We present you our small selection of houses that look really strange. What unites them is the fascinating architecture and the idea behind it, the imagination and unconventional thinking of its creators.
The Most Extraordinary And Unique Houses In The World
VW Beetle House
The Beetle House is located in the village of Gnigi, not far from Salzburg in Austria. The building was designed by Markus Voglreiter and if you haven’t guessed, it was inspired by the Volkswagen Beetle car. The owners bought an ordinary building in the 70’s and completely renovated it. The building was completed in 2003, is an environmentally friendly property and has energy efficient heating.
The Rational House in Australia
Resembling a spaceship, this house has a rational, very elegant and simplified design. Architect James Stockwell was commissioned to design the house and the aim was for the design to blend in with the stunning sea views. The Stockwell home has “merging” exterior contours that follow the horizon and an exterior influenced by nature and compressed into the scenic landscape.
The Snail Shell In Sofia, Bulgaria
This giant colored snail in Sofia has topped many strange house rankings in recent years. It was built in 2008 and is the work of Ing. Simeon Simeonov, who designed a unique family house with it.
The Bund Finance Center, Shanghai
This curious structure is constantly changing its appearance. Based on the traditional Chinese opera, three curtains made of overlapping steel tubes wander around the building several times a day. The event center for exhibitions and conferences also attracts attention with its bronze and gold color scheme. The architects Thomas Heatherwick and Norman Foster have set themselves a monument with this unique building on the famous Bund in the metropolis of Shanghai.
Hemisphere, Valencia
According to architect Santiago Calatrava, the extraordinary architecture of the Hemisphere in Valencia represents a huge human eye. The comparison is well chosen, because inside the building there is a 3D IMAX cinema. With its special design, the Hemisphere blends in perfectly with the surrounding houses. They are all part of the City of Arts and Sciences, located in a drained river bed.
Dancing House, Prague
This building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, earned the nickname “Ginger and Fred” for its resemblance to a dancing couple. Critics see the unusual architecture as a break from the traditional Prague cityscape. Supporters, on the other hand, praise the dynamic structure of the multi-award-winning building in which offices are located.
Lotus Temple, New Delhi
As the name suggests, the lotus blossom served as a model for the Lotus Temple in the Indian capital New Delhi. The extraordinary architecture of the temple features, among other things, 27 free-standing marble elements that were modeled on flower petals. The 40-meter high building offers space for around 2,500 people and serves as a religious site for the Baha’i.
Teapot Shaped Building, China
Some like it unusual. But houses like the notorious teapot in Wuxi, China, take it to the extreme. Because the giant jug not only has elaborate lighting, but also rotates. Even for a tourism and information center this is too much of a good thing, according to a state committee. As a result, builders across the country have been banned from building crazy houses with “strange” or “bizarre” shapes.
