Architecture

The team used A.I. algorithms to combine more than 400,000 photos into a comprehensive, three-dimensional model of the Catholic church.

See Every Nook and Cranny of St. Peter's Basilica With This New, Stunningly Accurate 3D Replica

Microsoft and the Vatican used artificial intelligence to virtually recreate the historic Vatican City church

The proudly jutting—and sometimes-imperiled—terraces above the cataract that gave the world-famous house its name.

How Fallingwater Gave Frank Lloyd Wright a Second Wind

The architectural wonder re-established the designer as a titan of his generation and shifted the public's view of Modernism from a foreign movement to a part of the American character

Three new bells arrived for installation at Notre-Dame on November 7. One of the bells had been used for the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Hear the Bells of Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral Ring Out for the First Time in More Than Five Years

The cathedral has been under renovation since 2019, when it was badly damaged in a fire. Crews are testing the bells before the historic structure reopens on December 8

Over the past two years, roughly 20 wall engravings and 100 burn marks have been found at the historic residence.

Tour Guide at Medieval Manor House Discovers Mysterious Etchings Meant to Repel Evil, Trap Demons and Curse Enemies

A "staggering array" of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, England

One fresco depicts a satyr and a nymph embracing.

Archaeologists Discover Breathtaking Wall Paintings Frozen in Time Inside a Modest Home in Ancient Pompeii

Despite its unusually small size, the newly unearthed House of Phaedra is covered in elaborate frescos depicting mythological scenes

Sculpted monsters, open tombs and dramatic depictions of supernatural combatants make visiting the Sacro Bosco more akin to braving a Renaissance version of a haunted house.

Discover the Mysteries of Italy's Park of Monsters, a 16th-Century Garden Filled With Strange, Colossal Stone Creatures

The Sacro Bosco's meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

The grand Biltmore house will reopen on November 2.

Asheville's Biltmore Estate Will Reopen for the Holidays After Sustaining Damage From Hurricane Helene

The sprawling estate, which is the largest privately owned home in the country, will open its doors in November after a month-long closure

Thirty-six homes—the world’s last topped with a traditional eelgrass roof—all sit here on Laeso.

Could Eelgrass Be the Next Big Bio-Based Building Material?

On the island of Laeso in Denmark, one man is reviving the lost art of eelgrass thatching and, in doing so, bringing attention to a plant that has great potential

A rendering of the 3D-printed rounded hotel rooms

Workers Just Started Building the World's First 3D-Printed Hotel in the Texas Desert

In the dusty landscape surrounding the city of Marfa, a huge 3D printer is constructing 43 new rooms and 18 residential homes as part of an expansion of El Cosmico

The Hotel Chelsea's neon sign was installed in 1949.

The Hotel Chelsea's Iconic Neon Sign Will Be Divided Into Pieces and Sold One Letter at a Time

The vertical sign stretched across three stories of the Manhattan hotel, which once welcomed the likes of Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Andy Warhol and Janis Joplin

The Winslow House is located in River Forest, Illinois, about 11 miles west of downtown Chicago.

Frank Lloyd Wright Designed His First Prairie-Style House When He Was 26. Now, It's for Sale

The young architect created the Winslow house for a couple living in a suburb of Chicago in 1893. The project would help launch his independent career

These colorful rings could become a permanent fixture of the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Mayor Wants to Keep the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower

Critics worry that the symbol will tarnish the iconic structure's historic character

The opening to the cistern was discovered beneath Jefferson Drive, which runs alongside the Smithsonian Castle and other museums.

Workers Uncover an Underground Chamber Sealed for More Than a Century Near the National Mall

The dry cistern was discovered by construction crews working on the Smithsonian Castle’s renovation

The exterior of the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery in London. The controversial columns stood inside the ground-floor foyer.

Workers Find Mysterious Letter Hidden Inside a Concrete Column at London's National Gallery

John Sainsbury hoped the note would be found when the "unnecessary columns" were finally demolished

From inside of the Hirshhorn, the museum's circular design creates an oculus effect.

How the Hirshhorn Museum Went From Iconoclast to Icon

Celebrating 50 years of the modernist masterpiece that shocked critics—and helped turn Washington into an arts capital

Robert C. Weaver Building houses the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Washingtonians Love to Hate Brutalist Architecture. But What If We Could Fix It?

An exhibition at the National Building Museum investigates the history and future of the much-maligned architectural style

To save it from collapse, crews will conduct extensive renovations at William Blake's cottage in West Sussex.

William Blake's Cottage Will Be Saved—and Transformed Into a New Museum

The 18th-century poet wrote some of his most renowned works in the house in southern England, which has since fallen into disrepair

Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by nature when he designed Price Tower's glass windows and green exterior.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper Is Heading to Auction

Price Tower is one of three Oklahoma buildings designed by the renowned American architect

Luckily for tourists and passers-by, this longtime Times Square performer is not as naked as his underwear suggests.

Take a Virtual Tour of New York City With These 15 Photos

Get a slice of the Big Apple with shots of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park and more from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

The medieval archway was buried beneath layers of plaster and brick.

Historic Theater Discovers 15th-Century Doorway That May Have Led to a Dressing Room

Some experts speculate that Shakespeare could have used the room to change costume during performances in the late 16th century

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