The World as an Architectural Canvas
The most significant "Eureka!" moments tend to occur when you step away from the problem you're trying to solve. In the case of home design and renovation, the most inspiring way to move forward often involves stepping outside your comfort zone and experiencing some serious architecture in its natural habitat.
With architecture, the choice is yours. The streets are literally filled with it. And if you're thinking of venturing beyond your hometown to appreciate the wonders of the built environment, you won't be short of subjective articles telling you that this or that city should be on your aesthetic bucket list.
So, Buildworld decided to take a more scientific approach.
Buildworld's Process:
"We analyzed tourist reviews of architectural sites in hundreds of cities worldwide to determine which areas have the highest concentration of top-rated buildings."
Buildworld identified the top 10 destination cities in every country according to each country's Tripadvisor page. They filtered the listings in each of these cities to find reviews of local architecture. Then, they calculated the percentage of architectural sites in each city with a 4.5 or 5-star rating and ranked the cities based on this metric.
Key Findings
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Iași in Romania is the best vacation destination for architecture lovers, with 92.31% of architectural attractions rated 4.5 stars or higher on Tripadvisor.
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Chicago, Illinois, is North America's top architectural destination, with 84.00% of attractions rated 4.5 or higher.
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Quito in Ecuador is South America's leading architectural destination, with 86.67% of attractions rated at least 4.5 on Tripadvisor.
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Asia's best destination for architecture lovers is Quezon City in the Philippines, where 90.00% of the buildings have a rating of 4.5 stars or higher.
The Most Fascinating Cities in the Americas
Quito, Ecuador, ranking fifth, and Chicago, ranking sixth, are the top cities in the Americas, both making it into the global top 20. Furthermore, Quebec, Canada, in the tenth spot, Havana, Cuba, in the fourteenth, Rio de Janeiro in the twelfth, and Salta, Argentina, in the nineteenth position, performed exceptionally well globally.
Key Highlights:
The safest bet in the world for architecture enthusiasts is Iași, the "cultural capital" of Romania, where more than nine out of every ten buildings are rated the best. Iași's postcard piece is the neo-gothic Palace of Culture, boasting 365 rooms, completed nearly a century ago. Despite the epic scale of the palace, its true wonders lie in the details.
Let's not forget that architecture is as much about light and space as it is about bricks and mortar. Iași's Botanic Garden Anastasie Fatu, rated 4.5 stars, features a pagoda and greenhouses in its carefully cultivated landscape—a dreamy place to find inspiration for your garden.
The 20 Best Cities in the World for Architecture Enthusiasts
The complete ranking:
1- Iași, Romania
2 - Manchester, United Kingdom
3 - Quezon, Philippines
4 - Liverpool, United Kingdom
5 - Quito, Ecuador
6 - Chicago, United States
7 - Lucerne, Switzerland
8 - Kilkenny, Ireland
9 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
10 - Belgrade, Serbia
11 - Quebec, Canada
12 - Jerusalem, Israel
13 - Nesebar, Bulgaria
14 - Havana, Cuba
15 - Bengaluru, India
16 - Haarlem, Netherlands
17 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
18 - York, United Kingdom
19 - Salta, Argentina
19 - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (shared position with Salta)
