Trivia: Who is the first known architect in history?
Frank Lloyd Wright
Zaha Hadid
Imhotep
Pericles
Correct Answer: Imhotep
So why is this answer correct? : Imhotep designed Egypt’s Pyramid of Djoser way back in 2630 BCE. He also gets credit for using columns before anyone else, and starting a lasting trend of using stone for buildings (though he wasn’t actually the first to do so). His architecture served as the base for many other styles.
Trivia: The son of what architect invented Lincoln Logs?
Antoni Gaudí
Frank Gehry
Philip Johnson
Frank Lloyd Wright
Correct Answer: Frank Lloyd Wright
So why is this answer correct? : John Lloyd Wright’s work with his father, Frank Lloyd Wright, on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan would inspire one of America’s most popular toys. The Imperial Hotel’s earthquake-resistant structure served as the jumping-off point for Lincoln Logs, which the younger Wright began toying with while in the country. In 1920, he submitted the patent for the toy, which was sold to Playskool in 1943.
Trivia: Which famous building was the result of an international competition?
Sydney Opera House
Empire State Building
Big Ben
Hagia Sophia
Correct Answer: Sydney Opera House
So why is this answer correct? : When the call went out for a new opera house in Sydney Harbor in 1956, hundreds of architects submitted designs. The award went to Jørn Utzon from Denmark, who received ₤5000 for his winning design, which resembled white boat sails set against the harbor.
Trivia: How tall is One World Trade Center?
1,492 feet
1,776 feet
1,863 feet
2,001 feet
Correct Answer: 1,776 feet
So why is this answer correct? : The total height of One World Trade Center in New York City, including the observation deck and antenna, is 1,776 feet, symbolic of the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed. Its height also makes it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. There are other forms of symbolism in its design, too — for example, its base is 200 square feet, the same as the original Twin Towers, which were destroyed during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack..
Trivia: Prague’s Dancing House is nicknamed after which famed duo?
Sonny and Cher
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon
Correct Answer: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
So why is this answer correct? : The Nationale Nederlanden building is one of Prague’s most recognizable structures. Also known as the “Dancing House,” or sometimes “Fred and Ginger,” the striking pair of buildings were constructed during Prague’s cultural “Velvet Revolution.” Architects Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry collaborated on the original design, which resembles two dancers leaning into one another. The building was constructed between 1992 and 1996.
Trivia: Why is the Pentagon building shaped like a pentagon?
For strategic defense
To resemble the stars on the flag
Squares were considered boring
The land was the same shape
Correct Answer: The land was the same shape
So why is this answer correct? : The shape of the building mimics the shape of the plot of land the government originally snapped up for the project. While conservation concerns ultimately led to the project being built on a different location, the building kept its unique shape as planned.
Trivia: What world-famous museum is covered in titanium?
MOMA NYC
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Tate Modern
Art Institute of Chicago
Correct Answer: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
So why is this answer correct? : Architect Frank Gehry covered the famous Spanish museum in 33,000 titanium sheets after he saw the way the material behaved on the wall of his office. Constructed between 1993 and 1997, the titanium sheets reflect the changing weather conditions. This gives the building a different appearance depending on the day, time, and weather.
Trivia: What does the St. Louis Gateway Arch commemorate?
Westward expansion
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Scientific Progress
World War II
Correct Answer: Westward expansion
So why is this answer correct? : The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is not only the largest monument in the Western Hemisphere, but the largest arch in the world. Constructed between 1963 and 1965, it was originally called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and was constructed to commemorate westward expansion, honoring Thomas Jefferson’s negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase and the exploration of the west by Lewis and Clark.
Trivia: Which architect designed the controversial glass pyramid at the Louvre?
I.M. Pei
Buckminster Fuller
Leonardo da Vinci
Ray Eames
Correct Answer: I.M. Pei
So why is this answer correct? : French President François Mitterand’s gamble to restore the Louvre paid off in a big way — though it wasn’t without controversy. Unveiled in 1989, architect I.M. Pei added the glass pyramids (there are actually five total) which were initially met with criticism. However, they eventually became instrumental in revitalizing the museum, which now welcomes more than 10 million visitors each year.
Trivia: Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa on a tilt?
The architect liked it that way
It was built on soft ground
War damage shifted it
No one really knows
Correct Answer: It was built on soft ground
So why is this answer correct? : Builders first noticed that the belltower for the Pisa cathedral complex leaned slightly when they completed the third level of the structure in the 14th century. They tried to compensate for the soft ground by building the remaining levels slightly shorter on one side, but the tactic didn’t work. The tower now tilts five meters to one side.