Who we are
Building Guessr is an independent project built around a single idea: that famous buildings are one of the most effective ways to teach geography, history, and cultural context at the same time. The editorial team researches, writes, and maintains the content on this site — the game database, the architecture articles, and the building profiles.
We are not affiliated with any architecture school, publication, or professional body. Our editorial standard is accuracy, clarity, and usefulness to someone who wants to understand a building or a style more deeply than a single Wikipedia paragraph allows.
How buildings are chosen for the database
The game currently includes 945 buildings. Each entry must pass all of the following criteria before it is added:
- Wikipedia image quality: The building must have at least one high-resolution exterior photograph available on Wikimedia Commons. Interiors, reconstructions, and low-resolution images are excluded.
- Verified coordinates: Location data is cross-checked against OpenStreetMap and Google Maps. Structures with ambiguous or disputed locations (e.g. ruins spread across a large area) use a clearly defined central reference point, noted in the entry.
- Standing status accuracy: Each building is classified as standing, partial, or lost based on the most recent Wikipedia sources and, where possible, news or official heritage records. Partial means the main structure survives but with significant original fabric missing; lost means demolished, destroyed, or reduced to a foundation.
- Visual distinctiveness: We prioritise buildings that can be meaningfully identified from a single photograph. Structures that are visually indistinct or whose only distinguishing feature is their interior are generally excluded.
- Geographic diversity: The database is actively curated to avoid over-representation of any single country or region. Europe receives the most entries due to the volume of photographed historic buildings, but the database includes structures from every inhabited continent.
How articles are researched
Each article in the articles library is written from primary and secondary sources: architectural history texts, official heritage body publications (UNESCO, English Heritage, ICOMOS), and peer-reviewed overviews where available. Wikipedia is used as a starting index, not as a primary source.
- Claims about dates, architects, and structural innovations are cross-checked against at least two independent sources before publication.
- Articles are written to be accurate for a general educated reader, not a specialist. Technical terms are explained on first use and are also defined in the Architecture Glossary.
- The "Key Identifiers" section in each article is original synthesis — a practical recognition guide that does not exist in this form in any single reference source.
- The "Spotting It in Building Guessr" section is based on the actual game database: the buildings described are real entries that players will encounter.
Correction policy
If you find a factual error in any article or building profile — a wrong date, architect, location, or standing status — please use the contact page to report it. Include the page URL and the specific claim you believe is incorrect, along with a source if you have one. We review correction requests and update content within 30 days where the error is confirmed.
Content update schedule
New articles are added periodically as the architecture library grows. The game database is reviewed quarterly; buildings are added, corrected, or reclassified based on new image availability and standing-status changes. Existing articles are updated when a significant correction is needed or when new information substantially changes the topic.
The most recent database update was May 2026. Articles published before that date have been reviewed and expanded as part of that update.