Do You Know...Your Architecture?

Do you know that the Leaning Tower of Pisa leaned at a greater angle before 2001?

Editor's note: In 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was shifted to an angle of 4 degrees after it was previously leaning at an angle of 5.5 degrees. 

Do you know that the roofs of the Sydney Opera House are covered with tiles?

Editor's note: In fact, the roof is covered by a total of 1,056,006 tiles. 

Do you know what the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, was used for?

Editor's note: The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre that was completed in 80 AD. It held around 50,000 spectators and was used for a variety of events including gladiator contests, animal hunts and mythology-based dramas. 

Do you know that that the Taj Mahal is not a castle like what most people think it is?

Editor's note: The Taj Mahal is a famous mausoleum or an external free-standing burial chamber of a deceased person, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It becomes a everlasting love symbol and architectural landmark in Agra, India, that attracts millions of visitors every year. 

Do you know where is the world's largest office?

Editor's note: The world’s largest office building by floor size is the Pentagon in Virginia, USA. Over half of its 604,000 square metre floor area is used used as offices. 

Do you know that what is the longest-reigning tallest building in the world?

Editor's note: The Empire State Building in New York was the first building to have over 100 floors and was the longest-reigning tallest building in the world from 1931 until 1972.

The current tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. It reaches an amazing 828 metres in height. 

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are the world’s tallest twin buildings, standing at a height of 452 metres.

Do you know how fast are the elevators in tall buildings?

Editor's note: Tall buildings need fast elevators in order to handle the commute efficiently and recent developments have led to elevators that can travel up to and sometimes over 1 kilometres per minute.