5 iconic monuments around the world designed by women that every traveller should know about

For many years, the most recognizable monuments and buildings around the world were usually designed by men while the role of female architects in this process went unnoticed. Today, some of the most recognizable landmarks of our time were designed by women architects who created both innovative memorials and futuristic architecture.
These landmarks are not just works of great architecture but also reflect new approaches to urban development, memory, sustainability and architecture of public space. Here is the list of five unique landmarks and monuments that were designed by women architects.

One of the most influential memorials of the 20th century was designed by American architect Maya Lin. The landmark was created after Lin won a national design competition in 1981 while she was still an undergraduate architecture student at Yale University. In contrast to other memorials dedicated to wars, which are usually decorated with sculptures of soldiers, Lin chose a very simple design.

The futuristic Heydar Aliyev Center is one of the most recognizable architectural monuments in Azerbaijan and an iconic piece of the work of architect Zaha Hadid. It was built in 2012 and is famous for its unique curved shape that seems to grow out of the ground like some kind of giant flower. This building was revolutionary since the traditional ideas about architecture were not used here; there were no straight lines and sharp corners. Instead, the building is represented by sweeping white surfaces which are connected with the plaza seamlessly. To achieve this result, special engineering methods were used.

Another piece of the masterful work of Zaha Hadid is the MAXXI museum, located in Rome. This museum opened its doors in 2010; it is designed to be the first national museum of contemporary arts in Italy and it is considered to be one of the most important modern art institutions in Europe. In MAXXI, visitors can have unusual experiences because the museum was designed in such a way that walking through it feels like an artistic experience.

The Aqua Tower in Chicago is one of the most eye-catching high-rise buildings on the famous Chicago skyline. This tower was designed by architect Jeanne Gang and built in 2009. Aqua Tower is known for its distinctive wave-shaped balconies jutting outwards at different intervals. With a height of 262 meters, the Aqua Tower used to be the world's tallest building designed by a woman-led architectural company.

Although the design for Canberra is usually attributed to the American architect Walter Burley Griffin, the invaluable contribution made by Marion Mahony Griffin should not be overlooked in terms of influencing how the Australian capital looks today. As an innovative architect, an artist and the first licensed female architect in the world, Marion Mahony Griffin produced some of the beautiful presentation drawings and artistic renderings that made the vision for the city possible.