Le Corbusier may have described houses as “machines for living in,” but most people take a less functionalist attitude toward the buildings in their lives. Walking around a familiar city, architectural landmarks seem more like old friends than machines. It’s no coincidence that children’s drawings of houses often resemble faces: a door for a mouth and two windows for eyes.
The United Kingdom–based animator and illustrator Michael William Lester took our collective tendency to anthropomorphize architecture and ran with it. His animated drawings of modern architectural landmarks put a friendly spin on many of the world’s most famous buildings. In doing so, he believes he captures something of their essence. “Good architecture interacts with its surroundings,” Lester explains. “It gives off energy, sparks interaction and pulls so much life in that the building itself lives and breathes.”
Read on to see some of Lester’s delightful GIFs.
Dubai’s Burj Al Arab will leave you to the waterslide. He’ll be chilling in the lazy river.
More like the Pebronas Towers, am I right?
Nose always in a book, just like her city’s residents, the Portland Building will become nearsighted if she isn’t careful.
Unfortunately for One Central Park’s shorter tower, truly resilient hair plugs are still a few years away.
True to their name, the Proximus Towers in Brussels often seem a little too close for comfort.
As Brasília Airport understands, sometimes even pilots need a helping hand.
Was it Celine Dion who said goodbye’s the saddest word? Or was it Ho Chi Minh City’s Bitexco Financial Tower?
Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium keeps its eye on the ball.
Check out the Leadenhall Building’s phenomenal posture! He must have had a Groupon for free yoga classes.
Triangles may be a symbol of balance, but the Ryugyong Hotel always seems on edge.
Top image: The towers of Moshe Safdie’s Marina Bay Sands just started their own Beach Boys cover band.
All images courtesy of Michael William Lester