And, as a bonus, the unadorned structure of these buildings also served as their decor.

FORBES: On The Cover/Top Stories

Renzo Piano, a celebrated museum architect, is already on his third model, a wooden structure consisting of 14 interconnecting buildings, painted red with glass roofs pointing to the north.

ECONOMIST: Modern art curators

The two institutes have developed compact and portable x-ray devices capable of analysing the structure and chemical composition of ancient bones, buildings, and art objects in a non-destructive fashion.

UNESCO: Basic Sciences

The structure was built in 1887 and is one of 36 buildings constructed between 1885 and 1936 that compose the Pratt Institute Historic District.

WSJ: Fire Damages Pratt Building

"The risk factors include the dimensions of the structure, its location and its location relative to other buildings around it, " explains Matthew Waldrum from Omega Red Group, who assesses the risk of lightning hitting buildings.

BBC: What is the chance of lightning striking St Peter's?

We're at the end of a boom that demanded architects focus on iconic buildings that prized shape over structure and form.

WSJ: A Renegade Architect Connects Cities and the Natural World