But the building is a significant one, a "monument of European importance," per British preservation group Twentieth Century Society.

The most common residential floor plans in European cities offer a window into urban history and culture. In London, it's the "two-up, two-down" row house.

A different kind of wealth distribution in 17th-century Amsterdam paved the way for its quintessential home design.

Even the most important cultural and architectural sites aren't immune to a chaotic world. Between war, natural disasters, and plain old capitalistic development, countless cultural heritage sites are in need of protection and preservation.

The recent loss of popular murals and local pubs is fueling a deeper angst over mass tourism, redevelopment and urban transformation in the Irish capital.