What makes a great and inspirational building? Architects on every continent were asked for their nominations, which included five buildings in Scotland. We asked people who know the buildings well why they love them so much.

Pier Arts Centre, Stromness
The centre, which houses an important collection of twentieth-century Modernist British art, was opened in 1979. Following a major refurbishment by architects Reiach and Hall, the gallery reopened in July 2007. From November 22, the gallery will be showing an exhibition of work by local artists. Neil Firth has been its director since 1993.

"This building is a piece of art - art and architecture are closely linked, after all. I was involved in the planning before the reopening last year. Stromness is a great town that orientates itself to the harbour. It's a very constricted site but we wanted to make a building that was contemporary yet that had reference and relevance to its context and location. What we've got is a building that shows its lineage, its roots, without being a pastiche. You can see the family connection, but it's a different generation of that family.

"We wanted to maintain the quality of what we had and extend that by adding a new layer. We have an eighteenth-century building, twentieth-century art collection and a 21st-century addition.

"The building is a discovery. On the street front it tells you that it's there in a distinct but measured way, but as you go in it, the building reveals itself. Throughout, there are glimpses to the outside, to other bits of the building, and as you walk through it, it's not a labyrinth. One of our staff described it as a building where people lose each other but they don't get lost.

"The building also relates really well to the seasons. There is glass in the top storey that allows a beautiful milky light to come in during the summer, and in the winter, light sheds from the building and silhouettes the old building."

Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Opened in 2004, the Scottish Parliament was designed by Enric Miralles and is built largely in concrete, stainless steel and granite. Adam Elder is the parliament's official photographer. "I love this building. In fact, I often have to stop myself thinking, This is my building'. Sometimes I take pictures of the place with my eyes shut just to see how they turn out. And most of them come out to be beautiful.

"When I started to work here I was faced with a mass of scaffold. Every day I walked through the site, up the walls, over the roofs, climbed the cranes. I knew that it would eventually look good. And as the days led up to the opening in 2004 I had the most beautiful set of spaces in front of me.

"I remember sitting out on Salisbury Crags on a freezing winter night to catch the Committee Towers as the scaffold came down. I remember spending long hours waiting for the ceiling in Committee Room 2 to become fully visible. I remember when electrical power was switched on in December 2003 and people finally realised that this building was like no other.

"In such a stunning piece of architecture it's difficult to pick a favourite part. But the Garden Lobby has to be mine. The incredibly sensual curves of the roof and the ever-changing light make it an unforgettable place. Even when my mood is at its gloomiest, that place lifts my spirits.

"Sometimes I pretend that I'm waiting there to meet someone. I'm usually not. I'm just looking."

Maggie's Centre, Inverness
Situated next to Raigmore Hospital, the centre provides support and counselling for cancer patients and their friends and families. It was designed by the architects Page/Park. Carol Morton started using the centre after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

"I moved to the north of Scotland, having had ovarian cancer and still being in remission. I knew of Maggie's so I made contact when I came up here. I saw the building coming together and going up before my eyes. First impressions always stay with you. When I walked in, I felt I'd arrived somewhere. It wasn't serene, but close.

"It's very light, and the outside is green, which is my favourite colour and is well known to be calming. The centre is focused on the kitchen; they try to make it feel like home and the building is built to make that possible. There are also quiet areas and private places you can go with people.

"It's open enough so that you're not thrust into a crowd of people if you don't feel like it right away but they are there if you do. The layout is very well thought out. There is a lot of pale wood and a lot of thought has gone into the details. At each end there are modern fireplaces which have a warm and welcoming feeling. It's achieving what it's meant to achieve."

Hazelwood School, Glasgow
Designed for children from the ages of two to 18 with sight and hearing problems, Hazelwood sits in a corner of Bellahouston Park and was designed by the architects Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop. Monica McGeever is the headmistress. "Hazelwood is a beautiful building in which to work and learn. As soon as you enter you feel the vibrancy and sense of warmth that the building exudes. The ethos of a school is primarily created by those who use the building, but the design of Hazelwood, the materials, the glimpses of the copper beech trees and the world outside through the windows as you walk along the main corridor and the way in which visually impaired pupils use the sensory wall to move independently, inspire and motivate all in our school community.

"Hazelwood is a great place for children and young people to learn. A school is not only defined by bricks and mortar (or in this case slate and timber) but by the enthusiasm for learning, the teaching, the care and attitude of those who use the building. Our core business is the education of children, and school buildings should enhance the educational experiences of pupils and result in better achievement. The most satisfying aspect of this building is that it does that. This would not happen without the staff, parents and pupils but this building, with its pool, life-skills house and outside learning spaces, leads to better teaching, better learning and for creative approaches to ensure our pupils receive the best education."

Maggie's Centre, Kirkcaldy
Clad in steel and sitting on a concrete plinth, the Maggie's Centre was Zaha Hadid's first project in the UK. Ruth McCabe is the centre head.

"This is a stunning space. The outside is very different from the inside. It looks quite small from the outside but when you come in the building opens up into a large, bright and airy atrium. This gives people a sense of space and being able to use it to fill it with their issues, if that is what they want to do.

"We have a fabulous window area that looks out on to a green, tree-lined area which shows us how the seasons change. We use this as a metaphor to help people recognise that, although times can be challenging, the nature of life is such that change does happen, often very naturally, and that the balance of life can be regained over time.

"Visitors have been heard to describe the space as a sanctuary where they feel safe to say what they are really thinking and feeling about life and their cancer journey. They can let these thoughts and feelings go in the space, in the safety of our community, and then as they leave, they put back up the façade they often present to the outside world of families, friends and colleagues."

The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World
Architecture features 1000 outstanding works from over the world. It includes every building type, from the smallest single houses, cafes and wineries to the largest museums, airports and stadiums. Visit www.phaidon.com

Click here to comment on this story...