Let’s be blunt: In New York City, there are a lot of tall buildings. So much so, that the idea of a scenic view involves nothing more than gazing out your office window at the wall of buildings across the street, or down at the scurrying crowds of people below. Some people take a trip to the top of the Empire State Building for a panoramic vista, but honestly, who does that besides tourists?

While most New Yorkers rarely admit it, sometimes all we want is to flee the city and surround ourselves with nature. And, what better way to appreciate the natural landscape than from a tall observation tower. Today, we bring you five truly unconventional observation towers that, unlike the skyscrapers of Manhattan, provide unobstructed views of the surrounding scenery. Click through to see them all!

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Photo: Scott Frances/Esto

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re (un)lucky enough to have a child working as an architect, you may be in for a big surprise come Sunday. Along with designing an iconic chair, building a house for one’s mother is a longstanding architectural tradition. So in honor of this holiday, we’ve rounded up five of the most important  of houses designed by famous architects for their parents, ranging from Le Corbusier to Richard Meier. Think of it as a long-overdue thank you for the years of emotional and financial support in the arduous process of becoming an architect!

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Photo: HOK Architects

Spring is in the air—from the magnolia trees bursting into bloom in Brooklyn to the daffodils carpeting the Upper West Side, the last traces of a protracted wet winter are quickly vanishing. The old proverb, April showers bring May flowers, is proving true once again! In the spirit of the times (and the logical corollary to our April post, Architecture in the Rain), we’ve compiled a group of buildings whose forms are indebted to flowers, literally. From geometric inspiration to cultural responsiveness, these projects strut their stuff (petals?) across the globe. Click through to see them all!

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He won a Pritzker Prize, has a career-spanning more than six decades, and has designed some of the world’s most iconic buildings. But today legendary architect I.M. Pei reaches another milestone: turning 96 years old! That’s right, it’s I.M. Pei’s birthday, and to celebrate the master of modern architecture’s birth, we’ve compiled a list of his best and most renowned buildings that grace the earth—and with more than 60 projects across four continents, it was not an easy task.

Noted for their rich materiality and understated elegance, Pei’s buildings range from office towers to art museums to civic structures, and his distinct style has evolved over time. We’re fortunate to have such an accomplished architect still kickin’. Happy Birthday, I.M. Pei! Click through to see some of his greatest hits.

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Villa L, designed by Powerhouse Company with RAU Architecture

To celebrate the end of tax season, which oh-so-fittingly coincides with National Stress Awareness Month, we’ve pulled together our top ten projects that help us relax, just by looking. These serene cabins, calming spas, and tranquil retreats are ideal places to unwind after filing your federal income taxes. And if you wildly overestimated your paycheck witholding, you might just be able to swing a night or two at one of these splendid hideaways! Click through to see them all!

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Peering down a long, dark, empty tunnel from a subway platform while waiting for the train can be agonizing—especially when you’re stuck underground in a drab, dreary station. But the best metro stations not only provide a means to get to your final destination; they transport you to another world through hypnotizing design or beautiful art.  For this week’s roundup, we scoured the web for the sleekest, best-designed, and sometimes bizarre subway stations—and with over 160 metro systems in the world, there were plenty to choose from. Click through to see our 12 favorites! 

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For years now, television’s spring premiere has become the new fall premiere, but the long-awaited return of AMC’s Mad Men sparks a whole new level of anticipation. Season six of the popular drama comes back this Sunday night, and whether you’re a die-hard fan eager to find out what’s happening in the mad world of Don Draper or you’ve never actually seen the show (we won’t tell your friends), you know this is a big event. In celebration, we’ve rounded up an impressive collection of modern, Mad Men-esque homes. Bring out the martinis, cigarettes, and psychoanalysis—and enjoy the show!

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We’re getting back to basics, and no, we aren’t talking about the Christina Aguilera album. We’re talking about the rudimentary symbols that allow us to write addictive roundups like this one—letters! For today’s roundup, we spotlight 14 single-family homes—the most popular typology in our project database—that honor the building blocks (pun intended) of the Latin alphabet in their titles. Who knew that so many architects prefer to name their clients’ houses by a single letter? Click through to see the abbreviated  ”Architizer Alphabet of Stunning Single-Family Homes,” in alphabetical order, of course! (And watch out for Part 2 soon…)

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Easter is just around the corner, and you don’t need to celebrate the holiday to enjoy all the Cadbury Creme Eggs, marshmallow Peeps, and chocolate bunnies currently in season. But there’s one guilt-free Easter tradition that we (gasp!) love even more than candy: That’s the good ole-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. We’ve gone all over the world and back to find the best, most labyrinthian, and prettiest public parks to hide—or search for—those colorful little treasures. From ancient ruins to futuristic gardens, here are our nine favorite places for an Easter Egg Hunt. Click through to see them all!

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A building is to an architect what an album is to a musician or band. Now, excuse us for extending the analogy when we say that the façade of a building is like the sleeve cover of an album — it is (kinda). A sleek façade is integral to the experience of moving through a building just as an album’s artwork — yes, even now in the digital age — changes how you hear a record, at least for the first few times.

South by Southwest kicks off today in Austin, Texas, and to console ourselves for being stuck in wintry New York, we’ve combined our two loves of music and architecture. (No, not this.) Here are 20 album covers whose jewel-cases prominently feature architecture. From world-famous landmarks to surreal, fantasy structures, these cardboard buildings are candy for your eyes (and ears!). Click through! 

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