6 Incredible High-Tech Buildings

Described by many as the ugliest building in Paris, the Pompidou Centre is perhaps the best known example of High-Tech architecture. It was designed by Richard Rogers & Renzo Piano, who placed the modular services on the exterior, allowing for an enormous, uncluttered interior.

Lloyd's of London took on a huge risk when they commissioned this groundbreaking, unconventional design by Richard Rogers in 1978. The gleaming steel structure turned a few heads, but ultimately it paid off. In 2011 the iconic building was granted cultural protection.

The HSBC Building is the headquarters of the Hong Kong-based bank. Designed by Norman Foster, this modular building was actually built in Glasgow, Scotland, before being shipped to Hong Kong. Inside, the building is lit naturally by windows and giant mirrors.

This structure towers above the low-lying, historic city of Prague. This tower is actually is a piece of technology, being used to transmit TV signals across the city. Designed by Václav Aulický, it also houses a hotel room, a restaurant, and an observation deck.

One of the largest conference centres in Europe at 320m long, the ICC opened in 1979, having been designed by Ralf Schüler and Ursulina Schüler-Witte. Today, it is regarded as a landmark of post-war German architecture.

One of Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman's earliest buildings, the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts is found on the campus of the University of East Anglia, where it holds the Sainsbury art collection while embodying Foster & Cheesman's vision of a 'universal space'.