The 25 most beautiful buildings in the world, according to architects

We asked architects to tell us the one building that's

Here are 25 of the most breathtaking buildings in the world, according to people who build them for a living.

The Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

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The National Congress of Brazil in Brasília.

"In 1974, my father, a scientist took our family to see the new city of Brasília. It captured the imagination of the world," Julia Donoho says. "Planned in the shape of an airplane, Corbusian [the modern architectural style of Le Corbusier] housing blocks lined the wings like feathers, the body was filled with embassies, government buildings, cultural institutions, and a house of God."

Donoho is the principal and project lead at Equinox Design and Development.

The São Paulo Museum of Art in São Paulo, Brazil.

"It is daring," Damaris Hollingsworth says. "Designed in 1968, it is made of concrete and glass. The main body is hung from the two beams and it barely touches the columns on the side. I also love the fact that it was designed by a woman."

Hollingsworth is the project manager for DLR Group.

The Forbidden City temple in Beijing, China.

"It has amazing scale and longevity of the design, complex structure, yet simple forms," Rosa Sheng says. "My grandfather...explained that architecture is meant to last beyond one's lifetime. It is a living time capsule of the culture for an entire civilization."

Sheng is a senior architect at the firm

The Innovation, Science, and Technology building at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland.

"When I worked for Santiago Calatrava, I was part of the team that procured the Florida Polytechnic University campus project," says Marica McKeel. " Not only to do I love the design of the Innovation, Science and Technology building, but I feel a real connection to this project and to the Lakeland community as my father grew up in Lakeland and I still frequently visit family there."

McKeel is the principal at Studio MM.

The Hubertus House in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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Deutsch is the principal at Deutsch Insights and an associate professor of architecture at the

The Empire State Building in New York, New York.

"I wanted to become an architect since I was six years old in part because of this building," says William J. Martin. "My parents would put us in the car and drive down River Road and Boulevard East [New Jersey] with expansive views of Manhattan from the back seat of our car. The antenna enhanced the value of the building ... by allowing for better reception for millions of people."

Martin is the founder of WJM Architect.

The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Exley is a professor at the and the founder of .

The Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan.

"[Architect] Tadao Ando is able to create beautiful spaces that embody monolithic presence, spacious, simple forms with an intriguing play of light which appears to dance throughout the day," says Frank Cunha III. "The pushing and tugging of heavy forms and open space create a very unique, magical experience."

Cunha is the CEO and principal of FC3 Architecture + Design.

The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK.

The center is "a mixture of great architecture and sustainable design," Ben Adam-Smith says. "It also sits on a campus of buildings that in their era have tried to push boundaries."

Adam-Smith is a UK-based architect and the founder of House Planning Help.

The Ackerberg House in Malibu, California.

Russell is the principal architect at Rogue Architecture.

The Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany.

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Hill is a New York City-based architect.

Casa Mila in Barcelona, Spain.

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Manus is the CEO of Heller Manus Architects and a former president of the American Institute of Architects.

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Borson is the principal at

Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.

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The Barnes Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"It is highly publicized and perhaps getting too much play like a song on the radio, but when seen in person, I was truly inspired," Lee Calisti says.

Calisti is the founder of Calisti Architecture and Design.

Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France.

"The building stands boldly, innovatively, looking to the future, while also respective its place and the past," says Jonathan R. Brown.

Brown is a senior associate at JHP Architecture/Urban Design.

The Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, France.

"Completed in 1850, it is a magical jewel box of a building," Jared Banks says. "The gray stone classical exterior hides a cavernous light-filled reading room composed of two wrought iron barrel vaults."

Banks is an architect for Shoegnome Architects.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California.

The Salk Institute "magically integrates the site while inspiring scientific exploration."

Manus is the CEO of Heller Manus Architects and a former president of the American Institute of Architects.

The Sheats Goldstein residence in Los Angeles, California.

"Known to many as 'The Big Lebowski' house, it’s one of those places that sits you down and makes you say 'whoa' because of it’s daring imagination," Evan Troxel says.

Troxel is a senior project designer at HMC Architects and co-hosts the podcast "Archispeak."

The TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in Jamaica, New York.

The TWA Flight Center was "designed before the age of computers and decades ahead of its time. The building uses concrete and glass to capture all of the excitement, wonder and romance of jet travel," Joseph E. David says. "At every view and every angle, there is something new to admire. 50 years after it opened, it somehow manages to feel like it’s still from the future."

David is a New Jersey-based architect.

Casa Malaparte in Capri, Italy.

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Van der Ploeg is the co-founder of Faro Architecture.

The MIT Chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Thomas is the president and principal of Melville Thomas Architects.

Sainte Marie de La Tourette in Éveux, France.

Bennett is a licensed architect and a senior building analyst at WeWork.

The Lloyd’s Building in London.

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Roberts is an architect at Sera Architects.