10 Most Famous Churches In The World

1. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain – A large Roman Catholic churchin Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Construction began in 1882 and it is incomplete till today. Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Most Famous Churches In The World: Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
2. Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia – Located in Moscow’s Red Square, this is a RussianOrthodox church built from 1555 till 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible. St. Basil’s marks the geometric center of Moscow and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site
Most Famous Churches In The World: Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow
3. Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France – The Notre Dame cathedral is one of the most singular and beautiful cathedrals of Europe. The cathedral’s dramatic towers, spire, stained glass and statuary are most impressive. The Notre Dame was the heart of medieval Paris and took over than a century to complete
Most Famous Churches In The World: Notre Dame de Paris

4. St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy – Constructed during the years 1506 and 1615. The dome itself was designed in 1547 by Michelangelo that took into consideration a previous design that was made for the same dome. The dome of St. Peter’s rises to a total height of 136.57 meters (448.1 ft) from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is the tallest dome in the world and the basilica is one of the most famous and visited monuments in Rome and Italy
Most Famous Churches In The World: St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome (source: wiki)
5. Westminster Abbey, London, England – One of the icons of London is the Westminster Abbey. A large Gothic church located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the most notable religious buildings in the United Kingdom. It was built in the 10th century and is now a UNESCO world heritage site
Most Famous Churches In The World: Westminster Abbey, London (source: wiki)
6. St Paul’s Cathedral, London, England – A Church of England cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London. It sits at the top a hill at the highest point in London. The original church on this site dates back to 604 AD, and it was dedicated to Paul the Apostle. The currentchurch is from the late 17th century, and it received the same name as its predecessor
Most Famous Churches In The World: St Paul’s Cathedral, London
7. Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Palestinian territories – A basilica located in Bethlehem, The church was originally commissioned in 327 AD by Constantine and his mother Helena over the site that is still traditionally considered to be located over the cave that marks the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The church is a World Heritage Site
Most Famous Churches In The World:Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
8. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel – Also called the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, or the Church of the Resurrection, it is a church within the Christian Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. The site is located on the Hill of Calvary (Golgotha) where Jesus was believed to be crucified, and is said also to contain the place where Jesus was buried (the Sepulchre). For many Christians the site is the most important pilgrimage destination since even before the 4th century. The church is one of the best attractions in Jerusalem
Most Famous Churches In The World: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
9. Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy – The most famous of Venice’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It is one of the icons of the city and the destination of every tourist in Venice. It was constructed in 1650
Most Famous Churches In The World:Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice
10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey – A former Greek Orthodox patriarchal church, later an imperial mosque, and now a museum. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum in1935 as it still is today
Most Famous Churches In The World: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Simple Casa en Playa del Carmen by YUPANA Arquitectos

Casa en Playa del Carmen is a residential project completed by YUPANA Arquitectos in 2014.
The 2,756-square-foot home is located in Chincha Alta, Peru.


















Photos courtesy of YUPANA Arquitectos


Minimalist Home Design Hawthorn Extension by Chan Architecture

Hawthorn Extension is a project completed by Chan Architecture.
It is located in MelbourneAustralia.


















Hawthorn Extension by Chan Architecture:
“This project involved a rear extension to a double fronted Victorian terrace house in Hawthorn. The existing house has four good sized bedrooms at the front, but the living, dining and kitchen rooms were small with low ceilings. So the proposal is to demolish the existing rear of the house and construct a new, modern, open planned kitchen/living/dining room with new laundry, two bathrooms and a new master bedroom.
The main challenges of this project were to create a new family area without sacrificing too much of the backyard, whilst being respectful of the existing house. The approach was to create a visual break between the old and the new, to clearly delineate the different areas.
The new extension has clean lines, high ceilings and carefully chosen palette of materials.”

Daebak The Heritage by Smart Design Studio

The Heritage is a private residence located in North Sydney, a suburb of SydneyAustralia.
It was completed in 2015 by Smart Design Studio


















The Heritage by Smart Design Studio:
“The Heritage Apartments are located on the edge of the North Sydney CBD and serve as a refined transition between the tall towers of the city centre and the residential buildings of the Hampden area across the road. This has been created by locating a slim eight-storey building behind four heritage houses that affront Walker Street. This new building presents as three contemporary louvered stone-clad blocks, bridged by two slots of dark glass. Cleverly, these blocks relate to the houses below by aligning with the gaps between them, which form the entry paths to the new building behind. The success of this project lies in bringing the two scales and styles together in a contrasting and subtle manner, without a jarring contradiction. The ornamentation, colour and gardens of the federation homes beautifully balance the subdued nature of the tower.
The new building comprises of 24 apartments, most of which are spacious 3-bedroom apartments with two living areas. These apartments span through the building to access light from both sides and enjoy cross-ventilation. This has been created by splitting one central core into two; one core shared between two apartments and the other directly accessing the north apartment, where the lift opens right into the apartment lobby. This creates very private and comfortable homes with the living, dining, kitchen and master bedrooms on the east side, overlooking Neutral Bay and Sydney Harbour, and the family room and secondary bedrooms on the west, looking back to North Sydney CBD. This in turn reflects the benefits of this building, located conveniently adjacent to the amenities of the city, yet with an outlook over green parks and neighborhoods.
These through-apartments have a core in the centre, housing bathrooms, WC, laundry and kitchen/ pantry. This pod, which is a signature of SDS’s work, results in a functional arrangement of rooms that is easy to live with, is very private and has great circulation and flow. There is also an abundance of walls for hanging artwork and furnishing. This core is clad with dark stained veneer wood on all sides, except the hallway. These full height panels, with flush minimal detailing, house all the functional elements of a kitchen and create a calm backdrop to the living areas. They marry beautifully with the crisp white walls and Shima Scuro stone used on the floor and kitchen island, in a classic and enduring style. And to give emphasis to these materials as well as the view, all other components are flush, minimal, recessive and white.
From the inside, the connections to the outdoors are strong. This has been achieved with full height glass in the living room and master bedroom, flush thresholds and adjustable-retractable sun-shading louvres. The solid spandrels on the balconies give a very private and furnishable dimension to that ‘outdoor room’.
The sustainability features have been integrated to the essence of the design and include:
– access to sunlight and louvres for solar control, creating passive solar benefits,
– access to daylight for reduced reliance on artificial lighting,
– cross ventilation,
– thermally efficient building envelope which will reduce energy usage and impact on the environment,
– water-wise fixtures and fittings,
– energy efficient fixtures and lighting,
– rain retention and re-use for flushing toilets and garden irrigation,
– gas fixtures throughout, as the most energy efficient way of cooking and heating water.
Beneath the ground, the building has a two level garage that is accessed through two car-lifts. The top of the building has an accessible roof garden and BBQ area with spectacular views of the city.
The Heritage is a building where the architecture and interiors have been designed together, seamlessly as one. It’s also a building where two different scales and styles, separated by 100 years of construction, are brought together. The nett result is a building that forms a refined transition between North Sydney CBD and the surrounding suburban areas, enjoying the benefits of both.”
Photos courtesy of Smart Design Studio