Buildings That Are Even More Beautiful at Night

By Katherine McLaughlin

There’s a certain magic that comes with a twinkling skyline. A testament to human design and innovation, a city at night seems to embrace visitors and residents with a softer touch and promises of enchanting experiences within. Though there might be nothing quite like the glow of a metropolis shining in harmony, that same wonder can be experienced at individual buildings as well. In fact, some structures are even designed to come to life at night in ways they just can’t quite achieve under the sun. Below, AD surveys 11 of these unique buildings that are even more beautiful at night.

An icon of the New York City skyline, the Art Deco masterpiece that is the Empire State Building shines over Manhattan every night. Throughout the year, the building changes the color of the lights at the top of structure, often done to honor holidays, cultural events, or significant anniversaries. The unique LED system is able to display more than 16 million different colors.

Thanks to its ellipsoid shape, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing has a unique nickname: The Egg. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, the building houses an opera hall, music hall, and theater and art exhibition halls, in addition to an audio shop and restaurants. At night, a nearby reflecting pool gives the illusion of a full oval, making its colloquial name that much more relevant.

Search Meydan Bridge and you’re likely to find mostly images of the rollercoaster-like structure at night. Perhaps most famous for its after-hours appearance, the bridge creates sparks of blue ribbon across the dark Dubai sky.

Lighting designer Rogier van der Heide is to thank for the spectacular bursts of colors that illuminate each night from Canton Tower. Unlike many buildings, the tower is not uplit from strobes, but rather emits the light itself. Each node is individually controllable, offering the opportunity to animate and change the hue throughout the length of the building.

Underneath the tent-like structure that is the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, an indoor beach, urban park, shopping and entertainment venue, boating river, and mini golf facilities sit across an area larger than 10 football stadiums. The all-in-one recreation venue was designed by Foster and Partners and the lighting system allows for multiple different hues on any given night.

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is located within the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. The arts complex sits near L’Hemisfèric—an eye-shaped building holding an IMAX, laser show venue, and planetarium—which together create a striking, futuristic glow under the night sky.

The Beijing National Aquatics Center may be the only building on this list that truly requires nighttime for the designers’ full vision to be obvious. Though the scale-like facade is visible during the day, it comes alive when the sun goes down.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Katherine McLaughlin

Constructed to honor the Mexican Revolution, the arch-like structure is actually an unfinished architectural project. Originally conceived to be the dome of the palace for the Mexican federal legislature, the rest of the building was never completed. Nonetheless, it remains a stoic piece of Mexico City’s structural landscape. Now a museum, the structure is illuminated with different colors at night.

The three skyscrapers that make up the Flame Towers in Azerbaijan get their name from their teardrop shape reminiscent of fire on a matchstick. Designed by HOK, the façades of all three buildings are covered in LED screens and display flickering lights like real flames.

All Bahá’í houses of worship share similar architectural characteristics, most notably a nine-sided circular shape. However, few are as recognizable as the Lotus Temple, designed by Fariborz Sahba. Both adhering to temple requirement for the faith while also placing a contemporary spin on the building, the Lotus Temple is particularly stunning at night when the definition of each “petal” is especially visible.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Katherine McLaughlin

Two architectural firms, DP Architects and Michael Wilford & Partners, worked together to bring Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay to life. The rounded glass-clad frames of the theaters originally drew criticism and some still refer to the buildings as “the big durians” because of their visual similarities to the tropical fruit. Nonetheless, the non-conventional shape of the structures create a distinctive picture at night.

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Tim Nelson

By Katherine McLaughlin