The 10 Best Buildings of 2012

In 2011, Zaha Hadid finally claimed her legend. She won a Stirling Prize—Royal Institute of British Architects coveted prize for excellence—and designed one of the finest buildings for the London Olympics. She hasn't slackened her pace, and in 2012 proved (once and for all) that she is the true starchitect of our generation. The best buildings this year certainly weren't anonymous—a veritable who's who of contemporary genius is represented—but we'd be remiss in not celebrating Hadid once again for continually pushing our expectations of the built environment.

She wasn't, of course, alone.

Selecting the best buildings completed in a calendar year isn't an easy task. Thousands of worthy structures rise from the ground every 12 months, and many will be remembered for centuries to come. To end 2012, we've simply selected the structures that caught our fancy and kept our attention. Included are museums and super towers; sporting venues and impermanent pavilions, all new icons for their respective homes.

The 10 Best Buildings of 2012

Location: Brooklyn

Architect: Ellerbe Becket/ ShOP Architects

Brooklyn's new basketball mecca isn't universally loved. Nor is it, truth be told, the finest example of sporting architecture of 2012. However, Ellerbe Becket and ShOP Architects are responsible for one of the most talked about new structures in New York City. The facade, built of "weathering steel," gives it personality and instant Brooklyn landmark status.

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Location: Beijing

Architect: Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren

10 years in the making, the China Central Television Headquarters has had its ups and downs. Critics panned designs. Fires disrupted construction. Koolhaus even had to deny the design referenced female sex organs. Cast aside trials and tribulations, and CCTV Tower succeeds in redefining expectations of the skyscraper. The complex structure, held fast by steel cross-braces, finds two towers angling towards each other and ultimately embracing. An engineering marvel, and certainly worth celebrating in final form.

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Location: London

Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The tallest building in the European Union, Renzo Piano's "Shard" towers above London Bridge and shifts the skyline of the Big Smoke south of the Thames. Piano designed the building in 2000 and in 2007 it was criticized by English Heritage as "A shard of glass through the heart of historic London." From the jibe, the structure got its name and rather than shame the city, it has proved a valued addition.

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Location: Cleveland

Architect: Farshid Moussavi

A gleaming hexagon on an otherwise unassuming stretch of uptown Cleveland road, architect Farshid Moussavi's first U.S. commission is a remarkable little structure. Four-stories and 34,000-square-foot sit within the polished stainless steel facade. The sculptural form doesn't damage exhibition space, which balances a healthy portion of natural light with enough space for bold, large-scale installations.

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Location: Eugene, Oregon

Architect: Skylab Architecture

Impermanent architecture deserves as much recognition as new buildings that add flare and flavor to city skylines. Unveiled at the Olympic Running Trails in Eugene, OR, Camp Victory housed a digital experience focused on competition though sensory environments. The dynamism of the pavilion itself pushes the story of speed, running, and innovative training. In a summer chalk full of sport, Skylab provide the proper space for celebrating the present while contemplating the future of athletic design.

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Location: Amsterdam

Architect: Emma Architecten

Located at Fort Diemerdam, Emma Architecten's fantastic visitors center houses a cafe and lookout space. The building draws from the surrounding architecture for inspiration, giving a contemporary twist to traditionally military structures. The curved exterior and winding rise have tremendous personality—it's the perfect complement to history.

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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Architect: Lyons

Technology meets design in Australia, where the Swanston Academic Building features a pixelated facade that maps surrounding buildings. The exterior design informs the interior, spaces filled with experimental teaching that match the bold colors. There are nearly 100 distinct areas of the building, each helping to push forward the full potential of RMIT University.

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Location: Philadelphia

Architect: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects

With the Barnes Foundation, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien took on an enormous challenge—replicating the galleries of Dr. Barnes' Marrion, PA home. While the interior of the new building mirrors the former home of the installed paintings, the exterior is fresh, warm facade of limestone and bronze. In a world where our product design attempts to forge a bold new future while referencing the core values of the past, this building embodies the now more than any completed in 2012.

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Location: London

Architect: Populous

Designed by the reigning kings of sporting architecture, Populous, London's Olympic Stadium captured the attention of athletics fans and the hearts of architectural critics this summer. The structure was shotlisted for a Stirling Prize, despite some detractors-critic Tom Dyckhoff called it "tragically" underwhelming-and most folks celebrated the economy of its ornament and appropriateness as a icon to global sport.

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Location: East Lansing, MI

Architect: Zaha Hadid

In stunning pleated steel, Zaha Hadid's quiet—considering the massive buzz of last year's St. Mathews School and Olympic Aquatic Center—entry to 2012 best of lists proved her genius in museum design. Call it contemporary art to house contemporary art. Call it a sculptural contrast to the Collegiate Gothic that surrounds. Call it a much needed anecdote to Eli Broad and MoCA L.A. news—a reminder that his contribution to the art world extends beyond Southern California. Regardless of what you call it, Hadid's Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum captured our attention and won't likely fade out of memory anytime soon.

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