Olga

Through the ages, architecture has been a manifestation of man’s progress when it comes to creativity. From simple four-sided structures with doors at the bottom and windows all the way up, innovation and active imagination have allowed people to create buildings that are more than plain edifices, but are expressions of oneself.

To see how far creativity has improved man’s concept of architecture, here are 10 undeniably beautiful buildings around the globe.

The Crooked House in Sopot, Poland

You can try blinking again to see if you are delirious, but your eyes are not playing tricks on you.

The Crooked House in Poland is one of the most distinguished unusual architectural masterpiececs in the world. Also known as the Krzywy Domek, it was designed by Szotynscy Zalesk and was built in 2004. The concept was derived from Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg’s storybook illustrations. This three-story infrastructure is called “The Crooked House”, thanks to its warped walls, twisted windows, and doors with bent edges that resemble fairytale houses we grew up with in our childhood.

The Device to Root Out Evil in Vancouver, Canada

This is not a product of mere photo editing or a hyperbolic manifestation of evil. The unusual architecture of The Device to Root Out Evil is designed to make you all topsy-turvy.

This controversial upside-down church was created by Dennis Oppenheim with the sole intention of introducing something fresh when it comes to architecture. He mentioned that this was originally named “The Church”, and should have been situated along Church Street in New York. Because of its trivial connotation, however, it was rejected by the Public Art Fund so it ended up in Vancouver.

The Tianzi Hotel in Hebei, China

By using images of emperors, the Tianzi Hotel beat the prowess of Mount Rushmore.

Known as the Emperor Hotel or Son of Heaven Hotel, this ten-storey building is designed with full body images of emperors that manifest three paradigms of an ideal Chinese life—Fu Lu Shou or good fortune, prosperity and longevity. It is located in a province in China called Hebei.

The Basket Building in Ohio, USA

As if some giants are on a picnic, this humongous picnic basket in the middle of a grassland across a highway is actually the Basket Building in Ohio.

The inside is no picnic, however. The seven-storey Basket Building is the official headquarters for Longaberger Basket Company. The building owes its name to founder Dave Longaberger.

The building was a product of mimetic architecture as it actually imitated the Longaberger’s Medium Market Basket. It took two years to establish, amounting to about $30 million in total cost.

The Atomium in Brussels, Belgium

This is not an alien invasion or Dexter’s Laboratory. Consistent with its name, The Atomium in Brussels, Belgium is a magnified projection of iron atoms with nine metal spheres that resemble electrons connected to the central core and to each other by long covered corridors.

This design by André Waterkeyn is intended for honoring the emergence of atomic age. Much to the delight of its visitors, the topmost sphere houses a restaurant where the specialty is the panoramic view of Brussels.

NordLB Building in Hanover, Germany

Awarded with the Niedersächsischen Staatspreis für Architektur, or in English, Lower Saxony Award of Architecture, the NordLB building is the main office for North German Bank, which accommodates about 1,500 employees. This building was designed by the world-renowned Stuttgart architectural office, Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner, inspired by the concept of a messy stack of box containers.

Kansas City Public Library in Missouri, USA

This may be one reason why Alice wanted to come back to Kansas instead of staying in the Emerald City.

The Kansas City Public Library transcended its reputation as an institution to become a cultural facet of downtown Kansas. It featured favorite book covers of Kansas residents to attract more people to visit the library.

Blur Building in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

When it was built as an exhibition pavilion for Swiss Expo 2002, spectators admired how indigenous its material is, the water from Lake Neuchatel. This structure is lined with high-pressure nozzles responsible for the mist created throughout the building.

It is also built with a dynamic weather system which adjusts water pressure depending on the climate. Surely, outdoor furniture for this type of building needs to be water-resistant.

Turning Torso in Malmö, Sweden

As if a tornado twisted this architecture, the Turning Torso was inspired by the look of human body in motion. Santiago Calatrava conceptualized this 54-storey building, which was later on hailed as the highest building in Sweden.

Burj al Arab (Dubai, UAE)

This sharks’ fin-like hotel on the Persian Gulf is one of the tallest operating hotels in the world. Its main attraction is the Al Muntaha restaurant with a wide patio overlooking the panoramic views of Dubai. It uses world-class interiors, outdoor and patio furniture so that visitors will have an entirely pleasurable experience.


These are just few of uniquely designed buildings and infrastructures around the world. If you have more to add, feel free to post them in your comments below.


Vincent is a Marketing Consultant for Open Brook. An Excellent source of information and reviews about Patio and Outdoor Furniture