Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped example of novelty architecture, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1881 by James V. Lafferty in Margate City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, two miles (3.2 km) south of Atlantic City, in an effort to sell real estate and attract tourists.

Urban photographer Roman Robroek spent five years scouring the continent for the grandest examples of forgotten architectural beauty. Here: Watch your step on this Polish spiral staircase. (Photo by Roman Robroek/South West News Service)

When Roberto Perez (also known as Rob The Original) gives you a haircut, it’s probably not going to be just a haircut. This San-Antonio-based artist and hair stylist creates amazing works of art using nothing but his clients’ scalp and hair as his canvas. Perez can create just about anything he or his clients can think of – from a photo-realistic portrait or illustration to full-head paintings or graphic designs.

Donna Dotan has a self-described obsession with symmetry. Her prowess with architectural photography is well applied in her personal project, “Reflections from Above”, where she captures striking images of New York City reflected in the glass of skyscrapers. She describes the project as a treasure hunt, and says that she is looking for an all-glass skyscraper to add more reflections to her series. (Photo by Donna Dotan)

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 11: Sculptor Oleg Bessonov creates a rosette from clay at the Schlossbauhuette studio where a team of sculptors is creating decorative elements for the facade of the Berliner Schloss city palace on November 11, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The Berliner Schloss was the residence of the Prussian Kaiser and was among the major architectural landmarks of Berlin until it was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in 1945. The communist authorities of East Berlin demolished the building in the 1950s, and today's Berlin government is pursuing an ambitious project to rebuild the palace according to a design by Italian architect Franco Stella, which will recreate the facade of the building but with a modern interior at a cost of approximately EUR 590 million. The Humboldt Forum, the foundation leading the project, has given the Schlossbauhuette sculptors the formidable task of recreating the hundreds of architectural elements that decorated the facade, and though some original pieces were saved, more often the sculptors have only old black and white photos as reference. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

These are the ambitious plans which suggest skyscrapers of the future may house an entire city. The Endless City project is an award-winning proposal by sure Architecture, who propose turning skyscrapers into complete ecosystems. London is the proposed city for the mixed-use tower – which would feature huge ramps linking different sections of the structure. The company, whose design won the SkyScrapers and SuperSkyScrapers Competition, insist the structure would be a great space-saver in dense cities which have previously spread outwards rather than upwards. (Photo by Caters News)