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The Quirinale Palace, Rome
There are many amazing sights in Rome's Quirinale Palace, but the Mascarino Staircase has to be the highlight. These sweeping stone steps were commissioned in the late 1500s by Pope Gregory XIII and designed by the architect Ottaviano Mascarino.
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Ever since, they have been considered a marvel of engineering and art. They stretch from the cellar to the attic, passing by the private and public papal apartments, allowing the Pope and his attendants to ascend in style.
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The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
When Solomon R. Guggenheim wrote to America's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, requesting him to design a museum for his art collection, he asked for "a temple of spirit, a monument!" - Wright provided one with this iconic swirling concrete building.
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Wright intended for visitors to ride an elevator to top, and gently descend the curving ramp, spiralling downwards. The open atrium would allow visitors to interact with artworks, and even other people, on other floors. This inspired design still entertains today.
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The Quinta da Regaleira
While many spirals are for public display, few people were expected to see this, the initiation well at the Quinta da Regaleira, near Sintra, Portugal. This 27 metre deep 'well' was never used for water, it was actually a ceremonial space, used for initiating Tarot readers.
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The number of steps in the spiral staircase is linked to Tarot rituals, while other ornamental details may be Masonic references. Despite appearing ancient, the well was built by the estate's eccentric owner, Carvalho 'The Millionaire' Monteiro, in 1904.
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The Round Tower, Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, Denmark, the 17th-century Rundetaarn or 'Round Tower' had a more practical purpose. It was built on the order of King Christian IV as an observatory, to further the astronomical discoveries and achievements of the famous Danish astronomers of the era.
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A single smooth brick ramp encircles the core of the building, allowing access to the observatory at its top. This unusual design was chosen to allow horses to carry crates of books up to the library, and to wheel heavy and delicate equipment to the observatory.
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San Siro Stadium
Officially the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, better known as San Siro, this football stadium is surely one of the greatest in the world - and not just for its home teams, A.C. Milan and Inter Milan - it's an architectural marvel.
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, San Siro Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, San SiroTouring Club Italiano
The stadium was originally built in 1925, with an elegant exterior that also made for excellent crowd control. Between 1948 and 1955, the stadium was expanded, and the architects made sure to include spiralling features in the new design.
