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From the observation deck of Montréal’s Olympic Tower, almost sixty stories up (574ft/175m), look down at this stingray/spaceship-inspired structure. It’s the Biodôme. Originally built as the velodrome for the 1976 Olympics, it was converted in 1992 to become an indoor ‘house of life,’ recreating four distinct eco-zones of the Americas: tropical rainforest, Laurentian maple forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Polar Labrador Coast and sub-Antarctic islands. In summer you can see penguins, and in the winter you can visit the macaws. The different habitats feel surprisingly spacious; ‘indoor zoo’ seems inadequate as a description—maybe a ‘gigantic terrarium?’ However you describe it, it’s definitely worth the trek east of downtown.

Step inside the Eye Film Institute to discover an homage to international cinema replete with interactive displays and perched like an ivory spaceship ready for launch on the northern bank of the IJ River. The striking facility, accessible via a free ferry from the main train station, houses four movie-screening rooms, a museum shop, and an exhibit space showcasing the works of masters like Fellini and Kubrick. Topping the contemporary structure is the eye-popping Eye Bar-Restaurant, where you can wash down a plate of bitterballen with beer on tap while musing about cinematography. On sunny days, a spacious terrace beckons.

The metal-and-glass ribbon structure of this Frank Gehry−designed hotel—not too far from Bilbao—creates an ethereal silhouette that contrasts dramatically with Elciego’s medieval landscape. Opt for a guided tour to learn more about the history of winemaking in the Basque countryside.

Polaris’s blue, spaceshiplike dome was once a fixture of the Atlanta skyline. Opened in 1967, the rotating restaurant and bar played host to such legendary celebrities as Jim Morrison before closing its doors in 2004. In an effort to re-create the magic, the Hyatt Regency reopened Polaris in 2014, bringing back much of the original staff and keeping beloved menu items like the peach daiquiri. While the latest incarnation features modern elements like farm-to-table fare, rooftop honeybees, and a bourbon bar, the restaurant still rotates like the old days. The revolving can be a bit dizzying, but cardinal directions on the walls let you know when you’ve made a full lap. Also fun is the ride up in the elevator, which rises through the hotel and opens into the restaurant.

Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, located in Education City, looks like a spaceship to some and like a ski resort to others, but it’s neither. This mysterious looking building is home to a cave-like mosque with alternating swaths of engraved ceiling: one with Quranic verses and one with thousands of tiny lights reminiscent of twinkling stars. The cave-like mosque, with capacity to hold 1,800 people in segregated male and female prayer rooms, seems to float above four streams of water flowing from a garden: an architectural interpretation of paradise. The Mosque is flanked by two 295’-high minarets erected in the direction of Mecca. The mosque was a winner in the 2015 in the World Architecture Festival.



If you visit this building, which you should, it means that you are at Education City—5.5 square miles of nothing but educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campuses of some of the world’s most renowned universities. Drive around the complex and admire the overall architecture of this educational city within a city.

Go off the beaten track in Finland, Sweden, and Norway to discover the best of northern Europe’s wild nature in this adventurous, wide-ranging itinerary.

You can find unique structures by famed architect John Lautner (an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright) all over Los Angeles, but none are as mind-boggling at his Chemosphere. Lautner was drafted to design the Hollywood Hills house for Leonard Malin, an aerospace engineer whose mountainside property presented a steep architectural challenge. Lautner’s answer to that challenge was the hovering, spaceship-like home that still sits on stilts above Torreyson Drive today. Panoramic windows allow lucky guests stunning views of the San Fernando Valley, and the only way to reach the inside of the building is by funicular. The home is still privately owned, so you’ll need an invite to see that view. Luckily, the exterior is worth a visit on its own (but maybe leave the jokes of alien abduction at home).