Strange and Unusual Buildings

Do you sometimes wonder what are the weirdest buildings are? Well, you’ve come to the right place because we are here to present to you the world’s strange and unusual buildings. Because who says a building has to look boring and normal?

1. The Basket Building in Ohio

This building is owned by the Longaberger Basket Company. It is designed and constructed to look exactly like the basket they are famous for producing. Although contractors and architects tried to convince Mr. Longaberger to go for a different design, his mind was set. Nevertheless, he still made the perfect choice because the beauty of the building is one of the glories of Ohio’s skyline.

2. Borgund Stave Church in Norway

The Borgund Stave Church in Norway was built around 1180 and, because it was remarkably preserved, it became one of the most distinctive stave churches in Norway. Some of its finest features are the carefully carved portals. The Borgund Stave Church is one of Norway’s most important contributions to the field of architecture.

3. Habitat 67 in Montreal, Canada

Habitat 67 in Montreal, Canada

Habitat 67 was built as a model community and housing complex in Montreal, Canada. It was designed by an Israeli-Canadian architect named Moshe Safdie. The Habitat 67 is composed of 354 identical and prefabricated concrete forms that are arranged in different combinations.

4. Nautilus House in Mexico

The Nautilus House was designed by a Mexican architect named Javier Senosiain. It is a shell-shaped house that has a blend of modern architecture and contemporary art. This was made for a young family with two children who were tired of living in a conventional home.

5. Atomium in Belgium

The Atomium is built for the 1958 World Exhibition and from then on it became one of the most popular tourist attraction in Europe. The Atomium is shaped like an elementary iron crystal and to be able to walk from sphere to sphere you will have to take surreal walks through futuristic tubes. The upper sphere gives you a magnificent view of the city’s skyline.

6. Wonderworks in the United States of America

This Wonderworks building was constructed in 1998 and it is an upside-down building complete with upside-down palm trees. The interior of the building even has an upside-down appearance too. The Wonderworks building is an entertainment center that features science exhibits. For more strange buildings in America, check out our article, What Are the Most Unusual Buildings You Can Find in the United States?

7. Cubic Houses in the Netherlands

The Cubic Houses feature forty conventional houses that are tilted 45 degrees. This building is the first cube-shaped house in Holland and through the years it also became one of the icons of Rotterdam.

8. Pallais Bulles in France

This Bubble House is designed by the famous architect named Antti Lovag. The house is known for its legendary luxurious parties and grand events.

9. Museum of Contemporary Art in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Museum of Contemporary Art in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

This museum building was designed by the famous Brazilian architect named Oscar Niemeyer. The saucer-shaped building is located above the Guanabara bay in Niteroi. When you are inside, you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city of Rio De Janeiro. This building will make you feel like you’re in The Jetsons cartoon series.

10. Sagrada Familia in Spain

This church is Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished work of art. The Sagrada Familia is one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. The construction of this church is said to continue for another decade. This became an unfinished business because Gaudi was constantly changing and improvising the design while the construction was going on.

11. The Crooked House in Poland

There’s nothing wrong with your vision, the house really looks like that. The Crooked house is an irregularly shaped building that was built in 2004 by Szoty and Zaleski. It is part of the Rezydent Shopping Center in Poland.

12. Kansas City Public Library in the United States of America

What makes this building unique and amazing is the façade of its parking garage because it looks like a row of books that are lined up on a shelf. These 25 feet high and nine feet wide row of books was built in 2006 and the titles on the books to be displayed were voted by community members.

13. Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado, USA

The Air Force Academy Chapel is the most noticeable building at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It was built and designed by Walter Netsch, Owings, and Merrill in 1962. Its most striking feature is its 17 row of spires. It is said that the shell of the chapel and its surrounding alone costs over 3.5 million dollars to build.

14. Kunsthaus Graz in Austria

This alien looking building was designed by Colin Fournier and Sir Peter Cook. This modern art museum is an architectural landmark in the city center. Locals like to call this building the “Friendly Alien” and this blob-shaped museum building contains design, contemporary art, film, photography, and new media. It is made from 1,288 semi-transparent acrylic glass panels which generate energy with its built-in photovoltaic panels.

15. China Central Television Headquarters in China

This 234 meters tall building is the new headquarters of China Central Television. This building was completed in May 2012 after going through some construction delays because of a fire which happened in February 2009. You may also check out our article, What Are the Strangest Buildings You Can Find in Asia? to discover more unusual buildings in Asia

16. The Church of Hallgrimur in Iceland

This Lutheran parish church stands at 74.5 meters high making it the sixth tallest architectural structure in Iceland and the largest church in Iceland. It was designed by architect Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937 and the church took almost 38 years to build.

17. Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, USA

What makes this building stand out is its exquisite stainless steel exterior and its postmodern style. The building’s complex structural patterns and sleek curves are matched by no other concert hall in the country.

18. Seattle Central Library in Seattle USA

This building was the flagship library of the Seattle Public Library System. It is an eleven story glass and steel building that was opened in May 2004. This library could hold a total of 1.45 million books and other materials. And during its first year, an estimated two million people visited this library.

19. Waldspirale in Germany

The building’s name, Waldspirale, means Forest Spiral in German because of its forested roof and spiraling floor plan. The building is wrapped around a landscaped courtyard with a running stream. The Waldspirale is the first high rise building in Germany that is made out of recycled concrete.

20. Montreal Biosphere in Montreal, Canada

This museum is dedicated to the environment. It was built for the 1967 World Fair Expo in Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Biosphere is made of acrylic and steel cells and it was designed by Buckminster Fuller.