A history of cities in 50 buildings
A history of cities in 50 buildings – interactive
A history of cities in 50 buildings: readers tell us what we missed
Jeddah's Kingdom Tower: how much higher can skyscrapers go? A history of cities in 50 buildings, day 50
When finished in 2018, this monumental tower in Saudi Arabia will become the world’s first kilometre-high skyscraper. So what does it say about the future of our cities?
Barcelona's Sagrada Família: Gaudí's 'cathedral for the poor' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 49
Giles Fraser arrived in Barcelona not expecting to like Antoni Gaudí’s monumental creation – derided by George Orwell as ‘one of the most hideous buildings in the world’. But then he went inside ...
Makoko Floating School, beacon of hope for the Lagos 'waterworld' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 48
When Jessica Collins and photographer Iwan Baan visited Lagos in 2013 to document a radical new school, the Makoko slum was facing demolition. Now the building’s global recognition is helping to give the community fresh hope
Honest Ed’s, Toronto's doomed compendium of kitsch – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 47
Once dubbed ‘the world’s biggest discount shop’, Ed Mirvish’s extraordinary retail creation played a key role in Toronto’s development – but that won’t save it from demolition next year
Palestine's abandoned parliament – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 46
Started after Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo accords 20 years ago, the empty building now embodies the dashed hopes of the failed peace process
Norman Foster's Hong Kong HSBC headquarters tore up the rule book – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 45
With the handover of Hong Kong to Beijing looming, HSBC’s board wanted a prominent symbol of their bank’s political power. Norman Foster delivered, taking the 1960s dream of a plug-in, prefab city and making it real
Learning from Seoul's Sampoong Department Store disaster – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 44
After a string of ill-considered decisions led to the collapse of Seoul’s luxury department store and the death of 502 people in 1995, the disaster continues to offers an important lesson to other cities urbanising at such an impressive pace
How Curitiba's BRT stations sparked a transport revolution – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 43
When Curitiba’s bus rapid transit stations were revamped in 1991, the futuristic glass-tube stops became a new symbol for the Brazilian city
The Renaissance Center: Henry Ford II's grand design to revive Detroit – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 42
At the behest of the car magnate, the non-profit Detroit Renaissance organisation tried to kickstart the failing city’s economy by building the world’s largest private development
Byker Wall: Newcastle's noble failure of an estate – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 41
Ralph Erskine’s Grade II-listed council estate, built to replace the old Byker neighbourhood, is an examplar of design and public participation – and proof that it is rarely in the interests of people to demolish their original homes
New York's twin towers – the 'filing cabinets' that became icons of America: a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 40
Minoru Yamasaki’s radical towers are perhaps even more powerful symbols of New York City in their absence
Canberra's Parliament House: a 'symbol of national identity' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 39
Roppongi Hills: controversial blueprint for Tokyo's new breed of high-rise – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 38
Yamoussoukro's Notre-Dame de la Paix, the world's largest basilica - a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 37
In Yamoussoukro, a small capital city surrounded by rainforest, the world’s largest basilica is a stark reminder of the former ruler’s selfish choices: expensive monument building first, nation-building second
The first Starbucks coffee shop, Seattle - a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 36
When the now-infamous chain first opened its doors in Seattle on 30 March 1971, its sign bore not a green mermaid but a (more anatomically detailed) brown one, and its mission was purely to sell freshly roasted coffee beans
Habitat 67, Montreal's 'failed dream' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 35
The pilot project of Moshe Safdie’s mission to reinvent apartment living became mired in controversy – yet it remains a functioning icon of 1960s utopianism
The Habana Libre hotel, pawn in Castro's battle against the US - a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 34
Once a playground for American tourists, after Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries marched on Havana this grand Hilton hotel was recast as a symbol of changing allegiances and ideologies
Johannesburg's Ponte City: 'the tallest and grandest urban slum in the world' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 33
In an inner-city neighbourhood gradually shedding its crime-riddled skin, Ponte is a symbol of the renaissance sweeping South Africa’s commercial capital
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