Architects hoping their creations will be described as ‘gems’ could take the literal route and design faceted structures that call to mind diamonds, geodes and other precious stones. Made of glass or mirrored stainless steel, the geometric panels shimmer in the sunlight and give off their own glow after dark.

Rock Gym by New Wave Architecture, Polur, Iran

A jagged stretch of glass slices up the boulder-like walls of this climbing gym in Iran, mimicking the look of crystals poking out of a geode. The design, by New Wave Architecture, was inspired by the geological process of large-scale movements of the earth’s crust and tectonic forces.

The Diamond Chapel, Bali

A massive blue diamond tipped on its side sits in a clear pool of water at Sanur’s Grand Bali Beach Hotel, serving as a dramatic and highly photogenic wedding chapel.

Park & Suites Arena, Montpelier, France

French architecture firm A+ Architecture gave the Park & Suites Arena in Montpelier a highly unusual look with an amethyst gemstone design on its steel cladding.

The Octopus, Make Architects, London

Make Architects call the Octopus, a proposal for London’s western gateway, “part building, part sculpture.” Sitting beside a derelict site next to a busy intersection, the building features a metallic, semi-transparent shroud that acts as a solar shade as well as a screen for high-resolution LED displays showing advertising.

Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida

Designed by Yann Weymouth, who helped create the Louvre Museum’s famous glass pyramid, the $36 million Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida boats an undulating geodesic wave comprised of over 1,000 glass triangles that contrasts with extra-thick concrete walls.

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Architectural Gems 13 Blinged Out Buildings Cut Like Stones

A faceted glass structure clings to the ruins of a stone church in Santpedor, Spain, filling in a gaping hole that was created with the demolition of an adjacent convent. Built modestly by priests between 1721 and 1729, the hermitage of Sant Francesc started to crumble long ago, and by 2000 the roof had sunk and the vaults of the nave and chapels had partially collapsed, leaving it looking as if it the rest of it would come down at any time.

But anyone brave enough to step through the doors would have found an interior that was still stunning in its cavernous arched spaciousness, daylight streaming in through massive holes in the ceiling. That hint of promise, along with its historical value, is what led to the intervention by architect David Closes (photographs by Jordi Surroca.)

Closes transformed the church with a stunning modern addition and interior renovation that integrates the character of the ruins into the new elements, creating contrast and preserving a perspective of the church’s past. Sant Francesc is now home to a multi-functional cultural center and auditorium.

Smooth concrete and timber enhance the aged qualities of the stone in the new interiors, with partially-collapsed areas and holes simply filled in with windows to show off rather than correct the damage that was done to the structure over the centuries.

For all the effort, skill and time it takes to produce a typical work of origami, the result can be ephemeral, limited by the delicate nature of  paper. But apply the same techniques and visuals to architecture, and suddenly the intriguing geometric and mathematical qualities of this ancient Japanese art take on a sense of awe-inspiring scale and permanence. Here are 14 faceted structures, from flat pack emergency shelters to multi-story museums.

Bilbao Health Department

The folded facade of this Health Department building in Bilbao, Spain is not only a striking architectural feature, but a creative solution to a building code that requires setbacks for multi-story buildings along major streets. The origami-inspired glass is a second skin that increases energy efficiency.

Instant Flat-Pack Origami Shelter

A series of sheets unfold from a small, compact package into a three-dimensional shelter. The design, by Doowon Suh, is envisioned as a modular emergency shelter that could easily be transported and set up in the aftermath of a disaster.

Origami Office Building, Paris

Looking like a cross between the Japanese art of origami and Art Nouveau, Manuelle Gautrand’s Origami Office Building in Paris features a double-layered curtain wall of glazing and faceted marble. The folded marble panels add an extra dimension to the building’s exterior, creating textural patterns that look fresh and modern yet blend with the adjacent historic architecture.

Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theater, Rockford, Illinois

Folding roof panels that open up to the sky give the Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theater at Rock Valley College in Illinois an origami feel. The transforming roof closes in poor weather conditions to ensure that the show can always go on, but maintains the feel of the outdoor theater that was formerly on the site.

Origami Disaster Cave

With a design based on a water molecule, the Digital Origami Emergency Shelter by LAVA offers temporary shelter after a disaster while “giving an opportunity for personal expression.” The wooden units can either be shipped flat-pack or cut using local plywood. Each can sleep two adults and one child, and is fitted with battery or solar-powered LED lights.

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Origami Inspired Architecture 14 Geometric Structures