10 strange buildings in the world
Architecture and creativity combined, result in beautiful and strange structures. Countless of which are extremely peculiar like authentic works of art that twist or seem to defy the laws of gravity. If some assume rounded shapes, others have more rigid lines. Since the giant books of Kansas library to the twisted house in Prague, there are other buildings that put our perception into question. Check them out!
National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing, China)
The National Centre for the Performing Arts, colloquially known as The Giant Egg, is an opera house in Beijing, China. The structure consists of a large dome of titanium that gives the illusion of being cut in half, and is surrounded by an artificial lake.
Dancing House (Prague, Czech Republic)
The Dancing House in Prague (nicknamed "Ginger and Fred") is a building designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. The name comes from the building’s strange shape, a deconstructivist style, which resembles a dancing couple. It was built between 1992 and 1995 and, since then, despite the stark contrast with the rest of Prague architecture, has become a symbol of the city.
Krzywy Domek (Sopot, Poland)
Krzywy Domek (Polish for crooked little house) is an irregularly-shaped building located in the Polish city of Sopot. It was designed by Szotyńscy & Zaleski, under the inspiration of children's books and drawings of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg.
Stone House (Fafe, Portugal)
Born in the seventies and used as a holiday home, The Stone House’s interior is in accordance with the rustic environment of the region. It consists of the union of two huge rocks, bricks, boulders and mortar. There are two floors with six small rooms.
The Longaberger Company (Ohio, United States)
This building-basket is owned by The Longaberger Company, a manufacturer of baskets and other lifestyle products. The company's headquarters took the form of his best seller product, the 'Medium Market Basket'. It has seven floors and the basket handles can be heated during the winter to prevent ice damage.
Kansas City Public Library (Kansas City, Missouri, United States)
The building of the Public Library of Kansas City in the US state of Missouri, was opened in 2004 and cost 50 million dollars. The facade consists of an imitation of 22 giant book spines, which measure 7.5 m high by 2.70 m wide approximately, reflecting a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by Kansas City readers.
The Lotus Temple (New Delhi, India)
The Lotus Temple, is a Bahá'í House of Worship located in New Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape. The building was completed in 1986 and serves as the mother temple in the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and has been featured in hundreds of newspaper articles and magazines.
United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel (U.S. Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs,CO, United States)
The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel is a religious building completed in 1962 and located at the United States Air Force Academy north of Colorado Springs, USA.
Casa Milà (Barcelona, Spain)
Casa Mila, popularly called La Pedrera, is a Modernist building located in Barcelona. The history of this building is quite interesting. It was designed by Antoni Gaudi and built for a married couple. It is a remarkable building, with a style considered unconventional which doesn't even have one single straight wall, instead, an undulating stone facade as well as twisting wrought iron balconies. In 1984 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Kunsthaus Graz (Graz, Austria)
The Kunsthaus Graz, Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum is a modern art museum located in Graz, Austria. Founded in 2003, it is a contemporary building among the traditional European buildings.