Revealed: The World’s Most Beautiful Buildings, According to Science
The world’s most beautiful building has been crowned, with a 4,000 year-old mathematical equation helping to name St. Paul’s Cathedral as the most aesthetically pleasing structure ever built. Constructed in the 1700’s, the baroque stylings of St Paul’s Cathedral in London came out on top for its aesthetic perfection, with a 72.28% alignment to the golden ratio.
The study, conducted by Roofing Megastore, analysed 100 of the world’s most famous architectural works and compared them against the dimensions of the “golden ratio” to determine how visually appealing each is to the human eye.
To complete the analysis, researchers plotted the most common points found on a building, such as the top and bottom corners, the building’s centre, and equidistant points around the circumference, before comparing the distance between these markers to those laid out by the ratio.
The Top 20 Most Beautiful Buildings in the World
| Building | Percentage Alignment to the Golden Ratio | Year Built (Completed) |
| 1. St. Paul’s Cathedral (England) | 72.28% | 1710 |
| 2. Marina Bay Sands (Singapore) | 70.88% | 2010 |
| 3. Westminster Abbey (England) | 70.50% | 1745 |
| 4. Osaka Castle (Japan) | 70.38% | 1583 |
| 5. St. Basil’s Cathedral (Russia) | 69.10% | 1561 |
| 6. Casa Mila (Spain) | 68.64% | 1912 |
| 7. Florence Cathedral (Italy) | 67.52% | 1436 |
| 8. Taj Mahal (India) | 67.45% | 1653 |
| 9. Dancing House (Czech Republic) | 66.87% | 1996 |
| 10. Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany) | 63.10% | 1886 |
| 11. Colgone Cathedral (Germany) | 61.69% | 1880 |
| 12. St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City) | 61.47% | 1626 |
| 13. St. Louis Cathedral (USA) | 58.10% | 1850 |
| 14. Petra (Jordan) | 57.12% | Tth Century BC |
| 15. Cathedral of Brasilia (Brazil) | 55.79% | 1970 |
| 16. Faisal Mosque (Pakistan) | 55.23% | 1986 |
| 17. The White House (USA) | 53.31% | 1800 |
| 18. Brandenberg Gate (Germany) | 52.56% | 1791 |
| 19. Great Pyramid of Piza (Egypt) | 52.35% | 2560 BC |
| 20. Milan Cathedral (Italy) | 50.30% | 1965 |
What is the golden ratio?
The golden ratio itself has long been used as a barometer of beauty, with many historical artists and architects striving for perfect proportions having used it in their creations. More modern works don’t seem to fit into the beauty ideals laid out in the ratio however, with a mere six of the top 20 buildings in the results built after the 19th century.
The rest of the buildings found to stand out for their looks were classical structures such as Osaka Castle in Japan, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, the original inspiration behind Sleeping Beauty’s beloved Disney castle.
The Top 50
Just one quarter of the top 50 buildings were constructed after the 19th century, with the US coming out on top, having the most architectural works scoring a place in the top half of all buildings researched. Six of America’s most iconic landmarks, including NYC’s Empire State and Chrysler Building feature in the top 50, while Germany was just one behind, with five German landmarks scoring highly against the ratio. Other notable buildings from around the world found to be particularly beautiful in the eyes of science were Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (32nd), the Sydney Opera House (43rd) and Notre Dame in Paris (46th).
Elsewhere, more modern works such as the Shard and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa scored exceptionally low against the equation, again showing that classic styles like Gothic and Roman architecture are victorious when it comes to buildings, their beauty and the rules of the golden ratio.
Roofing Megastore’s Managing Director Gian Carlo-Grossi commented: “Whether you’re an architect or not, many people have an opinion on which styles of architecture prevail over others, and it is a debate that continues right down to the styles of home we live in.
Being based in the UK, we were thrilled to find out that the official ‘most beautiful building in the world’ is located in London. But beyond St. Paul’s Cathedral itself, it was also evident that traditional buildings win out over much of the modern architecture found in today’s skylines,
The global mix of buildings in the top 20 also shows just how much beauty can be found in every corner of the world, and we hope the list provides not only inspiration for the architects and designers of the planet, but people planning their travels for when restrictions are lifted!”
