As architecture continues to push boundaries, designers are coming up with structures that are beyond some of our wildest dreams. Located around the world, these buildings use the latest technology and construction techniques, such as 3-D printing , and take inspiration from everything from plants and animals to Beyoncé. From a tower modeled after the singer's famous curves to a manta ray–shaped marine research center to a tower of 250 staircases, these eight structures are so fantastic you may find yourself wondering who in the world thought them up. Read on to learn more about these innovative projects and their visionary creators.
Sky Pool
London’s newest swimming pool is not for the faint of heart. The British architecture firm HAL is currently working with developers EcoWorld Ballymore on the 2,000-home Embassy Gardens residential development, where two buildings will be linked by an all-glass swimming pool measuring 90 feet long, 19 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and suspended more than 100 feet above street level.
Beyoncé-Inspired Tower
Though Beyoncé’s persuasion has yet to build a nation, it has inspired the construction of at least one building. The curvaceous new Premier Tower, located in Melbourne, Australia, and designed by the architecture firm Elenberg Fraser, was modeled after the singer’s famous form.
Flower-Shaped Office Building
Dutch-based firm MVRDV just completed the first of ten buildings located next to Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport, the fourth busiest airport in mainland China. The floral-shaped structure, dubbed the Flower Building, has more than 161,000 square feet of office space, designed to meet a three-star green building label, the best energy performance rating available in China.
3-D–Printed Office Building
Dubai’s newest office building will not be a traditional construction project. The United Arab Emirates has partnered with WinSun Global—a joint venture between Chinese 3-D–printing tech company WinSun and architecture and engineering firms Gensler, Thornton Tomasetti, and Syska Hennessy—to 3-D–print the structure.
Manta Ray–Shaped Research Center
French architect Jacques Rougerie has drawn up plans for a floating research center that mimics the appearance of a massive manta ray. Dubbed the City of Meriens, Rougerie’s creation would house an international oceanographic university that would drift the seven seas, accommodating thousands of researchers, teachers, and students over extended periods of time.
Floating Seahorse Villas
Design firm Kleindienst Group is behind Dubai's Floating Seahorse Villas , which are already beginning to pop up in the Persian Gulf. The lower level of the three-story structure is totally submerged and offers breathtaking views of marine life. All 131 villas are expected to be completed by 2018.
Vessel
British architect Thomas Heatherwick has designed Vessel , the $150 million centerpiece for New York’s Hudson Yards development. The basket-shaped tower will be made of 250 interlocking staircases and will stand nearly 16 stories tall.
Paris Par Nous, Paris Pour Nous
French firm Marin + Trottin Architecture designed Paris Par Nous, Paris Pour Nous as a proposal for the Réinventer Paris competition for innovative urban projects. The residential building would be located in the 13th arrondissement and offer multiple types of housing, from studio apartments to mansion-style homes.