4 Architectural Feats That Will Take Your Breath Away

Some buildings don't just house people; they change how we think about architecture. Here are four that never fail to take our breath away.

Rogner Bad Blumau, Austria

Architect: Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Built: 1997.

Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser made his distaste for straight lines quite apparent, once calling them "a tool of the devil." You'd be hard pressed to find one in his most famous project, Rogner Bad Blumau. This seemingly mythical hotel is tucked into the rolling hills of the Austrian countryside, its buildings adorned with colorful patchwork facades, uneven windows, princess towers and, most notably, grass-covered roofs that make the structures look like part of the hills themselves.

In his Mouldiness Manifesto Against Rationalism in Architecture, he wrote: "We should reject any modern architecture in which the straight line or the circle have been employed... The straight line is not a creative line, but simply a reproductive line. In it there live not God and human spirit, but a mass created, brainless ant addicted to comfort."

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas

Architect: Frank Gehry. Built: 2010.

This Dr. Seuss-esque building is quite an achievement. Gehry's ability to break rules and push architectural design forward is unmatched, and his deconstructivist structures are so iconic that tourists flock to them around the world to marvel at their forms. Named by Vanity Fair "the most important architect of our age," he continues to inspire all of us with his unique designs.

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

Architect: Tom Wright. Built: 1999.

Tom Wright may not have the long list of famous buildings that some architects here have, but this one is the most recognizable building in Dubai and one of the most recognizable in modern architecture. Built on an artificial island, the hotel is famous for its endless luxury, an enormous atrium, its own helicopter landing pad and a tennis court high above the sea. Wright has most definitely made his mark on the world with this one.

The Sustainability Treehouse, West Virginia

Architect: Mithun. Built: 2013.

Set in a forest at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, this interactive facility is an icon of adventurous design, sustainability and high-performance construction. Visitors climb indoor and outdoor platforms to experience the forest from multiple vantage points, with educational exhibits exploring the ecosystem at ground level, in the tree canopy and in the sky.

Innovative green building systems, including a 6,450-watt solar array, two 4,000-watt wind turbines and a 1,000-gallon cistern and water cleansing system, make it a net-zero energy and net-zero water building that touches its site lightly.

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