17 Buildings That Prove You Don't Need to Be in Nature to Appreciate Flowers

By Erika Owen
May 03, 2017
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We’re constantly surrounded by architecture, and it can be hard to appreciate the finer details of our concrete jungles. While we spend our hard-earned salaries exploring cities for experiences and stories to tell loved ones at home, it’s all too easy to stroll right past some of the world’s most beautiful and storied elements without so much as a second glance.

Like spending the afternoon identifying cloud characters, your brain can do its own work finding the curiosities in architecture. But there’s one thing that we’re currently obsessed with: the floral elements in buildings in cities around the world. You read that right: There are metal, concrete, stained-glass, and wooden flowers gracing cities around the world in constant blooms.

Wondering what we’re even talking about? Read on and discover some of our favorite floral architecture elements. Warning: Once you see some of these, you’ll be seeing flowers all over the place.
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Lotus Tower - Shanghai, China

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At night, the Lotus Tower lights up — or shall we say, blooms — putting on a show worth waiting to see. As its name hints, the top of the tower is designed to look like the Lotus flower, with two layers of metal petals that give the entire building an Art Deco vibe.

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Nasir ol Molk Mosque – Shiraz, Iran

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Challenge: Count all of the flowers that show up in the dizzying — and we mean that in the best way possible — interior of this mosque.

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Seattle

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The installation created by Dan Carson proves that the top of the Space Needle isn’t the only place to find stunning views in Seattle.

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Old Church Window – Hamburg, Germany

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There are architectural surprises around every turn in Germany, but we’ve fallen for this aged church window, which has a few layers of floral intrigue in its brick and tile design.

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Liuli China Museum – Shanghai, China

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The corner of this already-stunning museum in Shanghai has been transformed into a fiery flower. At night, it’s lit in a bright orange, but during the day it blends into the silver façade making for the perfect double take as you pass by.

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Gaudi's Casa Batlló – Barcelona, Spain

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The floral tiling on this masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí is worth taking a long moment to appreciate the details.

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Arts and Sciences Museum – Marina Bay, Singapore

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To get the full effect of this floral fixation, you’ll have to check out Marina Bay’s Arts and Sciences Museum from above — the rounded columns come together to form a gentle bloom.

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Modern Building Design in the 19th Arrondissement – Paris, France

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Game board or building? These golden clovers make this design stand-out among the crowded city.

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MAXXI Museum – Rome, Italy

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From below, these cherry-colored petals are the perfect spot to catch some shade. From above, they’re blooms stretching for that extra bit of sunlight.

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Lotus Temple – New Delhi, India

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Take some time to stop and enjoy the full view of this temple before checking it out up close — its lotus shape is a sight to see from afar.

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Persepolis UNESCO World Heritage Site – Persepolis, Iran

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There's an ancient story to be told on the walls of Persepolis, but make sure to take a moment to appreciate the crown of flowers lining the bottom of some of these scenes.

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Abu Dhabi, UAE

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Don’t let all of the gold send your head spinning—the floral relief design on the ceiling of the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque is easy to overlook, and most definitely worth your attention.

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La Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain

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Classic vacation advice: Don’t forget to look up! The ceiling of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is straight out of a dream.

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Garden by the Bay – Singapore

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These colorful blossoms flower out of the ground, creating a massive industrial garden just waiting to be explored.

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Art Nouveau Majolica Building – Vienna, Austria

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Otto Wagner's Majolica Building shows off some of the prettiest tiled florets we've ever seen. Helllllo, Instagram.

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Cathedral of Immaculate Conception – Chanthaburi, Thailand

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This cathedral sits in the center of a giant blossom. Again, take some time to step back and admire this scene from afar, if you find yourself lucky enough to check it out in person.

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - Abu Dhabi, UAE

Credit: Getty Images/Perspectives

There are plenty of reasons to visit this site of worship, but don’t miss the floral-inspired stained-glass windows inside its walls. Get the light shining through at the right angle, and you’re in for a treat.

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By Erika Owen