Bringing the beauty and charm of nature to the concrete jungle, several architects have turned to the simple flower for inspiration. In contrast to all the rectangular-shaped towers in a city, these flower-shaped buildings are a welcome sight and jaw-droppingly beautiful. Norton’s Florist has gathered some of the most impressive flower-inspired buildings for you to enjoy here.
Wuhan. Wuhan New Energy Centre. Photo: Soeters Van Eldonk
Calla Lily
Wuhan, China
Deemed the most sustainable and energy-efficient building in the world, it is also inspired by the elegant Calla Lily flower. An innovative and beautifully artistic building, the Wuhan Energy Flower is the home base for Wuhans’ Energy Center, which is dedicated to researching and developing new energy technologies. The structure is striking in its design and green achievements. It produces zero carbon emissions and uses no fossil fuels. It captures the energy of the sun with its angled roof which faces it and is covered in solar panels. The power of the wind is captured too with vertical wind turbines located in the pistil. The angled roof also smartly provides shade to the office buildings below in the tower during China’s hot summers. Additionally, the roof collects rainwater to reuse and provide water to the bathrooms and greenery. There are numerous other green strategies in this remarkable building, inspired, no doubt, by the “green” efficiency that exists naturally in the Calla Lily.
Lotus Blossom
Lotus Temple, Dehli
Lotus Temple view from above
Delhi, India
Growing in the center of an urban landscape is a beautiful and massive concrete lotus blossom bringing the glory of nature into the city. The Lotus Temple is a remarkable structure that pays homage to the symmetry and perfection of nature, which shows no bias, only beauty. Officially named the Baha’i House of Worship, the Baha’i faith promotes the Oneness of Humankind and Religions. The temple is open to all who want to worship and includes no pictures, sculptures, or carvings based on any particular faith. Instead natural light, shadows, and reflections are the only decorative elements. Three series of petals create the exterior design of the temple, with two rows curving in and the bottom row curving outwards to form covered roofs for each of the 9 openings. Surrounding the temple are 9 reflecting pools in the shape of a lotus blossom’s leaves. The pools not only provide cool air for the interior but also produce the illusion that the temple is floating on water.
Supertrees at Gardens By the Bay
Singapore
A fantastical and very popular nature park, structures resembling trees, plants, and flowers abound within.
Burj Khalifa – reddit
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The tallest building in the world was inspired by the fascinating tiger lily flower.
