Shocking Architecture

When it comes to architecture, we immediately have a clear picture in our minds, as architecture surrounds us everywhere and accompanies us throughout life. But when we talk about architects, that clarity disappears; the subject of conversation starts to shroud itself in mist, although many know the names of the authors of the most famous buildings – Palladio or Corbusier, Bazhenov or Rastrelli, we have all heard of these brilliant architects. However, to imagine exactly how they worked, where they drew inspiration from, how ideas and images were born that would later be embodied in stone, glass, wood, or concrete, not everyone can do. This creates a curious paradox – architecture is open and familiar to all, while its creation is a mysterious process, little understood by most, almost mystical. Consequently, architects also appear to us as closed, inaccessible people, who, like priests, possess secret knowledge and skills. And of course, almost behind every architectural masterpiece, there are curious facts, mysterious events, or amazing, sometimes dramatic, relationships between authors and clients. And when we do express curiosity, we ask ourselves with amazement questions like whether it is true that the Eiffel Tower is just an entrance to an exhibition? Is it true that a palace and a service were named after an ordinary frog? And is it true that one German cathedral was built over 600 years, and in Austria, there is a house whose balconies and roof grow entire gardens? Or that there are two completely identical bridges in a Russian and an English park, and skyscrapers appeared thanks to palm trees? 25 fascinating, at times shocking stories, among which: • how Florence got its dome thanks to doors • how a frog from a palace became famous across three powers • the vanity of a minister and the envy of a king • how Moscow ended up by the Black Sea • how only the entrance remained from the exhibition • what skyscrapers owe to palm trees • a secret marriage, a smart house, and pyramids • a resort for hobbits • how architects spent a hundred years inventing a chair.