3. Fuji tower in Tokyo
The futuristic shape and silver orb of the Fuji tower in Tokyo could have been lifted from the set of a Seventies’ sci-fi film. The sea of cars beneath Fuji Television’s headquarters and the night-time lasers only add to the industrial wasteland feel. The 32m wide globe is an observation deck.
4. Genex Tower
The Brutalist-style Genex Tower is an enormous city gate welcoming new arrivals from Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport. It is 115m tall and has two raw concrete towers connected by a small bridge and a 360 degree restaurant. It scores extra retro points for its dated signage.
5. solar furnace
This solar furnace has a curved wall of mirrors that sucks in light to generate heat. The tower’s warped reflection of the surrounding French countryside creates a striking image. It is the largest solar furnace in the world and opened in 1970.
6. The Zizkov
The Zizkov is one of the most recognisable television towers in the world, thanks to the unnerving black infants crawling up its 216m sides. These babies were created by Czech sculptor David Cerny in 2000, also known for painting a Soviet war memorial tank pink. There are great views of Prague from the top and lifts to take you there.
7. The Headquarters of China Central TV in Beijing
The headquarters of China Central TV in Beijing is 234m high and known commonly as the “boxer shorts” due to its awkward shape. A Mandarin Oriental hotel was planned to take up residence until New Year fireworks started a large blaze in 2009.
8. The Nagakin Capsule Tower
New York has lofts and Paris apartments, but in 1972 Tokyo had capsules. Stacked in a concrete tower. The Nagakin Capsule Tower, part of the Metabolist movement, has 14 storeys. The 140 individual capsules were manufactured seperately and designed to be replacable.
9. Ryugyong Hotel
For the last two decades the 330m-high Ryugyong Hotel has been a vacant concrete shell towering over the city of Pyongyang. Construction on what would have been the world’s tallest hotel began in 1987 and was due to cost 2 per cent of the country’s GDP before economic difficulties set in. But work began again in 2008 and the building has since been given glass panels. It has been estimated that it will cost up to $2 billion to finish.
10. Wooden Jumble
This wooden jumble of rooms and spires looks like it was built without the use of a spirit level. Created by a one-time gangster, this was once the world’s tallest wooden house, standing (just) in the Russian town of Arkhangelsk. Nikolai Sutyagin kept adding to the 12-storey house bit by bit, each time feeling that it still didn’t look quite right
