33 Strange Buildings of the World: A Fascinating Adventure

I know what you are thinking, that the term ‘strange buildings of the world’ is completely subjective, vague, and open to lots of interpretation. In fact, I don’t have rigid criteria that land a structure among the world’s strangest buildings.

What I can tell you is that I know it when I see it, and I believe you will, too.

Join us on this page as we share photos and information on some of the most extraordinary architectural marvels, each defying conventional norms in some way. From gravity-defying structures to whimsical designs, these peculiar buildings never fail to spark our curiosity and ignite our imaginations.

So, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s dive into the enchanting realm of the world’s strangest buildings.

Where did we find the strangest buildings in the world?

The short answer is everywhere. Some of the buildings we have seen and others are still on our bucket list, but this map highlights some of the weirdest buildings in the world. Below we segment them into five regions: Europe, Australasia, North America, South America, and Asia.

Europe’s weirdest buildings in the world

Europe is home to some of the strangest buildings in the world, each one a testament to the creativity and innovation of its architects.

Atomium (Brussels, Belgium)

This futuristic structure was originally built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium. Its message is all about peace, technology and progress, making the world a better place. Today, visitors can travel through its interior spaces and enjoy panoramic views from the top.

Its massive size really surprised me. Look at the lamp posts and trees to get some perspective on the size of this structure.

The Upside Down House (Szymbark, Poland)

One look at the Upside Down House and you know it has earned its place among the strange buildings of the world.

Built to represent the end of the communist era, it is equally as bizarre on the inside. Entry is through a roof window, visitors walk on the ceiling, and this fully furnished house provides visitors with a disorienting yet unforgettable experience.

Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao, Spain)

As we strolled through the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, enjoying the eclectic collection of contemporary art, I couldn’t help but wonder if my favourite work was the building itself.

This iconic museum, renowned for its titanium-clad undulating structure with its curved metallic facade, houses a collection of modern and contemporary art.

Casa Batlló or Casa Mila (Barcelona, Spain)

We took a tour of the architecture of Antoni Gaudí last time we were in Barcelona, thus visiting several of the strangest buildings in the world. The two modernist buildings we chose to feature here are Casa Mila and Casa Batlló.

Casa Mila features an undulating stone facade with wrought iron balconies and windows, giving it an organic, almost cave-like appearance.

Just as remarkable, Casa Batlló enchants with its vibrant colours, dragon-like scales, and bone-inspired structure, making it a true masterpiece of modernist architecture.

Crooked House (Sopot, Poland)

Called “Krzywy Domek,” this crooked house was built in 2004. We still haven’t seen this architectural wonder, which looks like a fairytale gone awry. But its distorted, whimsical shape earns it a spot on our list of the world’s strangest buildings.

The Cube Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

Honesty, I want to get inside this series of cube-shaped houses tilted at a 45-degree angle and see if they challenge the concept of traditional living spaces or whether the walls are straight, leaving hidden empty or storage spaces.

While it looks somewhat impractical for living, it sure is an eye-catching architectural ensemble.

Dancing House (Prague, Czech Republic)

The Dancing House, often called Ginger and Fred, is an avant-garde building that appears to be in a dance-like embrace, defying traditional architectural norms. It seemed such a contrast to most of the traditional buildings we saw in Prague.

Some of the strangest buildings in the world are in Australasia

Australasia offers a mix of iconic and eccentric buildings.

Sydney Opera House (Sydney, NSW, Australia)

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, with its sail-like structures that appear to float on the harbour. While it looks somewhat different from every angle, one of my favourites was at sunset from the water.

Its design is as much a feat of engineering as it is a work of art. Odd and interesting on the exterior, the Sydney Opera House tour really brought it to life for us.

Beehive (Wellington, New Zealand)

Nicknamed ‘the Beehive’, this is the executive wing of New Zealand’s (our home country) parliament buildings. Visitors can get a free tour.

Rubik’s Cube public toilets (Geraldton, WA, Australia)

I was excited to see these Rubik’s toilets and believed they would be amongst the weirdest buildings in the world. And as random as they seem on the outside, the interior is a complete non-event.

Inside was simply an ordinary (and not terribly clean) toilet. They are located just off the main beach and are worth the two-minute time needed for an exterior photo.

The Hundertwasser Toilets (Kawakawa)

In direct contrast to the Rubik toilets in Geraldton, the Hundertwasser toilet block is a unique public toilet designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It features vibrant colours and unconventional shapes throughout, only the toilet itself is not that interesting.

And another hour or so down the road is the new Hundertwasser Centre for the Arts in Whangarei. The building itself is fascinating inside and out, as are the artist’s creations.

Govett Bruster Art Gallery (New Plymouth, New Zealand)

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is renowned for its reflective facade, contemporary art exhibits, film screenings, performances, and the Len Lye Centre. While the over 900 artworks are impressive, we were already captivated by the building long before we entered.

While it’s stunning on a blue sky day, it’s equally impressive on a rainy day, as the wet street reflects back the shining surfaces. It’s one of the must-sees in New Plymouth.

Strange buildings in the world located in North America

North America is not to be outdone when it comes to the world’s strangest buildings.

Basket Building (Newark, Ohio, USA)

The Basket Building in Newark, Ohio, took the concept of corporate headquarters representing their product to a new level for its former owner, Longaberger Company. Resembling a giant picnic basket, this massive seven-story office building is a colossal replica of a Longaberger basket.

The building has been empty for years, for sale on and off, and there is occasional talk of converting it into a luxury hotel.

Marina City (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

I had to include at least one from Chicago, the city I grew up in. Marina City made that easy, as it stands out with its twin corn cob-shaped towers, housing both residential and commercial spaces.

These iconic structures blend brutalist architecture with modern urban living. I captured the shot of Marina City during an architecture river cruise.

The Habitat 67 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

While I personally love the way this innovative modular design looks, I imagine it would be a bit of a nightmare to get around inside. This residential complex consists of 354 interconnected concrete boxes arranged in a seemingly chaotic yet functional pattern.

This striking, avant-garde structure offers a unique blend of urban living and green space, making it a landmark of modernist architecture.

The Museo Soumaya (Mexico City, Mexico)

A curvaceous, shiny structure housing an extensive private art collection, The Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, Mexico, has earned its place among the world’s strangest buildings.

This extraordinary museum, with its shimmering amorphous shape, is covered in thousands of hexagonal aluminium tiles, creating a fluid, almost liquid appearance.

Inside, the museum houses an extensive art collection, making it not only a visual spectacle but also a cultural treasure trove that is free for the public to visit.

The Air Force Academy Chapel (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA)

This modernist chapel features 17 glass and aluminium spires that create a striking silhouette against the sky. It is a fabulous design for an Air Force Academy chapel, with distinctive soaring spires that resemble a row of jet fighter wings.

Its unique design and interfaith worship spaces make it an architectural marvel and a symbol of innovation and spiritual unity.

Kansas City Library (Kansas City, Missouri, USA)

While it’s often referred to as the Kansas City Public Library, this 7.5m (25 feet) tall facade designed to resemble a row of gigantic books celebrating the love for literature is actually the wall for the library’s garage. Either way, we thought it was cool enough to be on our list of the world’s strangest buildings.

Rainier Tower (Seattle, Washington, USA)

It’s the unique “pedestal” base that narrows dramatically before expanding upwards, giving it an almost precarious appearance, that earned Rainier Tower a place on our list. Creatively, Amusing Planet suggested it looks as though it was designed by an American beaver.

In fact, it was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same architect behind the World Trade Center. Rainier Tower defies conventional architectural norms and left a lasting impression on me.

More of the world’s strangest buildings are in South America

South America boasts some truly unique architectural gems.

Leaning buildings (Santos, Brazil)

Depending on how you define the weirdest buildings in the world would determine whether or not you include Santos, a coastal city near São Paulo.

For us, Santos is included, for it is here, along the beachfront, 63 leaning buildings are intermixed with ones that don’t lean. Although engineers check the stability of these apartments annually, it still felt odd standing there, staring in wonderment. We wrote more about Santos here.

La Mundial (Cordoba, Argentina)

From the front, it looks normal, but La Mundial is the thinnest building in Latin America. Looking at it from the side, you can see how odd it is. But what really makes it one of the strangest buildings in the world is its history, a fascinating tale of a family feud.

Two brothers owned a plot of land divided equally, with one section closer to the street. In the 1920s, the city widened the street, taking a substantial chunk of the front property. The brother in front asked to redivide the sections, keeping them even, but the one in back refused.

The brother who owned the remaining sliver of land, out of spite, built a tall, narrow building to block his brother’s view, resulting in this remarkably thin structure.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastion (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, often called the Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, is a towering, conical structure that resembles a futuristic pyramid.

We found the cathedral’s exterior striking, but the interior was equally captivating. Inside, the vast, open space was illuminated by four large, vibrant stained-glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, creating a breathtaking and serene atmosphere.

Museum of Tomorrow (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

It’s true; I was fascinated by the architecture in Rio de Janeiro, and the Museum of Tomorrow is another of the world’s strangest buildings. This one seems to defy gravity.

We saw it from the outside, and its sleek, elongated structure with jutting white beams left us in awe. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to get inside, but even its exterior was enough to capture our imaginations.

Casa de llama (Cafayate, Argentina)

This one caught me completely by surprise. In a region best known for its vineyards, we walked out of the Museum of Vine and Wine, and standing tall across the street was Casa de Llama.

This striking two-story brick and concrete house, built by a local potter, features a towering concrete llama and rhea along the sides. The llama’s legs frame the front door, and its ears stretch beyond the roofline, making the house’s decorations truly remarkable.

Strange buildings of the world found in Asia

Asia is home to some of the strangest buildings in the world, blending traditional and futuristic design elements.

Marina Bay Sands (Singapore)

This hotel features three towering structures connected by a massive sky park that resembles a ship. On the roof are the world’s largest infinity pool and a cantilevered viewing platform.

Jeff and I stayed here and loved it, especially because staying at the hotel gave us access to the infinity pool. This iconic pool, perched high above the city, offered breathtaking views and an unforgettable experience. (See our Marina Bay Sands review here)

Lotus Temple (Delhi, India)

The Lotus Temple in Delhi, India, is a breathtaking example of a Bahá’í House of Worship. It is shaped like a lotus flower and symbolizes peace and unity.

While we haven’t seen the one in Delhi in person, the photo instantly reminded us of the Bahai Temple we saw in Samoa.

Gate to the East (Suzhou, China)

We spent most of our time in the old town of Suzhou, but you can’t help but notice some of the modern buildings like the Gate to the East, also called the Gate of the Orient.

Some say this towering structure looks like a giant pair of trousers, making it a unique and controversial addition to the cityscape.

King Power Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

One look at this pixelated building, and you’ll understand why it’s on our list of strange buildings in the world. It’s a stark contrast to some of the more traditional structures in Bangkok, where we spent most of our time.

This towering skyscraper features a striking design with a spiral cut into its facade, giving it a fragmented, almost digital look. At 78 stories and 314 metres, it is one of the tallest buildings in Bangkok and offers gorgeous views from its skywalk and observation deck.

Cayan Tower (Dubai, UAE)

While Dubai is loaded with unique, weird, and strange architecture, we chose the twisting Cayan Tower for our list. It stands out for its distinctive 90-degree twist from base to top.

Its helical shape defies conventional design and offers stunning views of the city from its luxury apartments. This architectural marvel perfectly encapsulates the innovative spirit of Dubai’s skyline.

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing, China)

Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, sometimes called the “Giant Egg”, has an opera house, theatre, and concert hall. Like the Sydney Opera House, it stands out among the world’s strangest buildings.

The centre features an oval-shaped dome made of titanium and glass, surrounded by an artificial lake. It seats 5,452 people in three halls and spans over 100,000 square metres, making it both an architectural marvel and a cultural hub in the heart of Beijing.

The Piano and Violin Building (Huainan, China)

This remarkable building is designed to look like a giant piano with a violin as its entrance. It serves as an exhibition hall and performance venue, and the transparent violin houses the escalators and staircases.

Its creative design combines functionality with artistic expression, making it a striking landmark in the city.

Did we miss your favourite strange building of the world?