Last Updated on June 22, 2020 by Iris Sinilong
Have you ever gone on vacation and seen a building that’s just too bizarre to comprehend? I’m not talking about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, although that’s a bit out of whack. No, I’m talking about buildings so far-fetched that you can’t help but wonder about the architect responsible for creating them.
Take a look to see what I mean …
#7: Edificio Mirador apartments, Spain
The Mirador Apartments in Spain are made up of 156 apartments in twenty-one floors with a massive rectangular opening that stands nearly thirty-seven metres above the ground! The opening features a garden for tenants to enjoy, and the colours are certainly intriguing — black, orange and grey can be seen throughout the building’s exterior in a unique display of beauty and curiosity.
#6: Turning Torso Tower, Malmo, Sweden
The tallest building in Scandinavia, construction of the Turning Torso Tower began in the summer of 2001. It is a surreal building to see, one that twists and turns the mind’s eye. Officially open to the public on August 27, 2005, the tower stands 54 stories tall.
#5: Cubic Houses, Amsterdam, Holland
Cubic Houses (Kubus woningen)
Built in Rotterdam and Helmond in The Netherlands, this funky design aims to make each house appear as a tree, with the neighbourhood adding up to a “forest” of sorts. With a ground floor entrance, three full floors, and nearly 100 square metres of space per home, these angled rooftops are nothing you’ve ever seen!
#4: The Longaberger Company Building, Ohio
You got it – this is the actual headquarters building of The Longaberger Company! Can you imagine coming in to work each day to this giant straw basket? This family-operated company is in Newark, Ohio–they produce specialty foods, pottery and other goods. Opened in 1997, this seven-story masterpiece is a whopping 180,000 square feet in size!
#3: Ferdinand Cheval Palace or “Ideal Palace,” France
Ferdinand Cheval was a man of immense passion when it came to art, and he devoted more than three decades to the creation of his ideal palace. In 1969 the palace was classified as a historical monument in France. Open to the public during most of the year, this is truly a sight to behold. Creativity comes in droves when one surveys the nooks and crannies that shape this abstract and artistic palace.
#2: Crooked House, Sopot, Poland
Built in 2003 in downtown Sopot, Poland, this building is one that will tease your senses, almost making you think the structure is severely distressed and about to crack! Three stories in height, the building has become one of the most photographed structures in the entire country! Whoa – anyone else feeling sea-sick?
#1: Shoe house, Hellam, Pennsylvania
Built in 1948, The Shoe House stands to nearly fifty feet in length, just under eighteen feet in width, and twenty-five feet in height. If you can imagine it, this shoe has five levels inside that include several bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen and living room to boot (pardon the pun)! There is a gift shop that sells items like shoe lamps with windows that light up in the night. Very cool!
What kind of wacky structures have you seen on vacation?