Famous roofs around the world

Most people tend to ignore the roof of a building, unless of course said roof is causing trouble, either due to disrepair, or poor design. However the roof can be an interesting design feature and sometimes can often be what makes a building stand out.

Roofs come in all different shapes and sizes, each serve a different purpose. If you happen to need a Flat Roofing Contractor in Birmingham, then look no further than www.marcusroofing.co.uk to fix any issues you have or create what it is you need.

Now let’s have a look at some of the world’s most famous and no doubt most recognisable roofs in the world.

St Basils Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

St Basil’s cathedral is a well-known landmark in Moscow Russia. Not many people know that its official name is Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat. The church was built between 1555–61, under the order of Ivan the Terrible.

The building is meant to resemble a flame from a bonfire, which explains the oddly designed roof. There is no other building like it in Russia. This is exactly why it stands out. Its influences include Byzantine, Muslim Italian Renaissance architectural styles. It has a mixture of eastern and western architecture in its design which is what makes it so unique.

Most tourists’ eyes are immediately drawn to the roof of the cathedral with its colorful, lively domes and spires. The roof itself features onion shaped domes. It also features a very high tented roof, which was the standard roofing style for churches in 16th century Russia.

Sydney opera House, Australia

The Sydney opera house , which was built between 1959 and 1973, is an innovative design to say the least, made to represent a ship at full sail. It was designed in the late 1950s by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and was made specifically to house concerts and other musical events, with the design of the building offering a natural amplified acoustic setting. Unfortunately, this did not work out quite as well as the designers had hoped and up until 2009, it was known for being one of the worst concert halls for acoustic sound in Australia.

The building took 14 years to complete and cost around 102 million Australian dollars (at the time) which was thirteen and a half times its original budget. One of the reasons it was so expensive was due to the design of the roof itself. The original design called for a series of mirror symmetrical curves, supported by precast concrete ribs that would hold the roof together.

However, designers came up with a slightly cheaper solution which was to have the shells of the roof created as sections from a sphere. This made it possible for arches of varying lengths to be created and a number of arch segments of common length to be placed next to one another to form a spherical section. The roof itself consists of over 1 million tiles!

Hospices – Burgundy, France

The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse, which supplied accommodation for poor, elderly people and families in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The original hospital building is now a museum.

Tthese roofs are deep, covered in glazed multi-coloured tiles arranged in geometric patterns. There is also the addition of gable windows with carvings and decorations, relevant to the 15th century. This provides eye-catching patterns of various colors and designs.

Elrey B. Jeppesen Terminal, Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado, USA

The design of this roof was made to resemble the snow-capped Rocky Mountains; the airport’s white tension fabric roof is independently supported by thirty-four masts and 10 miles of steel cable. There are two layers of translucent Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric, which is highly resistant to dirt and pollution and therefore always looks new. The design was chosen specifically because it is generally expected to have a long life with minimal maintenance. At its highest point, the roof is 126 feet above the terminal’s main floor.

Thean Hou Temple – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Last on our list is the Then Hou Temple, located in Malaysia. It was completed in 1987 and officially opened in 1989. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Tian Hou, which is “Heavenly Mother” in Cantonese. Its roof embellishments include multicolored tiles, sweeping curves and lots and lots of dragons. Typically in the colors of red and gold, this symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. Roofs can make a plain, normal building a masterpiece, how would you design yours?