edifice
n.a large, impressive building or structure. It can also mean a strong system of ideas or beliefs that supports a society.
n.a large, impressive building or structure; by extension, a complex system of ideas or beliefs that supports a social or political order.
“The city's skyline is dominated by a massive stone edifice.”
“The government built a new edifice to house the national museum of history.”
“The philosopher argued that the collapse of the old edifice was necessary for the emergence of a more equitable social contract.”
From Middle English edifice, from Old French edifice, a classical borrowing of Latin aedificium (“building”), derived from aedificāre (“to build, establish”) (whence also English edify).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.