Some 3,000 air-filled foil
panels that form the
exterior can be lit from
within to match the
home team’s coloursThe opera house has
been compared to
an ocean liner, with
its sleek exterior and
ship-like decks inside257
(^9) EL PALAU DE LES ARTS
This Spanish opera house is part
of a complex of museum buildings
near Valencia. It is set within
landscaped gardens with reflecting
pools and interlinked paths. The
roof is made from a pair of curving
steel shells clad in concrete and
mosaic tiles.
(^10) ALLIANZ ARENA
This football arena is located in
Munich, Germany, and is the only
stadium in the world that can
change its exterior colour. Opened
in 2005, the stadium holds nearly
70,000 spectators. Some locals
nicknamed it the “inflatable boat”
due to its unusual shape.
Visitors travel up a spiral
walkway in the huge
glass dome to take in
a panoramic view of
the Berlin skyline
Three massive towers
are topped with oval
spires shaped like
ostrich eggs, which
symbolize purity
5
6
8
7
10
9
Triangular windows set
in seven silvery arches
under a spire crown
the top of the building^8 BURJ KHALIFA
Designed to resemble a desert
flower, Hymenocallis, this 828-m
(2,716.5-ft) super-scraper in Dubai
is the tallest building in the world.
The Burj Khalifa has more than
160 storeys and the world’s highest
outdoor observation deck. The
structure is three times as tall
as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The cladding
system on the
building’s exterior
is designed to
withstand Dubai’s
extreme heat
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