Romania’s Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is the largest civil administration building in the world. Around 70 per cent of it lies empty as the costs of powering it are astronomical. Getty Images
The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official home of the President of India, located in New Delhi, India. The main palace building was formerly known as Viceroy's House. Getty Images
The US White House in Washington DC is probably one of the world’s most recognisable buildings. It’s seldom referred to as a palace, but it is one nonetheless. Susan Walsh /AP Photo
Turkey's Presidential Palace sits inside Ataturk Forest Farm. The government was criticised over its construction due to the complex's high cost and lavish furnishings . Ozge Elif Kizil / Getty Images
Prague Castle is the official residence and office of the President of Czech Republic. It was completed around 880AD by Prince Borivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty. Getty Images
The Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, Austria, is the official residence and workplace of the country's president. It was built as a castle in the 13th century and later converted into a residence by the Habsburg emperors. Getty Images
Indonesia's Bogor Palaces in West Java is situated amid a vast complex of botanical gardens. It was the official home of the Dutch Governor General from 1870 to 1942. Getty Images
The Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan. Its construction began in 2001 and was completed in 2004. Getty Images
The Istana Nurul Iman is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei and the seat of the Brunei government. The palace is located on a sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River, a few kilometres southwest of Bandar Seri Begawan. Alamy
The Presidential Office Building in Taipei is the official workplace of the President of the Republic of China. It was built between 1912 and 1919 by architect Uheiji Nagano. Getty Images
Not just a single building, China's Forbidden City complex in Beijing served as home to emperors and their households, as well as being the country's ceremonial and political centre, for 500 years. It has the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP