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Most amazing workplaces and more...

Last updated on: August 24, 2011 16:22 IST

Image: Volkswagen factory.
Photographs: Courtesy, Volkswagen.

From office headquarters to car factories and elegantly designed-institutes, these buildings are truly architectural masterpieces.

They reflect the rapid transformation in the urban and business landscape. Aesthetically designed, they are the world's modern wonders.

Volkswagen factory, Germany

The transparent factory brings the fascinating process of car production to the world, establishing a link between technology, environment and people.

Image: Apple headquarters.

Apple headquarters, US
Apple Inc's world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of Silicon Valley, California.

The Apple campus has six buildings spread across 850,000 square feet. It was built by Sobrato Development Cos in 1993.

Image: Googleplex

Googleplex, US
The Googleplex is one of Google's 23 campuses in the United States and Canada. The luxurious corporate campus is spread across 26 acres.

Completed in 1997, the compound has cafeterias, water pools, fountains, pathways and plazas.

Image: eBay headquarters.

eBay headquarters, US

eBay, an online auction and shopping website founded in 1995. A multi-billion dollar business, today it has operations in over thirty countries.

Image: Microsoft headquarters.

Microsoft headquarters, US

Microsoft has a 300-acre corporate park in Redmond, with around 40 buildings and 14,000 offices.

Image: Facebook headquarters.

Facebook headquarters, US

Designed by Studio o+a, Facebook has a 150,000-square-foot office at Palo Alto, California, USA. The firm consulted employees to find their requirements. Each department has been designed differently.

Image: Oracle office.

Oracle Corporation, US

The Oracle headquarters was built on the former site of Marine World Africa. Initially, Oracle Corporation leased two buildings on the site and later bought the complex and built four main buildings.

Image: Twitter headquarters.

Twitter headquarters, US

Twitter has built a stylish office at San Francisco. Sara Morishige Williams designed the fabulous interiors.

Image: Hewlett Packard office.

Hewlett Packard, US

The company founded in a garage in Palo Alto by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, is today one of the world's largest information technology companies.

Image: Sony Corporation.

Sony Corporation, Japan

The Sony Building was designed by Japanese architect Yoshinobu Ashihara. Opened in 1966 in Tokyo's Ginza ward, the building is an example of postmodern architecture.

Image: The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.

The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision provides access to 70 per cent of the Dutch audio-visual heritage. It has one of the largest audiovisual archives in Europe.

Image: Burj Al Arab.

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

The Burj Al Arab is a 5-star luxury hotel located in Dubai. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world.

The Burj Al Arab is built on an artificial island on Jumeirah beach.

Image: National Congress Hall.

National Congress Hall, Brazil

Located in Brasilia, the National Congress building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the modern Brazilian style.

The semi-sphere on the left is the seat of the Senate, and the semi-sphere on the right is the seat of the Chamber of the Deputies. Between them are two vertical office towers.

Image: Hand-Made School.

Hand-Made School, Bangladesh

Officially called the Modern Educational and Training Institute (METI) in Rudrapur, Bangladesh, this project is known as Handmade School.

Designed by Berlin-based architects Roswag & Jankowski Architekten Partnerschaft and Anna F. Heringer, the building is a simple rectangular bar building.

The ground floor is built of mud walls made of local earth mixed with rice, straw, and jute.

Image: Guggenheim Museum.

The Guggenheim Museum, Spain
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

Image: Chrysler Building.

Chrysler Building, US

The Chrysler Building is a skyscraper in New York City. At a height of 1,047 feet, it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931.

Image: Brandenburg Technical University.

Brandenburg Technical University, Germany

Founded in 1991, the Brandenburg University of Technology is the only technical university in Brandenburg, Germany.

Image: Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Nelson-Atkins Museum's Bloch Building, US

An art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, it is known for its neo-classical architecture and collection of Asian art.

Image: Christian Dior Store.

Christian Dior Store, Japan

The Dior building is an impressive landmark in Tokyo. The building was designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.

Image: Hearst Tower.

Hearst Tower, New York

This is the world headquarters of Hearst Corporation. The six-storey base of the building was commissioned by the founder, William Randolph Hearst and designed by architect Joseph Urban.