What would some of the most famous UK landmarks look like if they were designed by top modern architects?

From North to South, the UK is home to a multitude of landmarks that attract tourists from every corner of the world. Have you ever wondered what they would look like if they were not built and designed when they were?

Well, we decided to find out (with a little help from technology).

With online interest in architecture is on the rise, especially on TikTok where videos on the topic have racked up more than 7.6 billion views to date, we did a little bit of research into the most famous contemporary architects, and decided to use their styles as inspiration for our project.

With the help of Artificial Intelligence, we visualised what some of the most famous landmarks in the country, from Brighton Pavilion to Edinburgh Castle, would look like if they were designed by the likes of Zaha Hadid (who, fun fact, designed one of the football stadiums that will host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar!), Antoni Gaudi and Renzo Piano.

Here’s the results...

Brighton Pavilion

One of the most flamboyant buildings in the country, Brighton Pavilion was originally built as a seaside palace for King George IV, but looked fairly modest in comparison to what we can see now. By order of Prince Regent George III in 1815, it was transformed into the beautiful building that still stands today.

Here’s what it would look like if it was designed by Gaudi, Hadid or Piano.

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool

Opened in 1846, the Royal Albert Dock was the first project in Britain to forgo wood in its structure, instead being built from cast iron, steel, and stone. Here’s what it would look like if Gaudi, Hadid or Piano were given the design project…

York Minster

Another impressive building in the North of England, York’s cathedral is one of the finest pieces of medieval architecture still standing now. York Minster was built over 250 years, between 1220 and 1472, but what if this massive project had started a few centuries later?

Windsor Castle

One of the most famous royal residences and English landmarks, as well as the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle attracts millions of visitors every year. But what would it look like if it wasn’t built in the 11th Century at first?

Glasgow Cathedral

Glasgow Cathedral is the oldest building in mainland Scotland, and also the oldest building in the city overall, with the foundations of it having been laid in 612 AD. Impressive, right? But what if the project started much, much later?

Battersea Power Station

Recently reopened as a new retail and leisure destination on the banks of the Thames, Battersea Power Station has been a stalwart of London iconography despite its decommissioning almost 40 years ago. A revamp has seen the Art Deco structure become home to apartments, restaurants and bars, shops and office space.

This is what it would look like if Gaudi, Hadid or Piano were given the project.

Edinburgh Castle

Dominating the skyline of Scotland’s capital sits Edinburgh Castle, which exists as one of the oldest fortifications in Europe. Initially constructed in the 11th century, Edinburgh Castle has undergone hundreds of years of additions, renovations, and reconstructions.

But if it had been designed by Gaudi, Zaha Hadid, or Renzo Piano it’d look something like this…

The power of technology gave us the chance to think outside the (tool) box and reimagine how some of the most iconic buildings in the country would’ve looked like if their construction projects had started decades, and sometimes centuries later.

We hope these fun designs can inspire projects both big and small to embrace the art that goes into design and construction.