There are plenty of architectural masterpieces all over the world, but some buildings failed the test of time. Whether it be natural wear and tear, or a disaster like a fire, not every building will last forever. But these beautiful places don’t deserve to be forgotten, they deserve a living spot in our memory. Not only that, but we think it’s especially important to take that extra time to really focus in on what made each of these architectural masterpieces so special. Perhaps what’s particularly striking is just how calm things seemed to always be right before some of these painfully beautiful architectural masterpieces were swept clean off the face of the earth as we know it. Now, here are 20 architectural masterpieces that deserve to be remembered.
1. The Saltair Pavilion, destroyed by a fire in 1970.
2. This 2000 year old pyramid in Sudan was destroyed in the 1800s by an Italian treasure hunter.
3. The Neue Elbbrücke bridge in Hamburg was destroyed to create an extra lane.
4. The Graham house in Vancouver, such a shame it was demolished.
5. The Georgia guide stones were destroyed in a bombing, 2022.
6. The Royal Opera House is one of those coveted architectural masterpieces in Malta, destroyed in WWII.
7. Dresden Germany before the bombing of 1945.
Look at the tranquility of that water. You wouldn’t assume that everything that is involved in one of the most unforgettable architectural masterpieces was about to be upended.
8. San Francisco’s cliff house, destroyed by a fire in 1907.
9. The original Waldorf-Astoria hotel, demolished in 1929 to make way for the Empire State building.
10. Los Angeles in 1918, nothing here has survived to this day.
11. Downtown San Francisco before the 1906 earthquake and fire.
12. The Detroit Library, demolished in the 1930s.
13. The Bowhead House, Scotland, destroyed in 1878.
14. The Fox Theatre in San Francisco, demolished in 1963.
15. The Crystal Palace, destroyed by a fire in 1936.
16. This massive swimming pool was destroyed in 1994.
17. Skete of All Saints, Ukraine, burned down in 2022.
18. The worlds largest log cabin, burned down in 1964.
19. The Old Metropolitan Opera House, demolished in 1967.
20. This pub was almost as cool as the leaning tower of Pisa until it burned down in 2023.
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