What would America’s top landmarks look like, reimagined by some of the most famous and controversial architects that have ever lived?
An Instagram account, Imagined Architecture, created a stir with a ‘reimagined’ White House designed by world-famous architects.
.com used the AI art app Midjourney to create reimagined versions of some other famous American landmarks – with some striking and surreal results.
With architects ranging from modernist genius Anthony Gaudi and British-Iranian ‘Queen of Curves’ Zaha Hadid, Midjourney has reimagined everything from the Chrysler Building to the Statue of Liberty in typically surreal style.
San Francisco-based Midjourney is a rival to OpenAI’s Dall-E, which is now integrated into its iconic ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot.
Like ChatGPT, it can be controlled by simple text prompts, and can generate everything from realistic photographs to paintings: it’s controlled through the Discord chat app, and available to subscribers from $10 a month.
Mount Rushmore redesigned by Rem Koolhaas
Mount Rushmore redesigned by Rem Koolhaas (Midjourney/Rob Waugh)
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas is a professor at Harvard University, and was listed as one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2008.
The Statue of Liberty redesigned by Frank Gehry
The Statue of Liberty redesigned by Frank Gehry (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry has been described by Vanity Fair as ‘the most important architect of our age’.
The White House redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright
The White House redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
Iconic American architect Frank Lloyd Wright created more than 1,000 buildings – and his ‘Prairie style’ is the basis of many residences in the U.S.A.
Gateway Arch, St Louis as designed by Tadao Ando
Gateway Arch, St Louis as designed by Tadao Ando (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
Self-taught Japanese architect Tadao Ando is famous for designs emphasizing nothingness and empty space.
The Golden Gate Bridge designed by Zaza Hadid
The Golden Gate Bridge designed by Zaza Hadid (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
Baghdad-born Hadid and said that trips to ancient Sumerian cities in southern Iraq sparked her interest in architecture.
The Chrysler Building redesigned by Tadao Ando
The Chrysler Building redesigned by Tadao Ando (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
Ando won the prestigious Pritzker Price in 1995, despite never having formal training in architecture – he worked as a boxer and fighter before becoming an architect.
The Golden Gate Bridge redesigned by Santiago Calatrava
The Golden Gate Bridge redesigned by Santiago Calatrava (Midjourney Rob Waugh)
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava is well known for designing buildings which look like living organisms – although few are quite as unusual as this bridge which appears to go directly into the sea.
The Capitol redesigned in the Style of Louis Sullivan
The Capitol redesigned in the Style of Louis Sullivan (Midjourney Rob Waugh
Known as the ‘father of skyscrapers’, Louis Sullivan was a big influence on fellow American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The White House as designed by Zaha Hadid
The White House as designed by Zaha Hadid (Rob Waugh/Midjourney)
British-Iranian architect Zaha Hadid was famous for use of curves, designing iconic buildings such as Rome’s MAXXI Museum, and the Guangzhou Opera House.