The most incredible buildings. ​The most unusual buildings on Earth

Modern architecture, over time, undergoes significant transformations. Great importance here are professionals in their field who are not lacking in talent - architects and decorators who are not afraid to present something new and extraordinary in their work, despite criticism from the outside. Any architectural building that was a landmark was condemned by society, but after some time everything changed.

Now these buildings delight not only visitors, but also the residents of this area themselves. We present a selection of 10 original buildings that will make you look at the creations of architecture differently.

1. House-Basket

House-Basket is an office of a painting manufacturing company in Ohio, USA. The structure resembles an ordinary basket, the construction of which took more than two years. The basket is a genuine example of copycat architecture, where buildings are constructed in the specific form of the goods being promoted. The interior of the building is decorated with a glass ceiling, and the walls are filled with paintings by the founders of the company. Thanks to the glass design, company employees and guests can admire the daylight that penetrates all rooms.

2. Hallgrímur Church

Hallgrimur Church is the tallest and most unusual church in Iceland, located in the capital of Reykjavik. Scandinavian design was used as a basis for the construction of the church, which became the most exciting work of the architect Gudjoun Samuelsson. It took over 38 years to complete this sacred building, begun in 1945. The structure was named after the famous Icelandic poet Hallgrímur Petersson, who wrote many Lutheran prayer songs. The 80-meter concrete church has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in Iceland.

The main decoration of the church's interior is the 20-meter organ, and the bell tower offers views of the whole of Reykjavik. In front of the building is a statue of Leif Erikson (the Happy), the first European to visit North America. This is definitely one of the most unusual churches in the world.

3. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum is located in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Its building was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry and opened to the public in 1997. In fact, the Guggenheim Museum is a complex of several interconnected buildings. The entire building is covered in titanium, limestone and glass. This museum is located along the banks of the Nervion River, highlighting the beauty of the building. It houses some of the greatest works by many contemporary artists.

The collection of European and American paintings makes this museum one of the finest places to visit among Spanish attractions.

4. Kansas City Library

The Kansas City Library is one of them, located in Kansas City and founded in 1873. A stunning array of large bookshelves are the main attraction of one of the most beautiful libraries in the United States. The facade of the building is decorated with marble and mahogany, used in 20th century architecture.

The interior of the unusual building is decorated in concrete, with a massive 35-ton steel door. Each section of the library is designed for a specific type of reader, with a special collection of books from every possible field.

5. Atomium, Brussels

The extremely unusual Atomium building is located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The 102-meter-tall atomium was designed by architect Andre Waterkein and is a many times enlarged model of a simple iron atom. The entire building was constructed from stainless steel, including 7 prefabricated columns with round spheres. The diameter of each sphere is 28 meters, and the total length of the pipes is 2298 meters. There are special escalators in hollow pipes for tourists. At the top of the Atomium there is a restaurant and an observation deck with beautiful views.

6. La Pedrera

The La Pedrera building is located in the city of Barcelona, ​​which is famous for its unusual architecture. It took 6 years to complete this strange project, which started in 1906. The Catalan architect was the main designer of La Pedrera, a listed monument world heritage UNESCO.

The quaint limestone facade and unusual balconies immediately attract attention, and La Pedrera's rooftop is decorated with photographs and postcards of Barcelona. The interior of the building is designed to maximize daylight penetration, and the roof offers magnificent views of Barcelona.

7. Lotus Temple

The flower-shaped Lotus Temple is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. This attraction is open to people of all religions. Inspired by the lotus flower, architect Fariborz Sahba designed this beautiful building, which opened to visitors in 1986. The entire temple was made of marble, dolomite and cement, and its main pride is the petals. The central hall of the Lotus Temple with 9 huge entrances can accommodate 2,500 people, and the surrounding ponds give the impression that the structure is floating in water, like a lotus flower.

8. Stone House

Stone house located in the mountains of Portugal. It was built in 1974, inspired by the Flintstones cartoon. The unusual house was built from two huge rocks connected with a concrete mixture. This gives it the feel of a prehistoric structure and makes it one of the most beautiful attractions in Portugal.

9. Crooked House

The Crooked House is actually a strange-looking part of a shopping complex in the Polish city of Sopot. The project was developed by Szotynscy and Zalesky in 2004 and is inspired by children's fairy tales. Over time, the curved house became one of the most photographed places in Poland. Visitors get the impression that the house is about to collapse, but in fact it is firmly supported by special beams. The crooked house has glass doors and blue-green rim lighting, making the structure especially attractive at night.

10. Surreal house

The surreal house is located on El Carmel hill in Barcelona. It took 14 years to complete this strange building, founded in 1900. The building is listed as a monument historical heritage UNESCO. The complex actually contains 60 different buildings, a chapel, a park and a beautiful fountain in the center. Numerous statues also make this place more attractive. The house has become one of the main attractions in Spain, most popular among travelers.

Be interesting with

“This is a crazy, crazy world,” you will say when you see these strange and even shocking houses. The unusual buildings from all over the world collected in this publication are surprising because they are also buildings! Houses, hotels, museums, libraries, offices, apartments - all this takes place inside these unusual structures. The thing is that these buildings were designed by talented architects with limitless and sometimes crazy imagination, whose goal was to create, among millions of houses, one that would stand out not only across the country, but throughout the world.

House-grand piano with violin.Piano shaped building.Huainan city,China.
This "musical" house is located in the Chinese city of Huainan. A huge violin serves as the entrance to the building and there is an escalator in it to ascend to the “grand piano”. The structure is made of transparent and black glass. The building was built primarily as a landmark to distinguish the city from many other inconspicuous Chinese cities. The building itself houses an exhibition complex, which displays plans for streets and districts of the city.

Basket house. Longaberger Basket Building. Newark, USA
This is perhaps the strangest administrative building in the world. Basket and wickerwork company Longaberger built its headquarters in a replica of its actual product, a wicker basket. The building took 180 thousand square meters, two years of construction, and cost 30 million dollars. Experts have repeatedly dissuaded company owner Dave Longberger from changing the layout of the building, but apparently he did right choice, - thanks to this idea, his company became known throughout the world.

Upside Down House. Wonder works. Pigen Forge, USA
This is the main attraction in the provincial town of Pigeon Forge. The legend of its creation is interesting. On one of the distant islands in the Bermuda Triangle, in a top-secret laboratory, under the leadership of Professor Wonder, a process was being developed for creating artificial tornadoes and using the resulting energy. During this experiment, something went wrong and the force of a tornado hit the laboratory itself. This created a swirling vortex that was strong enough to tear down the laboratory along with its foundation. She was carried thousands of miles and landed upside down in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Kansas Central Library. Kansas City Public Library. State of Missouri, USA.
Do you think the library is a boring place? Check out the Kansas Central Library! Probably, if all libraries were built in such a design, then they would not have a shortage of readers. By building the Central Library in the form of a shelf of books, the city authorities of Kansas City in the USA not only beautified the business center of the city, but also supported the reading spirit of the citizens. The building's façade is designed to resemble the spines of Kansas's most influential and popular books.

The Crooked House. Sopot, Poland.
The translation from Polish sounds differently: “Crooked”, “Humpbacked” or even “Dancing”. It was built by Polish architect Szotynscy Zaleski in 2004 in Sopot. The architect was inspired by illustrations to fairy tales by artist Jan Marcin Szancer. There is an unusual house on the main street of the city of Sopot, Monte Cassino. There is a shopping center in the house.

Upside down house. Szymbark, Poland
An unusual work by artist and architect Daniel Czapiewski was built in the village of Szymbark, Poland. The main unusual thing about the design is that it completely imitates an inverted house, right down to the “grass” and “ground” under (that is, above) the stone foundation. At the same time, the house is quite stable and fully adapted for living. Construction of the upside down house took 114 days. Local builders were very surprised by the strange project, but they completed it without errors. Now the house has become one of the most popular attractions in Poland; not only ordinary tourists, but also architects come here to learn from a talented colleague.

Dancing House.Prague Dancing House. Prague, Czech Republic.
This amazing building is located in the very center of Prague on the embankment of the Vltava River. The house that previously stood on the site of the Dancing House was destroyed in January 1945 during an American air raid. For half a century the place was vacant until Czech President Vaclav Havel intervened. Construction of the “drunken house” took place from 1994 to 1996. The main architectural idea of ​​the building was an analogy with the famous dance duet of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, known as “Ginger and Fred”. One of the two cylindrical parts, the one that expands upward, symbolizes a male figure (Fred), and the second part of the building visually resembles a female figure with thin waist and a fluttering skirt (Ginger).

Mobile home of Sheikh Hamad. Abu Dhabi. UAE
A member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Hamad designed the house to move around the desert. Sheikh is famous for his passion for motorhomes. There is a huge 21-foot Willys Jeep in the rich man's garage. Built a mobile home for traveling through the desert in the form globe and fits four floors of living space, 6 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms. Height – 12m. The size of the ball is one millionth the size of the Earth. This got him into the Guinness Book of Records.

Attacked house. House Attack. Vienna, Austria.
And this house, which “unsuccessfully fell” on the Vienna Museum of Modern Art, is uninhabited. This is a work of art by Austria's most important sculptor of the present time, Erwin Wurm. This work is Erwin’s protest against the dominance in modern architecture of “standard houses, faceless like shoeboxes!”

Montreal Biosphere.Montreal Biosphère. Canada
The Biosphere Museum of the Environment in Montreal, dedicated to the environment and water resources. Located in Parc Jean-Drapeau on St. Helena Island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. The museum is housed in the former American pavilion at the World's Fair, Expo 67, which was created by American engineer and architect Richard Buckminster Fuller and features one of the most famous geodesic domes that brought Fuller worldwide fame.

House-banknote. Kaunas, Lithuania
The project itself, according to which the banknote house was built in Lithuania, belongs to the young architect Rimas Adomaitis. In an instant, the famous specialist explains that this building should in no way symbolize the almighty power of money and universal admiration for it. Initially, the banknote house in Lithuania was conceived in this form in order to make this office center very respectable and prestigious. The facade of the building consists of 450 thousand pieces of glass of various colors. The builders had to manually assemble all these pieces so that in the end the house-banknote in Lithuania would receive such an unusual appearance. Due to the fact that the façade of the building is completely glass, there is no need to create windows in itself. The glass itself, produced in Europe, is coated with a special compound that does not allow it to deteriorate due to adverse weather conditions. On the facade of the building there is a 1000 lita banknote from 1926.

Forest Spiral. Darmstadt, Germany
An unusual house with the intriguing name “Forest Spiral” was built between 1998 and 2000. This building with 105 apartments, as if “wrapped” around the courtyard, among other things, has a comfortable restaurant with a cozy cocktail bar.

House with a glass in Moscow
A merchant Filatov lived in Moscow and he began to drink so much that he almost went bankrupt. Then he came to his senses, stopped drinking, and his affairs improved. And with the funds that appeared, in 1907-1909 he built a apartment building. The Art Nouveau house for the merchant Filatov is decorated with a corner turret with a roof in the shape of an inverted glass. So the merchant decided to show all of Moscow that he was done, and finally knocked over the glass. This glass is more than 3 meters in height.

Crazy House. Crazy House. Da Lat, Vietnam
This incredible building is a hotel in Da Lat, the signature hotel of Mrs. Dang Nga, the daughter of the ex-president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. At one time, this Vietnamese lady studied architecture in Moscow. The building does not comply with any of the generally accepted concepts of house building and looks like a fairy-tale castle, with a huge belly of a giraffe or a spider. The house is open to tourists.

Cybertexture Egg. Mumbai, India.
This highly intelligent business center was created in Mumbai in 2010. Designers from James Law Cybertecture International under the leadership of James Law are accustomed to surprising with their masterpieces. But the egg-shaped house amazes not only the inexperienced viewer, but also specialists. The scientific bureau is engaged in projects of architecture of the 22nd century and works not so much on the form as on the internal content of buildings. As a result, the new home is a cyber-architecture, which includes all the latest developments that fill human life with the highest comfort. Sensors built throughout monitor the state of human health and can measure it at any time. arterial pressure and body temperature. The egg-shaped building itself protects employees from direct sunlight and also saves space. At the top of the egg, where the roof should be, there is a garden, which, in addition to the traditional one, has another task - to remove excess heat from the surface of the glass walls.

Stone house or Troll house.Stone house. Guimaraes, Portugal
A very colorful structure that looks entirely carved from stone. However, in fact, the Portuguese “Troll House” is simply “inscribed” between two huge boulders, and the outer walls are made of small stone of the same composition and color, so the structure fully justifies its name - Stone House. Even the roof of the building is a monolithic stone slab covered with tiles. The Stone House was built by Victor Rodriguez in 1973. The pool is carved directly into one boulder.

Lotus Temple. New Delhi, India
The Temple is a Baha'i House of Worship and is open to everyone, regardless of religion. There is not a single fresco or image inside the temple; visitors are greeted only by snow-white walls and only on the ceiling there is an inscription in Arabic - “God is above all,” so that every believer can turn specifically to his deity. Construction of the Lotus Temple took place from 1978 to December 1986. The project was led by an Iranian-Canadian architect, Fariborza Sahba.

Burj Al Arab Hotel. "Arab Tower". Dubai, UAE
The tallest hotel in the world - 56 floors, 321 m, built in the sea, 280 m from the shore on an artificial island with which a bridge connects it. The building has an unusual architecture, in the form of a mast with a sail, lined with double glass coated with Teflon. The Burj Al Arab is visible from almost anywhere in the city and is rightfully considered the symbol of Dubai.

Cube houses. Kubuswoning. Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Cube Houses or Cube Houses are a series of houses built in Rotterdam and Helmond according to the innovative design of the architect Piet Blom in 1984. Blom's radical solution was that he turned the parallelepiped of the house by 45 degrees and placed it at an angle on a hexagonal pylon. Some residents offer tours of their extraordinary homes. The walls and windows are inclined at an angle of 54.7 degrees in relation to the floor. total area The apartment is about 100 square meters, but about a quarter of the space is unusable due to the walls, which are at an angle.

Walt Disney Concert Hall. Walt Disney Concert Hall. Los Angeles, California, USA.
This grand hall is the fruit of the efforts of the famous Frank Henry. It took 16 years to build - 1987-2003.

Upside down house. Matsumoto, Japan
In the Japanese city of Matsumoto, a house was built at an angle of 135 degrees. The roof of this upside-down house is bright pink, and the interior also has upside-down interiors. For example, in the interior the signs are upside down. There is a coffee shop inside the building, but the coffee is served in cups and is not spilled on guests.

Atomium. Brussels, Belgium
Built for the 1958 World's Fair, this model of the iron molecule, enlarged 165 billion times, is one of the attractions of Brussels. If you take the elevator to a height of 122 meters, you will have a panoramic view of Brussels.

Project "Eden". Eden project. Great Britain
This is a botanical garden located in Cornwall, Great Britain. It includes a greenhouse consisting of several unusual geodesic domes, with a total area of ​​22 thousand square meters. Under the “bumpy” domes of the greenhouse there is a unique collection of plants from all over the planet. Geodesic domes are assembled from several hundred hexagons, very similar to honeycombs, and several pentagons that connect the structure into a complete structure. The architect of the project was Nicholas Grimshaw, the idea belonged to Tim Smith, construction lasted three years, and the opening of the project took place in 2001.

Skyscraper "Cucumber". Gherkin building. London. England
Tower, 40 floors high. Construction of the building took place during 2001-2004, the project was designed by the famous architect Norman Foster. Construction costs exceeded $400 million. The Gherkin has become a decoration of the financial center of the capital of England; it houses the headquarters of Swiss Re, several restaurants, and the first floors are open to all visitors. The height of the “Cucumber” is 180 meters; “green” technologies were used during construction, thanks to which the building consumes 2 times less electricity than conventional skyscrapers.

An ideal palace. Le Palais Ideal. Hauterives, France
The Ideal Palace amazes travelers not only with its mixture of unusual styles from the Middle East, Algeria, China and notable imitation of Antoni Gaudi, but also with its history. The building was built by an ordinary French postman who had no special education. Ferdinand Chevale built his Ideal Palace for 33 years - from 1879 to 1912, using individual stones collected by him in the area where he lived. All the walls of the palace are decorated with inscriptions - sayings of Christ, Buddha, all kinds of figures, baskets, limestone carvings, rising into the air various decorations; the building looks especially impressive at night.

Concert hall Tenerife Auditorium. Canary Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
The developer of another unusual project was Santiago Calatrava. Construction of the building began in 1997 and was completed in 2003; the unusual concert hall cost investors 72.3 million euros. The main highlight of the unusual building, which fit perfectly into the coastal landscape, was the “wing” that rises above the main building and is lined with ceramics. Thanks to this “decoration”, the concert hall looks like a giant sailboat, shell or spaceship. The building has two halls - for 1.6 thousand and 400 seats, it is possible to regulate the acoustics of the performance rooms opera singers, in the lobby there are shops and cafes, and from the open terraces you can admire the sea.

Music Center. Experience music project. Seattle, USA

The house “you’ve never been to.” The Never Was Haul. Berkeley, California, USA

A house with a crack. Ontario, Canada

Modern Art Museum. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Nice, France

National Theatre. National Theatre. Beijing, China

Sand and clay Mosque of Djenné. Mali, West Africa

Big pineapple. Hotel-Casino Grand Lisboa. Macau, China

Museum of Art. Graz Art Museum. Graz, Austria

Zucchini on a side. Kyiv, Ukraine

House of fashion and shopping. Fashion Show Mall. Las Vegas, USA

Quarry house. Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Cactus house. Cactus House. Rotterdam, Netherlands

Nautilus. Nautilus house. Mexico City

Panorama house. Edificio mirador. Madrid, Spain

Boot house. Pennsylvania, USA

Houseboat. House Boats. Kerala, India.

UFO house. The Ufo House. Sanzi, Taiwan

Gateway to Europe or Torres KIO office. Torres KIO. Madrid, Spain.

Apartments. Wozoko Apartments. Amsterdam, Holland

Torre Galatea Figueres. The Torre Galatea Figueras. Spain.

Esplanade Theaters Hotel. Singapore

Department for Production and Supply Problems natural gas. Gas Natural headquarters. Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Modern Art Museum. Niteroi, Brazil

Slim residential complex. London

Temple of Truth. Pattaya, Thailand
Made entirely of wood.

House-garden in Belgium

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas

Twisted house in Indianapolis, USA

(39 Votes)

What does the house look like? Several floors, a roof, windows, a standard rectangular silhouette... Not everyone thinks the same way, and houses of the most unusual shapes are springing up all over the world.

Shell House, Mexico City

The Nautilus house was built in 2006 and has become a family nest. It is completely earthquake resistant and environmentally friendly. True, you can never understand whether you are still inside or have already come out.

Dancing House, Prague

The structure symbolizing the dancing couple is office building and one of the attractions of the Czech capital. It is often called "Ginger and Fred" after the most famous choreographic duo.

Dancing House, photo Pedro Szekely

Hang Nga Hotel, Da Lat

The hotel, which does not have a single straight wall or a single window of the correct shape, is often called a “madhouse”, and it looks like a set for a movie. Despite this, there are always people who want to stay here, willing to pay a lot for the strange appearance of the building.

Hang Nga Hotel

The architect who erected this 12-story residential building in Germany considered straight lines to be a tool of the devil. Perhaps that is why his creation is twisted in a spiral around the courtyard, and a real forest grows on its roof.

Forest spiral, photo by Scott Maurer

The residential building, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by one man who was a postman and had no idea about architecture, is the pride of the French town. There are Hindu deities, biblical characters, towers, and fountains on the building, so you can look at it for hours.

It is no coincidence that the Dali Museum is considered one of the strangest buildings in the world, because he designed it himself great artist. Bright walls, eggs on the roof, a glass dome and incredible interiors distinguish the building from all museums in the world.

Dali Museum, photo Shezre

In Kansas City, the number of people wanting to go to the library is much greater than in all other cities. This is no coincidence, because it looks like a collection of giant books stretched along the street.

Basket House, Newark

Office construction company Longaberger is located in a very unusual building that looks like a seven-story basket. The construction took thirty million dollars and a huge amount of nerves, since almost the entire city tried to dissuade the company owner from this project.

The world's largest building-sculpture, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, is located in China and depicts three star elders. They symbolize the basics of Feng Shui: happiness, longevity and prosperity.

Hotel Tianzi, photo moco-choco

Cube houses, Rotterdam

A whole complex of cubic houses in Rotterdam invariably attracts tourists. Each building consists of three levels and although it looks strange from the outside, inside people live comfortably.

Cube houses, photo Luc B

Of course, people’s imagination is not limited to this, and in the world there are tree houses, snail houses, houses built underground and even under water according to unique designs. So, when going to an unfamiliar city, look around carefully, maybe you will come across an equally unique building.

Old or new, with complex or simple structures, these buildings are undoubtedly the most incredible in the world. There are attractive ones, there are unusual ones, and there are just crazy buildings that are unlike anything else. Sometimes it can even be difficult to immediately understand what is in front of you - a house or something else?

Lotus Temple

(Delhi, India)

The main Bahai temple of India and neighboring countries, built in 1986. Located in New Delhi, the capital of India. A huge building made of snow-white Pentelic marble in the shape of a blooming lotus flower is one of the most popular attractions among tourists in Delhi. Known as the main temple of the Indian subcontinent and the main attraction of the city.

The Lotus Temple has won several architectural awards and has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. In 1921, the young Bombay Baha'i community asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to build a Baha'i temple in Bombay, to which the answer was allegedly given: "By the will of God, in the future a majestic temple of worship will be erected in one of the central cities of India," that is, in Delhi .

"Khan Shatyr"

(Astana, Kazakhstan)

A large shopping and entertainment center in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana (architect - Norman Foster). Opened on July 6, 2010, it is considered the largest tent in the world. The total area of ​​“Khan Shatyr” is 127,000 m2. It houses retail, shopping and entertainment complexes, including a supermarket, a family park, cafes and restaurants, cinemas, gyms, a water park with an artificial beach and wave pools, service and office premises, parking for 700 spaces and much more.

The highlight of “Khan Shatyr” – beach resort with a tropical climate, plants and a temperature of +35°C all year round. The resort's sandy beaches are equipped with a heating system that creates the feeling of a real beach, and the sand is imported from the Maldives. The building is a giant 150 m high tent (spire), constructed from a network of steel cables, on which a transparent ETFE polymer coating is fixed. Thanks to special chemical composition it protects the internal space of the complex from sudden temperature changes and creates a comfortable microclimate inside the complex. “Khan Shatyr” entered the top ten world eco-buildings according to Forbes Style magazine, becoming the only building from the entire CIS that the publication decided to include in its hit parade.

The opening of the Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment center took place as part of the celebration of Astana Day with the participation of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. During the opening ceremony, a concert by world performer, Italian tenor of classical music Andrea Bocelli took place. The most interesting thing about this amazing place Any Tyumen resident can visit: Astana is only a nine-hour drive.

Guggenheim Museum

(Bilbao, Spain)

Designed by American architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum is a magnificent example of the most innovative ideas in 20th century architecture. Constructed from titanium, it is decorated with wavy lines that change color under the sun's rays. The total area is 24,000 m2, 11,000 of which are dedicated to exhibitions.

The Guggenheim Museum is a true architectural landmark, a showcase of daring configurations and innovative design that provides a seductive backdrop to the artworks housed within. This building changed the world's view of modern architecture and museums and became a symbol of the rebirth of the industrial city of Bilbao.

National Library

(Minsk, Belarus)

The history of the National Library of Belarus begins on September 15, 1922. On this day, by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR, the Belarusian State and University Library was founded. The number of readers was constantly increasing. Over the course of its history, the library has replaced several buildings, and soon the need arose to build a new large and functional library building.

Back in 1989, a competition for designs for a new library building was held at the republican level. The “glass diamond” by architects Mikhail Vinogradov and Viktor Kramarenko was recognized as the best. On May 19, 1992, by Resolution of the Council of Ministers, the Belarusian State Library received national status. On March 7, 2002, the President of the Republic signed a decree on the construction of the building government agency"National Library of Belarus". But its construction began only in November 2002.

The opening ceremony of the “Belarusian diamond” took place on June 16, 2006. President of Belarus Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko (who, by the way, received library card No. 1) noted at the opening ceremony that “this unique building combines the strict beauty of modern architecture and the latest scientific and technical solutions.” Indeed, the National Library of Belarus is a unique architectural, construction, software and hardware complex, built in accordance with the latest scientific and technical developments and aimed at meeting the information and sociocultural needs of society.

The new library building houses 20 reading rooms, which can accommodate 2,000 users. All rooms are equipped with electronic departments for issuing documents, modern equipment that allows scanning and copying documents, printing from electronic copies. The halls have computerized workstations, workstations for visually impaired and blind users, equipped with special equipment.

crooked house

(Sopot, Poland)

In the Polish city of Sopot, on the Heroes of Monte Cassino Street, there is one of the most unusual houses on the planet - the Crooked House (in Polish - Krzywy Domek). It seems that it either melted in the sun, or it is an optical illusion, and this is not the house itself, but only its reflection in a huge crooked mirror.

A crooked house is truly crooked and does not contain a single flat place or corner. It was built in 2004 according to the design of two Polish architects – Szotinski and Zalewski – who were impressed by the drawings of artists Jan Marcin Schanzer and Per Oskar Dahlberg. The authors’ main task for the customer, which was the Resident shopping center, was to create the appearance of the building that would attract as many visitors as possible. The façade design uses the most different materials: from glass to stone, - and the roof of enamel plates resembles the back of a dragon. The doors and windows are just as asymmetrical and intricately curved, giving the house the appearance of some kind of fairy-tale hut.

The Crooked House is open 24 hours a day. During the day there is a shopping center, cafes and other establishments, and in the evening there are pubs and clubs. In the dark the house becomes even more beautiful. In 2009, the building was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Tricity, which includes the cities of Gdynia, Gdansk and Sopot. According to a recent survey by The Village of Joy, Crooked House topped the list of the fifty most unusual buildings in the world.

teapot building

(Jiangsu, China)

In China, the construction of the cultural and exhibition center Wuxi Wanda Exhibition Center, made in the form of a clay teapot, is being completed. This building has already officially entered the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest teapot in the world. The choice of this form is not accidental: clay teapots have been considered symbols of the Celestial Empire since the 15th century. They are still produced in Jiangsu Province, where the Wuxi Wanda Exhibition Center is located. In addition to making clay teapots, China is also famous for its elite varieties of tea.

Developer The Wanda Group announced that 40 billion yuan ($6.4 billion) were spent on the construction of the cultural and exhibition center. The result was a structure with an area of ​​3.4 million m2, a height of 38.8 m and a diameter of 50 m. The outside of the building is sheathed with aluminum sheets, which provide the necessary curvature of the frame. In addition to them, stained glass windows of different sizes play an important role.

The center of Wuxi Wanda will feature exhibition halls, a water park, a roller coaster, and a Ferris wheel. In addition, each of the three floors of the building will be able to rotate on its own axis. The cultural and exhibition center is part of the Tourism City shopping and entertainment complex, the construction of which is planned to be completed by 2017.

"Habitat 67"

(Montreal, Canada)

The unusual residential complex in Montreal was designed by architect Moshe Safdie in 1966–1967. The complex was built for the start of Expo 67, one of the largest world exhibitions of that time, the theme of which was houses and residential construction.

The basis of the structure is 354 cubes, built on top of each other. It was they who made it possible to create this gray building with 146 apartments, where families live who exchanged a quiet house in a residential area for such a non-standard house. Most apartments have a private garden on the roof of the neighbor below.

The building style is considered brutalism. Habitat 67 was built more than 45 years ago, but still amazes with its scale. This is, without a doubt, one of the few modern utopias that not only came to life, but also became very popular and was even considered elite.

Dancing building

(Prague, Czech Republic)

An office building in Prague in the deconstructivist style consists of two cylindrical towers: a conventional one and a destructive one. The Dancing House, jokingly called "Ginger and Fred", is an architectural metaphor for the dancing couple Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. One of the two cylindrical parts, which expands upward, symbolizes a male figure (Fred), and the second visually resembles a female figure with a thin waist and a fluttering skirt (Ginger).

Like many deconstructivist buildings, the building contrasts sharply with its neighbor - an integral architectural complex of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The office center, which houses several international companies, is located in Prague 2, on the corner of Resslova Street and the embankment. On the roof there is a French restaurant overlooking Prague, La Perle de Prague.

Forest spiral building

(Darmstadt, Germany)

The Austrian genius Friedensreich Hundertwasser donated a unique building to the German city of Darmstadt in 2000. Painted in different colors, a magic house from a children's fairy tale with floating lines of a curved facade, it looks out onto the world with 1048 windows of non-repeating shapes, sizes and decor. Real trees grow from some of the windows.

This original structure in the form of a horseshoe spiraling upward is called “an unusual house among the usual monotony.” It was built in a “biomorphic” style, although, in fact, it is a real 12-story residential complex, or rather, a kind of fairy-tale green village. It includes not only a house with 105 comfortable apartments, but also a quiet courtyard with artificial lakes, shaped bridges and paths trodden right in the grass; artistically designed children's playgrounds; closed parking lots; shops; pharmacy and other elements of developed infrastructure.

Upside Down House

(Szymbark, Poland)

The unique house, which sits on the roof, is decorated in the socialist style of the 1970s. An upside-down house evokes strange sensations: the entrance is on the roof, everyone enters through the window, and guests walk on the ceiling. The interior is decorated in the style of socialist realism: there is a lounge room with a TV and a chest of drawers. There is also a table made from the longest solid board in the world - 36.83 m. Of course, the Guinness Book of Records did not ignore it.

The building took more time and money to construct than a conventional house of the same size. The foundation required 200 m³ of concrete. The author of the project was asked many times whether his project was related to commercial goals. The answer was always a stubborn “no.” However, the upside-down house turned out to be a commercial success.

Not only Poles, but also foreign tourists come to test their strength and look at the interesting structure. Through the attic window you can enter the house and, carefully maneuvering between the chandeliers, walk around the rooms. Some sources claim that the developer intended to use the new building as his own home. Whether this is so is unknown, but the upside-down house in Szymbark never became residential.

However, there is nothing to complain about: the line of tourists wanting to walk around inside does not dry out, so there would be no question of any quiet life. A few years ago, in the vicinity of the house, there was even a kind of gathering of local Santa Clauses, who not only discussed their problems, but also practiced getting inside the house through a pipe, since, fortunately for them, it rests on the ground.

Wat Rong Khun

(Chiang Rai, Thailand)

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, is considered one of the most recognizable temples in Thailand and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The temple is located outside the city of Chiang Rai and attracts a large number of visitors, Thai and foreign. This is one of the most visited attractions in Chiang Rai and the most unusual Buddhist temple.

Wat Rong Khun looks like an ice house. Because of its color, the building is noticeable from afar, and it sparkles in the sun thanks to the inclusions of glass pieces in the plaster. White color signifies the purity of the Buddha, while the glass symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha and the Dharma, Buddhist teachings. They say the best time to visit the White Temple is at sunrise or sunset, when it reflects beautifully in the sun's rays.

Construction of the temple began in 1997 and is still ongoing. It is being built by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat using his own own funds proceeds from sales of paintings. The artist refused sponsors: he wants to make the temple the way only he wants.

Basket building

(Ohio, USA)

The basket building was built in 1997. The weight of the structure is approximately 8500 tons, the weight of the supporting supports is 150 tons. Almost 8,000 m3 of reinforced concrete was used during construction. The usable area of ​​the building is 180,000 square feet. The basket is located on an area of ​​about 20,000 square feet (approximately 2200 m2) and completely copies one of its owner's trademarks.

When the project architect Nikolina Georgievsha found out what was in store for her, she exclaimed: “Wow! I’ve never done anything like this before!” Indeed, this building cannot be called standard. Unlike other buildings, it expands upward. This made it possible to significantly increase the working space of the offices: the building is designed for a staff of 500 employees. Not bad, considering that the building also has a seven-story atrium with an area of ​​3,300 m2, around which the offices are located. In addition, the ground floor is occupied by a theater-like auditorium with 142 seats. The building aspires to a certain pomp: the design takes into account two plates attached to the building with the owner’s trademark, coated with 23-karat gold.

(Sanji, Taiwan)

The strange and wonderful town of Sanji in Taiwan is an abandoned resort complex. The houses in it were shaped like a flying saucer, so they were called UFO houses. The city was purchased as a resort for American military personnel serving in East Asia.

The original idea for building such houses belonged to the owner of the Sanjhih Township plastics company, Mr. Yu-Ko Chow. The first construction license was issued in 1978. The design was developed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. But construction was stopped in 1980 when Yu-Chou declared bankruptcy. All efforts to resume work came to nothing. In addition, several serious accidents occurred during construction due to the allegedly disturbed spirit of the mythical Chinese dragon (as superstitious people claimed). Many believed that the place was haunted. As a result, the village was abandoned and soon became known as a ghost town.

Stone house

(Fafe, Portugal)

The Casa do Penedo house in the mountains of Portugal, built between four boulders, resembles a Stone Age dwelling. The isolated hut was built in 1974 by Vitor Rodriguez and was intended for relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The desire for simplicity did not make the members of the Rodriguez family hermits, but brought them closer to natural image life without excesses. Electricity was never installed in the house; Candles are still used for lighting here. The room is heated using a fireplace carved into one of the boulders. The stone walls serve as a continuation of the interior decoration: even the steps leading to the second floor are carved directly into the stones.

The stone hut, reminiscent of the home of the characters in the American animated series “The Flintstones,” blended so organically into the surrounding landscape that it aroused great interest among architects and tourists. The curiosity of local residents and passing travelers forced the Rodriguez family to leave the house. Now no one lives in the hut, but the owners sometimes visit their unusual home. Only in this case there is a chance to see unusual interiors; at other times it is impossible to get inside Casa do Penedo.

central Library

(Kansas City, Missouri, USA)

Located in the heart of Kansas City, it is one of the first projects aimed at revitalizing the city and its historical and tourism value. Residents were asked to remember the most famous books, which have something to do with the name Kansas City, and they spent two years selecting twenty fiction books. The appearance of these publications was incorporated into the innovative design of the Central City Library to encourage visitation.

The library building looks like a bookshelf on which giant books are laid out. Each of them reaches seven meters in height and about two meters in width. Nowadays, libraries have at their disposal not only the most modern technologies and excellent quality of service, but also conference rooms, a cafe, an examination room and much more. The Kansas City Public Library has unique architecture that is stunning. Today it is the pride of the residents of the city of Kansas. Its construction became one of the most significant events in the transformation of a provincial town into a thriving metropolis. The library has ten branches, the main one of which is the largest and has special collections. The library's arsenal is 2.5 million books, attendance is more than 2.4 million clients per year.

The history of the library begins in 1873, when it opened its doors to readers and immediately became not only a source of resources for education, but also an excellent alternative to other entertainment establishments of the time. The public library has moved many times, and in 1999 it was moved to the former First National Bank building. The century-old building was a true masterpiece of craftsmanship: marble columns, bronze doors and walls richly decorated with stucco. But still it required reconstruction. With the help of public-private cooperation, funds collected from the state and municipal budgets, as well as sponsorship, the doors of the Kansas Public Library were opened in 2004 in the form in which it is now.

Solar oven

(Odelio, France)

A stunning structure that looks like a furnace and is essentially one, the Solar Oven in France is designed to generate and concentrate high temperatures required for various processes. This happens by trapping the sun's rays and concentrating their energy in one place.

The structure is covered with curved mirrors, their radiance is so great that it is impossible to look at them. The structure was erected in 1970, and the Eastern Pyrenees was chosen as the most suitable location. To this day, the Furnace remains the largest in the world. The array of mirrors is assigned the functions of a parabolic reflector, and the high temperature regime at the very focus it can reach up to 3500°C. You can regulate the temperature by changing the angles of the mirrors.

Using this natural resource Like sunlight, a solar oven is considered indispensable for producing high temperatures. And they, in turn, are used for a variety of processes. Thus, the production of hydrogen requires a temperature of 1400°C. Test modes for spacecraft and nuclear reactors require a temperature of 2500°C, and without a temperature of 3500°C it is impossible to create nanomaterials. In short, the Solar Furnace is not just an amazing building, but also vital and efficient. At the same time, it is considered an environmentally friendly and relatively cheap way to obtain high temperatures.

"Robert Ripley's House"

(Niagara Falls, Canada)

"Ripley's House" in Orlando is an illustration of the theme not of technological revolution, but of natural disasters. This house was built in memory of the magnitude 8 earthquake that happened here in 1812.

Today, the allegedly cracked building is recognized as one of the most photographed buildings in the world. "Believe it or not!" (Ripley's Believe It or Not!) is a patented network of so-called Ripley Auditoriums (museums of strange and incredible things), of which there are more than 30 in the world.

The idea came from Robert Ripley (1890–1949), an American cartoonist, entrepreneur and anthropologist. The first traveling collection, Ripley's Auditorium, was presented in Chicago in 1933 during the World's Fair. On a permanent basis, the first museum “Believe it or not!” was opened after Ripley's death, in 1950 in Florida, in the city of St. Augustine. The Canadian museum of the same name was founded in 1963 in the city of Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, Ontario) and still has a reputation as the best museum in the city. The Auditorium building is built in the shape of the falling Empire State Building (New York) with King Kong standing on the roof.

Boot house

(Pennsylvania, USA)

The shoe house in Pennsylvania (York County) was conceived by a very successful businessman, Colonel Mahlon N. Heinz. At that time, he owned a thriving shoe company, which included about 40 shoe stores. At that time, Heinz was already 73 years old, but he loved his business so much that he commissioned an architect to create an unusual structure in the shape of a boot. This was in 1948. Already in 1949, the dream of a shoe businessman was realized, and the restless Mahlon N. Heinz was able not only to admire the extraordinary building, but also to live there.

The length of this house is 12 m, height – 8. Its facade was made as follows: first, a wooden frame was created, which was then filled with cement. Surprisingly, even the mailbox of this house is made in the shape of a shoe. There is a boot in the bars on the windows and doors. Near the house there is a dog kennel, which was also made in the shape of a shoe. And even the sign located on the road has shoes. But in fact, the shoe house has such an orientation only from the outside. Inside, this is a completely comfortable home, quite cozy and spacious. An external staircase (most likely a fire staircase) is mounted on the side of the house, allowing access to all five tiers of the unusual building.

Dome house

(Florida, USA)

After a series of destructive hurricanes and tropical storms in the state of Florida (USA), as a result of which Mark and Valeria Sigler were left without a roof over their heads each time, they decided to build a house that could withstand the pressure of the elements and at the same time be beautiful and comfortable. The result of their work was a house with an unusually strong structure and a unique design.

For people living in coastal areas, it is very important that they have somewhere to return to after a storm. Ordinary houses are very often destroyed to the ground, while the “Dome House” can stand as if nothing had happened even under a wind rushing at a speed of 450 km/h. At the same time, the Sigler house fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape: the dome perfectly suits the surroundings of dunes, ponds and vegetation. The structure of the building is made of modern environmentally friendly materials that can last for several centuries.

Cube buildings

(Rotterdam, Netherlands)

A number of unusual houses were built in Rotterdam and Helmond according to the innovative design of the architect Piet Blom in 1984. Blom's radical decision was that he rotated the parallelepiped of the house by 45 degrees and placed it at an angle on a hexagonal pylon. There are 38 of these houses in Rotterdam and two more super-cubes, all of which are articulated with each other. From a bird's eye view, the complex has an intricate appearance, resembling an impossible triangle.

The houses consist of three floors:
● Ground floor – entrance.
● The first is a living room with a kitchen.
● Second – two bedrooms with a bathroom.
● Upper – sometimes a small garden is planted here.

The walls and windows are inclined at an angle of 54.7 degrees in relation to the floor. The total area of ​​the apartment is about 100 m2, but about a quarter of the space is unusable due to the walls, which are at an angle.

Burj Al Arab Hotel

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Luxury hotel in Dubai, the largest city in the United States United Arab Emirates. The building stands in the sea at a distance of 280 m from the shore on an artificial island connected to the land by a bridge. With a height of 321 m, the hotel was considered the tallest hotel in the world until another Dubai hotel, the 333 m tall Rose Tower, opened in April 2008.

Construction of the hotel began in 1994, and it opened to visitors on December 1, 1999. The hotel was built in the shape of the sail of a dhow, an Arabian ship. Closer to the top there is a helipad, and on the other side is the El Muntaha restaurant (from Arabic - “the highest”). Both are supported by cantilever beams.

Absolute Towers

Just like any other booming suburb North America, Mississauga is looking for its new architectural identity. The Absolute Towers represent a new opportunity to respond to the needs of an ever-expanding city, to create a residential landmark that will claim to be more than just efficient housing. They can create a permanent emotional connection for residents with their hometown. Such a structure can easily be included in the list of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world.

Instead of the simple, functional logic of modernism, the design of the towers expresses complex, multiple needs modern society. These buildings are much more than just multifunctional machines. It is something beautiful, human and alive. The towers play an important role as a gateway to the city, located at the intersection of two main city streets.

Despite the special status of these towers as a significant landmark, the emphasis in the project was not on their height, as is the case with most of the most tall buildings peace. Thanks to design features Continuous balconies surround the entire building, eliminating the vertical barriers traditionally used in high-rise architecture. The Absolute Towers rotate in different projections at different levels, blending with the surrounding landscapes. The designers' goal was to provide a clear 360-degree view from anywhere in the building, as well as to connect residents with natural elements, awakening in them a reverent attitude towards nature. The height of Tower A with 56 floors is 170 m, and Tower B with 50 floors is 150 m.

Pabellon de Aragon

(Zaragoza, Spain)

The building, which looks like a wicker basket, appeared in Zaragoza in 2008. The construction was timed to coincide with the full-scale exhibition Expo 2008, dedicated to the problems of water shortage on the planet. The Aragon Pavilion, literally woven from glass and steel, is crowned with strange-looking structures placed on the roof.

According to its creators, the structure reflects the deep imprint that five ancient civilizations left on the territory of Zaragoza. In addition, inside the building you can learn about the history of water and how man learned to control it. water resources on the planet.

(Graz, Austria)

This museum and gallery of contemporary art was opened as part of the European Capital of Culture program in 2003. The building concept was developed by London architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier. The facade of the museum was made by realities:united using BIX technology as a media installation with an area of ​​900 m2, consisting of luminous elements that can be programmed using a computer. It allows the museum to communicate with the surrounding urban space.

The installation won a number of awards. The BIX façade was conceived when the rest of the building was already being worked out. In addition to the late deadlines, it was difficult to integrate into the concepts of other authors. In addition, the facade, without a doubt, became the dominant element of the architectural image. The architect-authors accepted the facade design because it was based on their original ideas about a large luminous surface.

Concert hall

(Canary Islands, Spain)

One of the most famous and recognizable buildings in Spain, the symbol of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the most significant works of modern architecture and one of the main attractions of the Canary Islands. The opera was built according to a design by Santiago Calatrava in 2003.

The Auditorio de Tenerife building is located in the city center, close to the Cesar Manrique Marine Park, the city port and the Twin Towers of Torres de Santa Cruz. There is a tram station nearby. You can enter the opera hall from both sides of the building. The Auditorio de Tenerife has two terraces overlooking the sea.

Coin building

(Guangzhou, China)

In the Chinese city of Guangzhou there is a unique building in the shape of a huge disk with a hole inside. It will house the Guangdong Plastics Exchange. The final cosmetic work is currently underway here.

The coin building, 33 floors and 138 meters high, has an opening with a diameter of almost 50 meters, which has a functional, as well as design, significance. The main shopping area will be located around it. It is obvious that the building has already become one of the main attractions of Guangdong province. However, opinions are divided regarding its symbolic meaning.

The Italian company that developed the project claims that the shape is based on jade discs that were owned by ancient Chinese rulers and nobility. They symbolized the high moral qualities of a person. In addition, together with its reflection in the Pearl River, on which the building stands, it forms the number 8. According to the Chinese, it brings good luck. However, many citizens of Guangzhou saw in this building a Chinese coin, symbolizing the desire for material wealth, and the people already nicknamed this building “the disk of the wasteful rich.” It has not yet been announced when the building will be open to visitors.

"Stone Cave"

(Barcelona, ​​Spain)

Construction began in 1906, and by 1910 the five-story building had already become one of the most famous buildings in Barcelona. Locals dubbed it “La Pedrera” - the stone cave. And indeed, the house resembled a real cave. When creating it, Gaudi basically abandoned straight lines. The five-story residential building was built without a single corner. The architect made the load-bearing structures not walls, but columns and vaults, which gave him unlimited scope in the layout of rooms, the heights of which were different.

In order for a sufficient amount of light to penetrate into each room with such a complex layout, Gaudi had to make several courtyards with light ovals. Thanks to these numerous ovals, windows and undulating balconies, the house looks like a block of solidified lava. Or on a cliff with caves.

Music building

(Huainan, China)

Piano House consists of two parts depicting two instruments: a transparent violin rests on a translucent piano. The unique building was built for music lovers, but has nothing to do with music. In the violin there is an escalator, and in the piano there is an exhibition complex in which plans of streets and districts of the city are presented to visitors. The facility was created at the suggestion of local authorities.

The unusual building seeks to attract the attention of Chinese residents and numerous tourists to the new developing area, in which it has become the most iconic object. Thanks to the continuous glazing of the facades with transparent and tinted glass, the premises of the complex receive the maximum possible daylight. And at night, the body of the object disappears in the darkness, leaving only the neon contours of the silhouettes of giant “tools” visible. Despite its popularity, the building is often criticized as a kind of postmodern kitsch and a typical student project, in which there is much more outrageousness than art and functionality.

CCTV Headquarters

(Beijing, China)

CCTV headquarters is a skyscraper in Beijing. The building will house the headquarters of China Central Television. Construction work began on September 22, 2004, and was completed in 2009. The architects of the building are Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren (OMA company).

The skyscraper is 234 m high and consists of 44 floors. The main building is built in an unusual style and is a ring-shaped structure of five horizontal and vertical sections forming an irregular lattice on the building's façade with an empty center. The total floor area is 473,000 m².

The construction of the building was considered a difficult task, especially considering its location in a seismic zone. Because of its unusual shape, it has already acquired the nickname “pants”. The second building, the Television Cultural Centre, will house the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a visitor centre, a large public theater and exhibition space.

Ferrari World Amusement Park

(Yas Island, Abu Dhabi)

Ferrari Theme Park is housed under a 200,000 m² roof and is the world's largest indoor theme park. Ferrari World officially opened on November 4, 2010. It is also home to the world's fastest pneumatic roller coaster, Formula Rossa.

The symbolic roof of Ferrari World was designed by Benoy architects. It was designed based on the profile of the Ferrari GT. Ramboll provided structural engineering, integrated planning and urban design, geotechnical engineering and building façade design. The total roof area is 200,000 m² with a perimeter of 2,200 m, the park area is 86,000 m², making it the largest theme park in the world.

The roof of the building is decorated with the Ferrari logo measuring 65 by 48.5 m. This is the largest company logo ever created. 12,370 tons of steel were used to support the roof. In its center there is a hundred-meter glass funnel.

Innovative residential complex Reversible-Destiny Lofts

(Tokyo, Japan)

According to the architect's plan, the apartments in the complex he created are designed in such a way that their inhabitants are always on alert. Uneven multi-level floors, concave and convex walls, doors that you can only enter by bending over, rosettes on the ceiling - in a word, not life, but a complete adventure. It is impossible to relax in such conditions.

Man constantly struggles with environment, so there’s simply no time left to mope or think about illnesses. Whether this is shock therapy or a joyful game is still unclear. But the Japanese, reserved and subservient to traditions and taste, are willing to pay twice as much for uncomfortable apartments as for comfortable and familiar ones located in the same area. It’s interesting that all the “apartments” are rented and are not sold as property. Moreover, the 83-year-old Buddhist nun and popular writer Jakute Setouchi, who was the first to settle in the new house, claims that since the move she began to feel younger and much better.

"Thin House"

(London, Great Britain)

The unusual residential building, also known as the Thin House, is located near the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London. This house became famous throughout the world thanks to its wedge-shaped shape, or rather, the width of one of the sides of the building - a little more than a meter.

At first glance, the incredibly narrow structure of the building is just an optical illusion. Despite this, The Thin House has become very popular among Londoners and tourists. The reason for this architectural idea is not accidental. The South Kensington underground train line runs directly behind the house.

Due to the unusual design of the house, the apartments do not have a standard rectangular shape, but a trapezoid shape. For narrow rooms it is necessary to select non-standard furniture. In any case, despite a number of disadvantages, apartments in “thin” buildings are very popular among those wishing to acquire new housing.

Academy Chapel Air Force

(Colorado, USA)

The striking appearance of the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs caused some controversy when it was completed in 1963, but is now considered one of best examples modern American architecture.

Made from steel, aluminum and glass, the Cadet Chapel has 17 pointed spiers reminiscent of fighter jets taking to the skies. Inside there are two main levels and one basement. There is a Protestant chapel with 1,200 seats, a 500-seat Catholic chapel and a 100-seat Jewish chapel. Each chapel has a separate entrance, so sermons can be held simultaneously without interfering with each other.

The Protestant chapel, which occupies the upper level, has stained glass windows between the tetrahedral walls. The colors of the windows range from dark to light, representing God coming from darkness into light. The altar is made of a smooth marble slab 15 feet long, shaped like a ship, symbolizing the church. Church pews are designed in such a way that the end of each pew resembles the propeller of a World War I aircraft. Their backs are topped with a strip of aluminum, like the leading edge of a fighter plane's wing. The walls of the chapel are decorated with paintings, which are divided into three groups: brotherhood, flight (in honor of the Air Force) and justice.

On the lower level there are multi-faith rooms, defined as places of worship for cadets of other religious groups. They are left without religious symbolism so that they can be used by many people.

A person sometimes creates beautiful and unusual things, the sight of which can be enjoyed by grateful descendants, marveling at the skill and imagination of outstanding masters. Architects, in this context, give us fewer masterpieces than painters, sculptors or musicians, but this is understandable, because an architect needs not only to come up with something out of the ordinary, but also to realize his plan, which is many times more difficult than for the same artist . And yet, there are truly incredible buildings in the world, which will be discussed in this article.

There are dozens of amazing buildings scattered around the world, and today we will look at only a part of them.

Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai

The real name of this hotel, which means “Arab Tower” in translation, is known to few people, but the Parus Hotel is familiar to almost every travel lover. The architect is Tom Wright from Atkins Middle East. The height of the hotel is 320 meters, and its appearance resembles a huge white sail, which is where the building’s nickname came from. The hotel positions itself as a seven-star hotel, although it is internationally classified as a five-star deluxe hotel. Room rates range from $1,000 to $28,000 per night. All rooms in the hotel are two-story, and the smallest room has an area of ​​168 square meters. m.

Crooked house in Sopot

The small seaside resort of Sopot, located in the Gdansk Voivodeship (Poland), has one attraction that has already become famous throughout the world, attracting crowds of tourists to the town. We are talking about the so-called Crooked House, built according to the design of architects Shotinsky and Zalevsky. Despite its original appearance, Crooked House is part of a shopping center, which, however, does not detract from its unusualness.

dancing House

Another building with irregular geometric shapes is the Dancing House, located in the capital of the Czech Republic. Deconstructivism is the style in which this unusual building, which is actually an office center, is made. The two towers of this house are an architectural metaphor for a dancing couple, with one tower being normal and the other being destructive. Two architects worked on the project: Croatian Vlado Milunic and Canadian Frank Gehry.
Cube houses

Cube houses

Apparently inspired by what was allowed in Holland, the architect Piet Blom built Cube Houses or Cube Houses in Rotterdam and Helmond in 1984. The houses are residential and very comfortable.

House Mila

One of the main attractions of Barcelona is Casa Mila, designed and built by the outstanding Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi in 1910, commissioned by the Mila family. This house was the last private commission of Gaudi, who devoted the rest of his life to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Elevators, an underground garage, an innovative ventilation system, an open plan - this house is a unique manifestation of architectural genius, decorating the capital of Catalonia with its appearance to this day.

Temple of Truth

Wood Buddhist temple Truth, located in Pattaya (Thailand). Construction of the temple began back in 1981, initiated by Thai businessman Leka Viriyapana, and is planned to be completed by 2025. The construction uses ancient Thai construction and wood carving technologies, and every square centimeter of the temple is carved sculptures and wood ornaments depicting a mix of religious and mythological scenes from Southeast Asia and China.
Great Mosque in Djenne

Great Mosque in Djenne

This mosque is the largest clay building in the world. It is located in the city of Djenne (Mali), in the floodplain of the Bani River. Despite its appearance, the building is a little over a hundred years old, its construction was completed in 1907. This is the greatest achievement of the Sudanese-Sahelian architectural style.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Museum of Modern Art, a branch of the Solomon Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art, opened in 1997. This building was designed by architect Frank Gehry. It is located on the banks of the Nervion River in Bilbao (Spain). The museum is built in the style of deconstructivism.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Nitroya

The museum in Nitroya is the famous architectural creation of Oscar Niemeyer in the modernist style. The museum building is a sixteen-meter-tall concrete smooth cylindrical structure on a thin leg with a glass belt, reminiscent of a UFO.

These are not all the buildings that I would like to show you, especially considering that each of them deserves a separate article. But everything has its time, dear friends.