The Beijing National Aquatics Center, otherwise known as the Water Cube, is another infrastructure commissioned by the Chinese Government for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. At first glance, the entire building looks like a cube of water and bubbles, but a closer look reveals that the infrastructure is made from a steel space frame clad with ETFE, a fluorine based plastic.

The Beijing National Stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest Stadium, was designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, China. As the name implies, the stadium looks like a giant bird’s nest made out of 110,000 tons of steel.The entire cost of constructing the stadium has been reported at over US$420 Million.

The Lotus temple in New Delhi, India was designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba who took the lotus flower as his inspiration for the project. The temple is the site of worship for followers of the Bahá’í Faith. The temple’s design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad petals that are group in clusters of three in order to form nine sides (a stipulation of the religion). The building has nine entrances that all lead to a central hall capable of accommodating 2,500 people. The temple sits on a 26-acre piece of land along with nine surrounding ponds and gardens.

The Aldar Headquarters Building in Abu Dhabi is one of the most unique and striking infrastructures in the city’s skyline. It was voted as the Best Futuristic Design of 2008 and was inspired by a seashelI is the first circular building in the Middle East which uses grids of steel for maintaining its shape. The building also features international Grade A specification which includes floor to ceiling glazing, an impressive double height dual entrance lobby and of course, amazing views of the entire city of Abu Dhabi and the nearby Al Raha beach.

The Chicago Spire is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois that was inspired by a seashell.Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and was developed by Shelbourne Development. Although the project was supported by a lot of people in Chicago, the developer faced numerous financial difficulties and design revisions which eventually caused the project’s end. The building’s construction efforts were officially abandoned in 2008 with only the foundation work completed and with a US$77 Million lawsuit filed against its Irish developer.

This design by Manfredi and Luca Nicoletti was an entry for a design challenge for Taiwan’s new Center for Disease Control BioLab.The two buildings nicknamed as the Biolab Squadron were inspired by the shell of a nautilus and features interlacing geometric incisions in its outer skin.

This amazing restaurant in Aukland, New Zealand is affixed into the trees much like a moth would build his nest. Enchanted and beautiful, the restaurant glows at night when lit up and can be accessed via a walkway. Built out of pine and poplar, the dining facility is 12 m above ground while the kitchen and facilities rest on the ground.

The Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago in Dubai, UAE that is shaped like a palm tree, topped with a crescent. The archipelago will be made from sand dredged from the Persian Gulf and will house both residential and commercial establishments such as hotels, residential beach side villas and apartments, theme parks and restaurants.

Taipei 101 is located in the Xinyi District in Taiwan’s capital city – Taipei. It was formerly known as the Taipei World Financial center and was ranked as the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2009.

Our next design is from the Aesthetics Architects Go Group from Bangkok. Their design for the Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture in Doha, Qatar is inspired by a plant commonly found in the desert – the cactus.