Famous Landmarks Reimagined
Every year, tourists make plans to visit famous landmarks around the world, including the likes of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
But have you ever wondered what they might have looked like if they had been recreated by famous artists?
The team at Bounce have used AI technology to reimagine what some of the world’s most famous landmarks would look like if they were based on the style of popular local artists.
The Statue of Liberty reimagined in the style of Andy Warhol
The Statue of Liberty sculpture, which is located in New York City, was originally designed by the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. To add a true sense of freedom and life to the statue, we have reimagined it in the style of pop art pioneer Andy Warhol. The Pittsburgh-born artist was well known for his bright and colourful imagery, particularly of typical American objects and people, such as dollar bills, Campbell soup cans and the actress Marilyn Monroe.
The Taj Mahal reimagined in the style of Raja Ravi Varma
India’s famous Taj Mahal mausoleum was created by approximately 20,000 artisans back in 1653. It is often regarded as the best example of Mughal architecture and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. One of India’s most well-known artists was Raja Ravi Varma. He was trained in both watercolour and oil painting and mainly focused on Indian mythology and religious themes. His art involved lots of shadows and rich colours, which have been incorporated into our reimagined image.
Big Ben reimagined in the style of Damien Hirst
The construction of Big Ben was completed back in 1859 and it is now one of London’s most iconic landmarks. The tower that houses the Great Clock was originally designed by Augustus Pugin and follows a Gothic revival style. But what would it look like if Damien Hirst was involved? The Bristol-born artist was well known for his bright and colourful work, particularly his spot paintings, which involved rows of randomly coloured circles. We took inspiration from this to reimagine what Big Ben’s tower would look like if Damien Hirst had designed it.
Alhambra reimagined in the style of Pablo Picasso
Alhambra is a complex made up of multiple fortresses and a palace and can be found in Granada, Spain. The design features examples of both Islamic and Spanish Renaissance architecture. Materials such as rammed earth, lime concrete and brick were all used to build the complex, giving it its bronze and beige colour. One of the most famous artists of all time is the Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso. We used one of his most famous periods of work, the Blue Period, as inspiration for our reimagined image. This work of Picasso’s featured a range of blue and green tones, which were then enriched with earthy tones, similar to those of Alhambra.
The Eiffel Tower reimagined in the style of Berthe Morisot
The Eiffel Tower is one of Europe’s most famous landmarks and gets its name from Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed the tower. The landmark is located in Paris, which is often dubbed the city of love. One artist who was particularly famous in Paris after becoming known as one of the Impressionists is Berthe Morisot. Her use of watercolours and a limited soft colour palette worked well to create a sense of romance and elegance, making her the perfect match for her AI-reimagined image of the Eiffel Tower.
The Arc de Triomphe reimagined in the style of Claude Monet
Another famous landmark in Paris is the Arc de Triomphe, which was designed by French architect Jean Chalgrin. The monument was made using a Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture and features four main sculptural groups on each of the pillars. Possibly the most famous French artist of all time is Claude Monet, who was well known for his impressionist paintings, particularly those of outdoor landscapes. His work featured blurred imagery and lots of short brush strokes, which are depicted in our reimagined image.
La Sagrada Familia reimagined in the style of Salvador Dali
La Sagrada Familia is a famous landmark found in the city of Barcelona and is well-known for being the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. The church was designed by the Spanish architects Antoni Gaudí and Francisco de Paula del Villar and features characteristics of Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and Art Noveau styles. One of the most famous artists to hail from Spain is Salvador Dali, who was well-known for his surrealist technique and bizarre images. His artwork often featured typical everyday objects and landscapes that have been deformed, which have been replicated in our reimagined image.
Buckingham Palace reimagined in the style of Banksy
Buckingham Palace is the most famous of the royal residences in England and is located in the city of London. Since the first building was erected on the site in 1624, various architects have worked to enlarge the residence. The outside is modelled heavily on the French Neoclassical style, which features many straight lines and forms. Possibly the most famous artist to come from the UK is Banksy, a pseudonymous street artist known for his distinctive stencilling technique. His work focuses heavily on political and social themes, making him the perfect pairing for our reimagined image of a famous royal residence.
The Pantheon reimagined in the style of Leonardo da Vinci
The Pantheon, which is found in Rome, is a Catholic church and former Roman temple. The design features both Greek and Roman style influences, such as arches, columns and a large hemispherical dome. One of the most well-known artists to come from Italy is Leonardo da Vinci. His work featured lots of detail when it came to anatomy, light, botany and geology, as well as a very clever, yet subtle gradation of tone. However, he was also known for being a prolific draughtsman and often drew very detailed sketches. All of these techniques have been incorporated into our AI-reimagined image.
Stonehenge reimagined in the style of Antony Gormley
Another famous landmark in the UK is Stonehenge, which is located in Salisbury. It is made up of an outer ring of vertical standing stones, reaching approximately 13 feet high. The stones are plain-faced, but what would they look like if they received an Antony Gormley makeover? Antony Gormley is a British sculptor, who is well-known for working on the Angel of the North sculpture which can be found in Gateshead. His work often uses the human body as a theme and attempts to treat the body as a place, rather than an object. To continue this theme, we’ve used AI to add some Gormley-style human features to the Stonehenge monument.