Online tool creates York Minster in design of famous architects

The team at Selco Builders Warehouse have used the tool called Midjourney to reimagine the Minster in three different contemporary architectural styles inspired by Antoni Gaudi, Zaha Hadid, and Renzo Piano.

They’ve also done this for other UK landmarks including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool, Battersea Power Station in London and Windsor Castle.

Gaudi, Hadid, and Piano have each designed countless well-known buildings across the globe – among others, Gaudi designed the renowned Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Hadid the London Aquatics Centre used in the 2012 Olympics and Piano is the architect behind the Shard in London.

Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect, internationally recognised as one of the ‘fathers’ of the modernism movement. 

Designing extravagant, almost shapeshifting structures became Gaudi’s staple - and he’s best remembered for his Barcelona buildings – the city’s landmark Sagrada Familia is the architect’s most famous work. 

If he’d had a hand in designing York Minster, it may have looked like this:

York Minster in the style of Antoni Gaudi (Image: Selco Builders Warehouse)

Meanwhile, Dame Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi-born British architect known for her radical 'deconstructivist' designs. 

The first woman to be awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Hadid’s works span the globe, from Rome’s MAXXI Museum to the London Aquatics Centre. Hadid also designed one of the stadiums that will host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

Reimagining York Minster in her distinct style using AI shows it could have looked like this:

York Minster if it was designed by Zaha Hadid (Image: Selco Builders Warehouse)

Finally, Renzo Piano is an Italian architect best known for his high-tech public spaces, with a keen interest in technology and modern solutions to architectural problems. 

Many will be aware of one of his works – the Shard in London. His portfolio also includes the New York Times Building in New York City.

Applying his design philosophy to York Minster using the AI tool gives the image below.

York Minster if it was designed by Renzo Piano (Image: Selco Builders Warehouse)

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “UK cities play host to iconic buildings new and old, from Brighton Pavilion to York Minster end everything in between.

"With interest in architecture and architectural styles on the rise, we were curious how some of the nation’s most famous landmarks would translate into different architectural styles.  

“With the capability of artificial intelligence to visualise new concepts, we were able to create impressions of existing buildings in the distinct design styles of renowned architects Antoni Gaudi, Zaha Hadid, and Renzo Piano. Our hope is that these fun designs can inspire projects both big and small to embrace the art that goes into design and construction.”

To view all of the alternative designs of the famous UK landmarks, visit the website at: https://bit.ly/3F7r6Qt