With so many movies using their surroundings to build brilliant fictional worlds, some pieces of architecture often become just as popular as the movie itself. Some of the best movies are the ones that make the buildings as much of a character as the actors, and this leads to them becoming the most iconic structures in the world.
From increasing tourism for the location and becoming the source of dozens of fan theories to getting blown to smithereens, these are some of the most iconic buildings in movies.
The Bramford – New York City, USA
![Nakatomi Plaza & 9 Other Iconic Movie Buildings](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Rosemarys-Baby-Facts-Dakota.jpg)
The Bramford is the apartment building in which the titular character lives in one of the creepiest movies of all time, Rosemary’s Baby. The under-the-skin narrative all unfolds in this building, which is really “The Dakota” located in the Upper West Side of New York.
The classy but gothic structure is the perfect setting for the movie and with the credits rolling over an aerial shot of the building, it has become one of the most creative end credits of all-time.
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Valencia, Spain
![The Grand Budapest Hotel](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A2FEA4E6-17E8-49C4-9684-4FCC4EB44908.jpeg)
With the building itself literally being the name of the movie, it’s no surprise that the titular “Grand Budapest Hotel” stands out in movie history. It’s no secret that the hotel in the movie is actually a miniature, as The Grand Budapest Hotel has such a striking, cartoonish look about it, but its look is based on the real-life The Palace Bristol Hotel in Valencia, Spain.
The two share the same structure and pink façade, among other architectural features, but the movie wouldn’t be as iconic as it is if it wasn’t such a captivating film, and it’s one of the best Willem Defoe movies too.
The Overlook Hotel, Oregon, USA
![The Overlook Hotel in The Shining](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Overlook-Hotel-The-Shining-e1569009470938.jpg)
Few movies utilize location as much as the actors as The Shining does with the Overlook Hotel. There are many questions surrounding what this movie is really about, which has sparked many fan theories, most of which include the hotel. No matter the theory, they all lead back to The Overlook Hotel as the source of the evil. There’s even a popular theory that the building is hell itself.
The real location is the Timberline Lodge, located in Oregon, and it was at the request of the hotel that the room number of the iconic hotel room be changed from 217, which is the room number in the novel, to 237. The hotel requested this because they feared that nobody would be willing to stay in room 217 after the release of the movie. However, if anything, it has only increased footfall, as Timberline now gets two million guests per year.
Wayne Manor – Nottingham, England
![Wayne Manor in Dark Knight Rises](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/E4CA7F58-4030-49EB-B85C-9D0C543E3A9A.jpeg)
There have been many different takes on Wayne Manor, whether it’s a real-life Mansion in Joel Schumacher’s movies, or an oil painting in Tim Burton’s movies, or a garage in The Dark Knight. However, The Dark Knight Rises has possibly the best depiction of Wayne Manor, as it shows off just how vast Wayne’s fortune really is.
The real residence is actually a castle. Wollaton Castle is in Nottingham, England, and it has seen a rise in tourism after being featured in the movie, with members of staff calling it the “Batman Effect.”
Al Khazneh – Petra, Jordan
![Al-Khazneh](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Al-Khazneh.jpg)
As there was no internet in 1989, few people had access to visit great tourist attractions from afar, so apart from books, it was movies that gave audiences insight into exotic locales.
Located in Petra, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade made great use out of Al Khazneh, using it as the temple that holds the Holy Grail. In fact, the movie made Al Khazneh look so picturesque that it boosted tourism in Jordan, which is one of the many interesting facts about the movie. Since the film’s release, Al Khazneh has been featured in tons of other media, including An Idiot Abroad and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
The Chrysler Building – New York City, USA
![The Chrysler Building in Godzilla](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/D29BEF9E-C377-4547-9C38-7AA9A3861095.jpeg)
Unlike other real-life buildings that are best known for appearing in a particular movie, The Chrysler Building is an iconic structure in New York. However, as Godzilla is based in The Big Apple, the film actually makes great use of the city.
In one infamous scene that makes almost no sense, a pilot shoots a missile at Godzilla, but completely misses and hits The Chrysler Building, completely blowing it to smithereens.
Griffith Observatory – Los Angeles, USA
![The Griffith Conservatory in Rebel Without A Cause](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/753FD274-CFFD-454B-B4D4-B1EE8CB77B14.jpeg)
Rebel Without a Cause wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the presence of the Griffith Observatory, just as the Griffith Observatory wouldn’t be seen in the same light if it wasn’t amazingly captured in the 1955 movie.
The building and movie are so intertwined with one another that there’s even a statue of James Dean, the star of the movie, that stands in front of the observatory. Since 1955, the building has been heavily present in other movies, including La La Land, and the scene was one giant homage to Rebel.
Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 – New York City, USA
![Ghostbusters Firehouse](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/EBD45344-570A-4E3F-A92B-B38B86D592C9.jpeg)
Ever since The Ghostbusters scouted the fire station to use as their base, the little firehouse has become world-famous for housing all those proton packs.
The Ghostbusters building has also appeared in other TV shows and movies, including Seinfeld, Hitch, and How I Met Your Mother, and the building is so iconic that there is even a Lego set based on the structure.
Randy’s Donuts – Inglewood, USA
![Randy’s Donuts in Iron Man 2](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2380BDD2-C7C6-437A-96E3-E8889459FD7A.jpeg)
Iron Man 2 might not be one of the top tier Marvel movies, but it does have some classic Tony Stark moments. One of the very best moments comes when Stark is taking a break, sitting in the middle of the hole of the donut that sits on top of Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, California.
His helmet is off, he’s wearing shades, and enjoying a glazed donut, and it’s the coolest scene of the movie. It isn’t the only move that can be found making use of the giant inedible donut either, as it can be found rolling down the street in the disaster movie 2012 while L.A. is collapsing.
Nakatomi Plaza – Los Angeles, USA
![Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Nakatomi-Plaza-in-Die-Hard.jpg)
There’s no other building more iconic than Nakatomi Plaza, which was taken over by terrorists and then blown up in one of the best nonfamily Christmas movies of all time, Die Hard. In reality, the unique looking building is called the Fox Plaza, but it’s much more known for having Bruce Willis crawl around in the air vents grumpily mumbling to himself.
The studio was so worried that the movie wouldn’t sell tickets because audiences couldn’t see Bruce Willis as an action star at the time, the first posters issued for the film featured only the building with Willis completely absent.