Architecture

A still from Andy Warhol's Empire

Watch Andy Warhol's Eight-Hour Film About the Empire State Building on the Skyscraper's 80th Floor

Released in 1964, the divisive experimental film is being screened in honor of its 60th anniversary

Shade-protecting overhangs known as awnings line a street in New York City in the 1850s.

Six Innovative Ways Humans Have Kept Cool Throughout History

From sleeping porches to coastal escapes, these tips and tricks helped people deal with extreme heat before the advent of air-conditioning

Excavations underway in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome

Ruins of Centuries-Old Palace That Housed Dozens of Popes Discovered in Rome

Before the papacy relocated in the 1300s, first to Avignon and then to the Vatican, pontiffs lived at the Lateran Palace

Today, visitors can walk the grounds for free or enter three of the tombs for a small fee.

China Plans to Open Ming Dynasty Tombs to the Public by 2030

The sprawling burial complex on the outskirts of Beijing was built to hold the remains of 13 emperors

Denver's historic train depot dates back to 1881. Today, it's a thriving community hub.

See Inside Denver's 143-Year-Old Train Station

The transit hub, which just got an $11 million makeover, is deeply connected to the city's history

A plastic tarp covering part of the cathedral's spire caught fire on July 11.

Fire Extinguished at Rouen Cathedral, a Frequent Subject of Monet's Paintings

The 12th-century structure and the artworks inside it sustained no significant damage

The remains of the Bronze Age roundhouse are located in a park in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

An Excavation in Wales Paints a Picture of Home Life 3,500 Years Ago

Archaeologists have enlisted volunteers to dig up the remains of a Bronze Age roundhouse found beneath a park

Located in southern Italy, Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Parkour Group Damages Building in the Historic Italian City of Matera

Team Phat posted a video showing one of its members breaking a stone protruding from a wall

Lego enthusiasts can now build their own Notre-Dame Cathedral, complete with rose windows and the iconic spire.

Builders Haven't Finished Reconstructing Notre-Dame Cathedral—But Lego Fans Can

Lego is selling a 4,383-piece model of the historic structure ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics

The popular chapel has been closed since February because of damage caused by land movement.

A Historical Glass-Enclosed Chapel Overlooking the Pacific Ocean Must Be Dismantled Before Nature Can Destroy It

The one-of-a-kind sculpture in California, designed by the son of famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is at the mercy of shifting grounds

The tiles were likely made in the Netherlands in the late 17th century.

This Polish Museum Received a Mysterious Package in the Mail—With Missing 17th-Century Tiles Inside

The ceramic tiles, which vanished during World War II, once adorned a Baroque bathing pavilion in Warsaw

Guests will get to stay inside the Musée d'Orsay's clock room on the night of July 26.

Spend the Night in the Musée d'Orsay's Clock Room on the Evening of the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Airbnb will allow two travelers to book a one-night stay in the storied Paris museum, where they will watch the ceremony from a balcony overlooking the Seine

The Old Lahaina Courthouse was destroyed in a wildfire on August 11, 2023.

University Students in Hawaii Use Cutting-Edge Technology to Digitally Restore Historic Buildings Damaged by Maui Wildfires

A new course at University of Hawaii at Manoa rethinks historic preservation, having enrollees design digital twins of notable structures so that people can experience them virtually

The Campfire Hotel—a revamped 100-room motel lodge tucked away in Bend, Oregon's industrial stretch—first opened in October 2020.

Across the United States, Vintage Motels Are Being Imagined for Modern Times

The re-envisioned lodgings offer easy car-to-door access but also all the amenities of a boutique property, from local artwork to on-site fire pits

Built in 1917-1919, the St. Charles Air Line Bridge is one of the oldest in Chicago and has been designated a city landmark. It’s still in use for freight and cargo trains, and it lifts for boats and ships passing underneath.

Marvel at These Bold, Beautiful Bridges

See 15 superbly suspended structures from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange was undergoing renovations when the building caught fire on April 16, 2024.

Fire Devastates Copenhagen's Historic Stock Exchange

Its signature 184-foot spire collapsed, but rescuers salvaged some of the valuable artworks inside

Workers install solar panels on the roof of King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England.

How King's College Added 438 Solar Panels to a 500-Year-Old Chapel

The project sparked debate over how to decrease carbon emissions while preserving the historic structure's architectural beauty

Photographed in 1979, the late Elizabeth II loved to spend time at Balmoral Castle.

The Royal Family Is Opening Balmoral Castle to the Public For the First Time in History

The special interior tours of the royal family's Scottish retreat sold out in less than a day

This staircase, part of an active construction site, has been preserved since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

Archaeologists in Pompeii Find Ancient Construction Site, Undisturbed Since Vesuvius' Eruption

The discovery is cluing researchers into the techniques used to build Rome’s most remarkable structures

The castle's mill was integrated into the residential space and powered by a canal that flowed beneath the building.

Archaeologists Uncover Medieval Castle Hidden Beneath a French Hotel

Excavations revealed a moat, pipes, jewelry, coins and other artifacts amidst the structure's ruins

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