Ontario monument named one of the world's most beautiful buildings

A historic and culturally significant Canadian monument was recently named one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

Timeout has unveiled what it believes are the 24 most beautiful buildings in the world.

"There's beauty all over the place – not to mention some heart-wrenching stories that inspired these structures," the publication said.

The only Canadian building to receive a mention was the National Holocaust Monument, located in Memorial Park in Ottawa, at 1918 Chaudière Crossing.

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Built in 2017, Timeout says that the building's structure centres around six triangular volumes which form the Star of David.

"It's organized around two planes – one ascends, pointing to the future, and the other descends into a space which features murals and photographs of the Holocaust to ensure it's not forgotten."

According to the National Capital Commission (NCC), the monument was built to ensure "the lessons of the Holocaust, as well as the incredible contribution Holocaust survivors made to Canada, remain with the national consciousness for generations to come."

Some of the features of the monument include images and facts about the Holocaust, and photographic landscapes of Holocaust sites painted on the walls. There's also a 21-panel interpretive exhibit.

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Timeout says, "It's our collective duty to learn from the past, and commemorating dark chapters in our history with such stark monuments is one way to encourage that vital introspection."

"Technically entitled 'Landscape of Loss, Memory and Survival', the details in Canada's National Holocaust Monument have been thoughtfully designed to ensure it lives up to its name," it adds.

The Taj Mahal in India was #1 on Timeout's list of the world's most beautiful buildings, followed by Hallgrímskirkja in Iceland. The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt rounded out the top three on Timeout's list.

The full list:

1. Taj Mahal, India
2. Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland
3. The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
4. Fallingwater, USA
5. Ad-Dayr in Petra, Jordan
6. Foundation Louis Vuitton, France
7. Trinity College Library, Ireland
8. Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali
9. Nasir Ol Molk Mosque, Iran
10. The Twist, Norway
11. Sagrada Familia, Spain
12. Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh
13. Pantheon, Italy
14. Palmenhaus at Schonbrunn Palace, Austria
15. Bát Tràng Ceramic Community House, Vietnam
16. Museum at Eldridge Street, USA
17. Santuario de Las Lajas, Colombia,
18. Museum of Old and New Art, Australia
19. Maggie's Centre, St James's Hospital, UK
20. Baháʼí Temple of South America, Chile
21. Futuna Chapel, New Zealand
22. Komera Leadership Centre, Rwanda
23. National Holocaust Monument, Canada
24. Enryaku-ji, Japan