BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES

AND GARDENS

(CASTLES, PALACES AND MANSIONS)

Alcázar of Segovia

The Alcázar of Segovia (Segovia Castle) is a castle, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain.

Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of two rivers near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape – like the bow of a ship.

The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. It is currently used as a museum and a military archives building.

Eleventh-century castle that includes:Throne RoomTower of John IISalon de la GaleraPieza del CordonRoyal Apartments

Throne Room Tower of John II

AtomiumBrussels, Belgium

Address: Avenue de l'Atomium, 1020 Bruxelles, BelgiumHeight: 102 mConstruction started: 1956Architects: André Waterkeyn, Christine Conix

Its nine 18 m (60 ft) diameter stainless steel clad spheres are connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

It is now a museum. Tubes of 3 m (10 ft) diameter connect

the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre.

They enclose stairs, escalators and a lift (in the central, vertical tube) to allow access to the five habitable spheres which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces.

The top sphere includes a restaurant which has a panoramic view of Brussels.

CNN named it Europe's most bizarre building.

An equivalent depiction of the body-centred cubic unit cell of an iron crystal. If this unit is repeated millions of times in every direction, the structure of the entire iron crystal is shown.

Big Ben

Address: Westminster, London SW1A 0AA, UKHeight: 96 mOpened: 1859Architects: Augustus Pugin, Charles Barry

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London,and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower.

The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the Clock Tower.

The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world (after Minneapolis City Hall).

The tower was completed in 1859 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009,during which celebratory events took place.

The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.

Biltmore Estate

Address: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803, USAArea: 28.12 km²Hours: Closed now Owner: The Biltmore CompanyArchitects: George Washington Vanderbilt II, Frederick Law Olmsted, Richard Morris Hunt

Biltmore Estate is a large (6-acre) private estate and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina.

Biltmore House, the main house on the estate, is a Châteauesque-styled mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States.

Still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age.

In 2007, it was ranked eighth in America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

Buckingham Palace

Address: London SW1A 1AA, United KingdomOpened: 1703Hours: Open today · 9:15AM–6:45PMArchitectural style: Neoclassical architecture

is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.

Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.

It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as "The Queen's House".

Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace (blen-im) is a monumental country house

situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.

It is the principal residence of the dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.

The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1722. Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

Brooklyn Bridge

Address: Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY, United StatesTotal length: 1,825 mConstruction started: January 3, 1870Opened: May 24, 1883

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City and is one of the oldest bridges of either type in the United States.

Completed in 1883, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River.

It has a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and was the first steel-wire suspension bridge constructed.

It was originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge and as the East River Bridge, but it was later dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge, a name coming from an earlier January 25, 1867

Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive close to a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada

ROSS FOUNTAIN

Star Pond

Italian Garden

Japanese Garden

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current bridge is 140 metres (460 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) above the river. It is part of a private facility, with an admission fee, and draws over 800,000 visitors a year.

Other Park Features

CN TowerTower in Toronto, Ontario

concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time.

It held both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower in 2010.

Points of Interest

Edge WalkIt is the world's highest full-circle, hands-free walk.

360 restaurant

Doge's Palace

Address: San Marco, 1, 30124 Venezia, ItalyHours: Open today · 8:30AM–7PMProvince: Province of VeniceArchitectural style: Venetian Gothic architecture

The Doge's Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy.

The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice, opening as a museum in 1923.

Today, it is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.

Courtyard

Courtyard of the Doge's Palace, facing the San Marco basilica.

The north side of the courtyard is closed by the junction between the palace and St. Mark’s Basilica, which used to be the Doge’s chapel. At the center of the courtyard stand two well-heads dating from the mid-16th century.

Eiffel Tower

Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, FranceHeight: 300 m

The Eiffel is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France.

It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

Constructed from 1887-89 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world.

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015.

The tower is 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris.

Empire State Building

Address: 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118, United StatesHeight: 381 m, 443 m to tip CTBUHFloors: 102

The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets.

It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 m), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 feet (443 m) high.

Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center's North Tower in late 1970.

Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the tallest building in New York, until One World Trade Center reached a greater height in April 2012.

The Empire State Building is currently the fifth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States and the 29th-tallest in the world.

It is also the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas. When measured by pinnacle height, it is the fourth-tallest building in the United States.

The Empire State Building is an American cultural icon. It is designed in the distinctive Art Deco style and has been named

as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate.

Forbidden City

Address: 4 Jingshan Front St, Dongcheng, Beijing, ChinaOpened: 1420Architectural style: Chinese architectureFunction: Palace

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty—the years 1420 to 1912. It served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government for almost 500 years.

The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere.

The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿 ) at the centre of the Forbidden City

The Meridian Gate, front entrance to the Forbidden City, with two protruding wings

The name plate on the Hall of Supreme Harmony The throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony

The Palace of Heavenly Purity

Fisherman's WharfNeighborhood in San Francisco, California

Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California.

It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street.

The F Market streetcar runs through the area, the Powell-Hyde cable car lines runs to Aquatic Park, at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf, and the Powell-Mason cable car line runs a few blocks away.

One of the busiest and well known tourist attractions in the western United States, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Pier 39 is a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, the Aquarium of the Bay, virtual 3D rides, and views of California sea lions hauled out on docks on Pier 39's marina.

The marina is also home to the floating Forbes Island restaurant.

The Ghirardelli Square fountain outside the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company shop, near the corner of North Point and Larkin St. San Francisco, California, USA.

The Musée Mécanique (English: Mechanical Museum) is a for-profit interactive museum consisting of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts located at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California. The museum owns over 300 mechanical machines, and is one of the largest privately owned collection of such games in the world/

Khalili bazaar egypt“Khan el-Khalili”

is a major souk in the Islamic district of Cairo.

The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.

Ancient Section of the city with narrow, winding streets and alleyways offering a variety of shops, stalls and carts.

Hoover Dam

Address: United StatesConstruction started: 1931Height: 221 mOpened: 1933

Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona.

It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives.

The dam was controversially named after President Herbert Hoover.

Hearst Castle

Address: 750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon, CA 93452, United StatesOpened: 1919Area: 51 haArchitect: Julia Morgan

Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States.

It was designed by architect Julia Morgan, between 1919 and 1947,for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951.

The buildings incorporate 41 fireplaces and 61 bathrooms,

In the main “house” there are 38 bedrooms, a wine cellar, hidden terrace, private suite and libraries.

Rideau CanalRiver in Ottawa, Ontario

also known unofficially as the Rideau Waterway

connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario, on Lake Ontario.

The name Rideau, French for "curtain," is derived from the curtain-like appearance of the Rideau River's twin waterfalls where they join the Ottawa River.

operated by Parks Canada.

The name Rideau, French for "curtain," is derived from the curtain-like appearance of the Rideau River's twin waterfalls where they join the Ottawa River.

Marble House

Address: 596 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840, United StatesArea: 2 haOwner: Preservation Society of Newport CountyArchitectural style: Beaux-Arts architecture

Marble House is a Gilded Age mansion at 596 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, now open to the public as a museum run by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

It was designed by the society architect Richard Morris Hunt. For an American house, it was unparalleled in design and opulence when it was built.

Its temple-front portico, which also serves as a porte-cochère, resembles that of the White House.

The dining room, featuring pink Numidian marble and gilt bronze capitals and trophies.

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur• Standing at 170 metres above ground,

the Petronas Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

• The buildings, which held the titled of tallest in the world between 1998-2004, are an iconic landmark of the capital city.

• The distinctive postmodern style was created by architects Cesar Pelli and Achmad Murdijat, engineer Deejay Cerico and designer Dominic Saibo under the consultancy of JC Guinto.

• The Petronas Towers at dusk. The Petronas Towers from their bases.

Inside View of Petronas Twin Tower A skybridge connects the two towers

The White House, Washington• Irish architect James Hoban was

the man behind the design of the White House.

• In 1792 Hoban submitted a plan for the presidential mansion and subsequently got the commission to build the White House.

• Constructed began in 1793 through to completion in 1801.

• The mansion, which has been home to every US leader since the country's second president John Adams, is made from white-painted Aquia sandstone.The Northern facade

The Northern facade

Sydney Opera House• Sydney Opera House is widely regarded

as one of the greatest architectural works of the 20th century. The innovative design came from architect Jørn Utzon, who was relatively unknown until January 29, 1957 when his entry to the 'International competition for a national opera house at Bennelong Point, Sydney' was announced the winner.

• The beautiful building comprises of three groups of interlocking shells, which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. A masterpiece of modern architecture, the opera house has become an iconic symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.

• The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

• Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres – hosting well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people.

• Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including four resident companies:

• Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Performance venues and facilitiesThe Sydney Opera House includes a number of performance venues

• Concert Hall: With 2,679 seats, the home of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and used by a large number of other concert presenters. It contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes

• Joan Sutherland Theatre: A proscenium theatre with 1,507 seats, the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. Until 16 October 2012 it was known as the Opera Theatre.

• Drama Theatre: A proscenium theatre with 544 seats, used by the Sydney Theatre Company and other dance and theatrical presenters.

• Playhouse: An end-stage theatre with 398 seats.• Studio: A flexible space with 280 permanent seats (some of which can be folded up) and a

maximum capacity of 400, depending on configuration.• Utzon Room: A small multi-purpose venue for parties, corporate functions and small

productions (such as chamber music performances).• Recording Studio• Outdoor Forecourt: A flexible open-air venue with a wide range of configuration options,

including the possibility of utilising the Monumental Steps as audience seating, used for a range of community events and major outdoor performances.

The Concert Hall and organ

Interior of the Studio Theatre.

The Sydney Opera House during Vivid Sydney (2013).