Ceilings never fails to amaze

I'm a big fan of ceilings and it never fails to amaze me how drastically they can change the appearance and atmosphere of a space yet at the same time be completely ignored by most of the room's occupants. it's incredible how some people live their lives looking either straight ahead or down at the ground, the only ceiling they ever notice being the one above the bed.

luckily it hasn't stopped people designing stunning ceilings. here are 10 of my favourites, new and old, in no particular order.

the Senedd, Cardiff

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the undulating ceiling of the senedd (the welsh assembly) was designed by richard rogers, the architect chosen to develop tower 3 of the world trade center reconstruction.


Tokyo international forum, tokyo

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the incredible steel and glass roof of tokyo international forum is an engineering masterpiece and was designed by rafael vinoly in 1996.

temppeliaukio church, helsinki

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'rock church' was completed in 1969 after being carved from an enormous lump of natural granite. the ceiling, the central disc of which is made from copper wire, was designed by the suomalainen brothers, as was the rest of the building.

british museum's great court, london

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the british museum's great court was opened in 2000 and was designed by norman foster. it features a stunning tessellated roof which consists of 6100m² of glazing. 

dc metro station, washington

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chicago-based architect harry weese was responsible for designing the washington metro system in the 1970s and the brutalist architecture, especially the tunnel walls and ceilings, still look remarkable to this day. 

allen lambert galleria, toronto

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santiago calatrava, the spaniard responsible for a ridiculous amount of inspired architecture, designed allen lambert galleria and its beautiful ceiling/roof in the late 80s.

erzurum holy mosque, eastern anatolia

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the holy mosque in the eastern anatolia region of turkey was originally constructed in 1179 but has since been restored on five occasions, resulting in a mixture of architectural styles. the inside of the mosque's main dome is absolutely fantastic.

bahá'í house of worship, illinois

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the interior of the baha'i house of worship in wilmette was designed by alfred shaw. the intricate stylings of the dome's ceiling are breathtaking.

mosteiro dos jerónimos, lisbon

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i believe spanish architect joão de castilho was responsible for the amazing ceiling in jerónimos monastery, back in the 1500s. the result is a ribbed, gothic masterpiece.

alcázar of seville

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the hall of the ambassadors' phenomenally impressive domed ceiling in the alcázar of seville, built in 1427. stunning.