eli5 How do you know what direction a building is?

Question

How can they name a building northern, western, southern, or eastern where it can be in any direction depending where you are?

In: Other

Answer 1

I dont know of many builds that are named after directions but when they are usually its in relation to something else. If its the west wing of a building its west of the main/rest of the building. If its the northern tower its north of the other towers. Sometimes it might not be obvious what that refrence is like they might mean east of the river because other building that has a similar function also exists or existed west of the river or something similar.