What building by modern architects will even be around 500 years from now, much less revered as an example of beautiful architecture?
In fitting with the theme of the GP, not only is it structurally sound (to my knowledge) because of how the pillars are constructed, but it successfully pays homage to Gothic architecture and the oldest inspiration, Nature, while also being new and innovative.
Religious communities have the motivation to build something that lasts and use the best of materials. They see the building as an act of worship, in and of itself. Cathedrals often took extremely long times to build. In some cases, such as the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, they also have the money to build it both well and quickly.
Within many modern protestant Christian communities, building grand buildings is seen as a poor use of money that could be better spent helping people. These grand buildings are seen as less comfortable, efficient and flexible for modern congregations that would prefer lower cost, environmentally friendly and low energy building with community facilities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTS_Tower
Something about those big blocky Brutalist style concrete box buildings you just know the thing is nigh indestructible and is going to be around forever and that to me is the beauty of the thing it has such as permanence about it. It just kind of sticks out there and says 'here I am deal with it'.
I don't say it's as beautiful as the Parthenon, and it might not last 500 years, but we moderns aren't completely shabby...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Saint_Mary_of_the...
> Its saddle roof is composed of eight segments of hyperbolic paraboloids, in such a fashion that the bottom horizontal cross section of the roof is a square and the top cross section is a cross.
The interior is open.
https://goo.gl/maps/R2arUkpaZeD2
The top cross section is also a cross on this one.