The Piscina Mirabilis, attributed to the age of Emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD).
It's the largest known cistern built by the ancient Romans, entirely dug out of the tuff hill: 15 metres high, 70 metres long and 25 metres wide.Bacoli, Italy.
© Roberto Conte (2021)
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Kirche am Hohenzollerndamm, by Ossip Klarwein and Fritz Höger (1930-1933).
Berlin, Germany.
© Roberto Conte (2011/2017) Follow me on Instagram
Public library in Palazzo Sormani, by Arrigo Arrighetti (1947).
Milan, Italy.
© Roberto Conte (2020)
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The Melnikov House, by Konstantin Melnikov (1927–1929).
Moscow, Russia.
© Roberto Conte (2016, 2019) Follow me on Instagram
VM Houses, by Bjarke Ingels - BIG and Julien De Smedt - JDS Architects (2005).
Copenhagen, Denmark.
© Roberto Conte (2016)
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Wind tunnel Hispano-Suiza, by Haour Frères company (1937).
Built by the company Hispano-Suiza for aircraft testing, it could create winds up to a speed of 325 km/h.
Tests were stopped after the 1950s, and the building was later used as office space until it closed for good in 1999. The architects Patrice Novarina and Alain Béraud converted it into a school in 2005: the noise of the wind tunnel has been replaced by the noise of school kids.
Bois-Colombes, France.
© Roberto Conte (2026)
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The former Casa del Fascio, by Giuseppe Terragni (1936).
A masterpiece of Italian Rationalism, defined by its strict geometric clarity and layered transparency. Originally built as the local headquarters of the National Fascist Party, it currently houses the provincial headquarters of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian financial police).
Como, Italy.
© Roberto Conte (2015, 2017)
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Tracey Towers, by Paul Rudolph (1972).
New York City, USA.
© Roberto Conte (2013, 2019)
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Head office of the Presidency of the Canary Islands Government, by Felipe Artengo Rufino, Fernando Martín Menis and José M. Rodríguez-Pastrana Malagón (1999).
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands - Spain.
© Roberto Conte (2023)
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Islamic Religious and Cultural Centre, by Bevk Perović (project: 2011-2017, execution: 2015-2020).
Ljubljana, Slovenia.
© Roberto Conte (2024)
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MKM Museum Küppersmühle Extension, by Herzog & de Meuron (2013-2021).
Duisburg, Germany.
© Roberto Conte (2021)
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The Unité d'Habitation - Cité radieuse, by Le Corbusier (1947-1952).
Marseille, France.
© Roberto Conte (2016, 2017, 2023)
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Sacrario Militare di Redipuglia (Redipuglia War Memorial) by the architect Giovanni Greppi and the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni (1928-1938). The bodies of 100,187 Italian soldiers fallen in the First World War are buried there.
The repeated word "PRESENTE" is related to the Fascist use of calling the name of a dead soldier while the crowd answered back "present".
Redipuglia, Italy.
© Roberto Conte (2022)
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The Sammezzano Castle, by Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes of Aragon (1853-1889, renovation of a previous building). After being left basically abandoned for several years, it was recently acquired by a private investor who has begun restoration work. According to current plans, part of the castle will open as a public museum.
Leccio (Reggello), Italy.
© Roberto Conte (2011)
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Fresh and very good news: the modernist architecture of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
I think it's a wonderful thing for lovers of architecture from a period that is particularly sensitive and difficult in terms of preservation, besides the fact that Tashkent's architecture is truly amazing.
Here you can see photos of 8 out of the 10 buildings included.
All photos © Roberto Conte (2017, 2023)
1-2: Exhibition Hall of the Uzbek Union of Artists, by R. Khayrutdinov and F. Tursunov (1974).
3-4: Chorsu Bazaar, former Oktyabrsky Market, by Vladimir Azimov and Sabir Adilov (designed in 1980, built in 1990-1992).
5-6: State Museum of History of Uzbekistan (former Lenin Museum), by Y. Rozanov and V. Shestopalov (1970).
7: Palace of Arts, by Vladimir Berezin, Sergo Sutyagin, Yury Khaldeyev and Dmitry Shuvayev (1964).
8-9: Kosmonavtlar metro station, by S. Sutyagin, S. Sokolov, A. Zokirov and A. Brasovsky (1984).
10-11: Zhemchug (pearl) building, by Ophelia Aydinova (1985).
12-13: Circus, by Genrikh Aleksandrovich and Gennady Masyagin (1976).
14-15: Palace of Friendship of the Peoples, by Y. Rozanov, Y. Sukhanova, V. Shestopalov and E. Shumov (1981).
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Henrietta Place - Welbeck Street Car Park, by Michael Blampied & Partners (1969). Demolished in 2019.
The last photo is a screenshot from Google Street View showing the hotel that replaced it.
London, United Kingdom.
© Roberto Conte (2015, 2018)
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Tilya Kori Madrasah - Registan (1660).
Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
© Roberto Conte (2023)
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