designboom 2011 top ten: institutional + cultural structures

this year the cultural and institutional sector of architecture was taken over by the top starchitects. this seems to be the center stage
where the heavy hitters of the design world flex their muscles to battle the empty voids that carve out space and manipulate materials.
these alien forms which are typically reserved for science fiction movies dominated the urban fabric creating new identities and social hubs for the city.
with 3 buildings in the top 10, zaha hadid maybe the undisputed champion of this category. but the ingenuity and communication that
MAD architects showcased with the 'ordos museum' propelled them to the number one spot. even though two projects which are
currently under construction made the top ten, it shows that our coverage in architecture is constantly meeting the expectations of
our viewers' curiosity and interests of the building process.

1. 'ordos museum' by MAD architects


ordos inner mongolia, china
image © iwan baan




2. 'london aquatics centre' by zaha hadid architects


london, england
image © hufton + crow





3. 'guangzhou opera house' by zaha hadid architects


guangzhou, china
image courtesy roy zhuang





4. 'pheonix international media center' by shao weiping of BIAD_UFo



bejing, china
image courtesy of BIAD_UFo





5. 'spaceport america' by foster + partners


new mexico, USA
image courtesy of foster + partners





6. 'yusuhara wooden bridge museum' by kengo kuma and associates


6. 'yusuhara wooden bridge museum' by kengo kuma and associates located in kochi prefecture, japan
image courtesy of kengo kuma and associates





7. 'tel aviv museum of art' by preston scott cohen inc.


tel aviv, israel
image courtesy of preston scott cohen inc.





8. 'heydar aliyev cultural centre' by zaha hadid architects


baku, azerbaijan
image courtesy of zaha hadid architects





9. 'stockholm waterfront' by white arkitekter


stockholm, sweden
image courtesy of white arkitekter / wojtek gurak and åke e:son lindman





10. 'nanjing museum of art and architecture' by steven holl


nanjing, china
image courtesy of bryan chang