—What is the easiest thing to photograph?—they once asked the brave Schweik. – Stations! – answered the good-natured soldier. – After all, they don’t move, but stand in one place.
If after traveling to any country we do not have photographs of beautiful buildings – train stations, museums, skyscrapers and office centers – it seems that we never came. For those who travel around Asia, we have selected 10 of the most amazing buildings that you must see and photograph:
Photo: Miguel Garces
1. Solar Ark(Japan)
The largest solar battery in the world is located, as it should be, in the Land of the Rising Sun. The largest solar energy monument ever built was built in Japan in 2001, in the city of Gifu. The shape of the power plant resembles the curve of a samurai sword. Over the course of a year, the battery produces over 600 thousand kilowatt-hours; according to this indicator, the monument can compete with a small power plant. If you find yourself in the city of Gifu and are planning to visit the Ark, come in the evening. After sunset, 77 thousand multi-colored LEDs turn on on the facade of the building, which resemble an army of fireflies.
Photo: skk.com.sg
2. Guangzhou Yuan Office Center (China)
The tallest reinforced concrete donut in the world is located in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The height of the Guangzhou-Yuan office center is 138 meters. This is almost the height of the Leningradskaya Hotel on the Square of Three Stations in Moscow. Guangzhou-Yuan stands next to the river (the name of which will still mean nothing to the Russian ear) and its reflection forms the number 8. Or the infinity sign. Which, however, does not matter – both are considered a symbol of good luck in China.
Photo: Willy Thuan
3. House Robot Building (Thailand)
A relatively low, only twenty floors bank building in the business center of Bangkok is closer to the Russian eye than to any other. The fact is that the building resembles in its appearance a robot from the cartoon “Well, wait a minute!” The same one who chased the wolf with a hammer.
On the robot’s head, that is, on the roof of the building, there are two lightning rods, also known as antennas. Two huge windows replace the eyes; the role of the eyelids is played by steel blinds. The robot just doesn’t have enough arms.
Photo: static6.businessinsider.com
4. House Piano and Violin (China)
Few buildings are built with the sole purpose of attracting tourists. In 2007, in the Chinese city of Huainan, the architects of the Piano and Violin did just that: they came up with a landmark that put the city on the world map.
And although a scientific and exhibition center is located inside the “grand piano”, which is made of black tinted glass, a building with such a shape cannot have any other practical significance other than attracting curious travelers. The building copes with the task with a bang: to look at the giant musical instruments (they are made on a scale of 1 to 50),
Tourists from all over the world come to Huainan.
5. Ring of Life (China)
Another structure that local authorities built to attract attention to the city. The giant steel orbit, located in the Chinese city of Fushun, is called the “Ring of Life” and is a 170-meter ring. There are no premises inside, there is only an observation deck, to which a high-speed elevator takes those interested. At night, twelve thousand multi-colored LED lamps light up on the building. The spectacle is impressive.
6. Elephant House (Thailand)
In almost all Asian countries it is believed that the elephant brings good luck to the house. In Thailand, the elephant has a special attitude: it is the national animal. For a Thai, putting a porcelain figurine of an elephant on a shelf in the house is like hanging a horseshoe over the door in Russia. Probably every Thai would like to work in a building whose outline follows the contour of an elephant.
The Elephant House is located in Bangkok and consists of three towers. On the right edge of the building, tusk balconies grow and two huge round windows look out without blinking – eyes.
7. Gardens by the Bay Tropical Park (Singapore)
The most beautiful landscape park in the world is located in Singapore. The vertical park is located on eighteen giant tree-shaped structures ranging from 25 to 50 meters in height. Tropical plants with rare species of vines and ferns are intertwined with structures made of iron rods and concrete. When darkness falls, the “trees” are illuminated with colorful lights. Between buildings, without going down to the ground, you can cross bridges and overhead passages, admiring the water gardens.
8. Petronas Towers (Malaysia)
If you ever find yourself lost in the center of Kuala Lumpur, lift your head and look up. Find the Petronas Towers in the sky. Head towards the towers – all the most interesting things are there. The Malayan Twin Towers, the business center of Petronas, like the tallest tree in the desert, simultaneously play the role of a landmark and serve as a point of attraction for all living things. Although the towers are not geographically located in the center of Kuala Lumpur, the city’s business and entertainment center is located around them. The top of each tower in cross-section draws the outline of a Muslim eight-pointed star – Islam in Malaysia is the state religion.
9. Menara (Malaysia)
There are two ways to see the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, from a bird’s eye view. First: climb the Petronas Towers, or rather the bridge connecting the two buildings. But to do this you will have to get up very early and stand in a long line at the ticket office. The second way is much easier: walk through the city center to the Menara TV tower (15 minutes from Chinatown),
pay 2 dollars and take the elevator to the observation deck. When choosing a day to visit, keep in mind that in cloudy weather there is no point in going up to the observation deck; the city will be hidden in clouds and fog. Wait for a sunny day.
Photo: aasarchitecture.com
10. Lotus Building (China)
A water lily that was lucky enough to move from a swamp to a lake is called a lotus. Even if this lake was filled especially for her. The Lotus building, built in 2013 in the Chinese city of Changzhou, proudly “floats” in such an artificial lake. The complex, which houses the cultural center, consists of three giant buds: the architects depicted three stages of development of a plant that turns from a sprout into a beautiful flower. To make the lotus made of stone, glass and metal even more like a real flower, it was lined with hexagonal mosaic slabs in beige and light pink.
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