Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany
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29points
#29 Late Gothic Ribbed Ceiling Of St. Anne's Church In Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany
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29points
#30 Palais De L'isle, A 12th-Century Fortified Mansion On An Islet In The River Thiou, Annecy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France
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28points
#31 The Town Hall In Markgröningen, Built In 1441, Is One Of The Biggest Half-Timbered Houses In Germany
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27points
#32 The 19th-Century Library Decorated With Paintings By Eugène Delacroix In Palais Bourbon, The Meeting Place Of The French National Assembly, 7th Arrondissement Of Paris, France
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27points
#33 Chateau De Chenonceau, With Its Gallery Spanning The River Cher, Is The Most Peculiar And Probably Most Beautiful Castle In The Loire, In France
It was rebuilt, furnished, and transformed between 1514 and '76 by women of different temperaments, and is known as the Ladies' Castle
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27points
#36 The Golden Gallery Of Charlottenburg Palace In Berlin, Germany, Was Created In 1746 And Is Considered A Prime Example Of Friderician Rococo
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25points
#37 The Marksburg Above The River Rhine In Germany. The Castle Is Over 800 Years Old And Has Never Been Conquered
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24points
#38 Stará Plynárna, A Former 1905 Acetylene Gas Plant Now Converted Into A Restaurant & Inn In The Village Of Hřensko, Ústí Nad Labem Region, Czech Republic
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24points
#40 The Rococo Kaisersaal In Würzburg Residence, Germany. Its Vibrant Frescos Were Painted By The Venetian Painter Tiepolo
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23points