Gorgeous west suburban temple which features extra-good music, even some really avant-garde stuff. But it falls in the "famed building" realm, as it is Frank Lloyd Wright-designed. One of 17 structures designed by Wright to earn kudos from the American Institute of Architects as representative of his contribution to American culture, Wright said the temple was "my contribution to modern architecture. And that, to me, is modern architecture."

Wright was commissioned to design the building when Unity Church of Oak Park was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1905. Your typical slew of problems, like limited budget and a noisy corner lot, made themselves known. But what's a famous architect without a famous solution?

Says the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, "His bold cubical design broke barriers for both religious and secular architecture in America and throughout the world. The material [cast-in-place reinforced concrete] produced a dramatic facade, afforded privacy, muffled street noise, and kept costs low. The exterior walls and cantilevered roofline were formed as a direct expression of the monumental space within."