One of the key objectives of architecture has always been functionality. This is especially important for residential and commercial buildings: comfort and operational safety come first. But style is no less important. It can tell without words about the character of a space, its purpose or idea. Some architectural projects are so fantastic in their conception and execution that they become symbols of neighborhoods, cities and even countries. The most unusual buildings of the world we have collected in this review.
Longaberger Basket Building, USA
The headquarters of the Longaberger company in Ohio is built in the form of a giant basket, enlarged 160 times larger than the real product of the company. The seven-story, 18,000-square-foot building opened in 1997. The basket handles weigh 75 tons each and are heated in the winter to prevent ice from forming. The building has become a symbol of American corporate design and an example of how architecture can reflect a company’s operations.
Museum of the Future in Dubai
For many investors, Dubai has become the world capital of highly liquid overseas real estate, but some properties are priced out of the market. The Museum of the Future in Dubai is a futuristic torus-shaped building with a smooth metal surface covered in Arabic calligraphy. The seven-story, 77-meter-high structure is completely devoid of supporting columns, making it a unique engineering achievement. The building’s facade consists of 1,024 panels and is decorated with quotes about the future from Sheikh Mohammed written in traditional Arabic script.
Lotus Temple in Delhi
Built in the shape of a lotus flower, this temple is open to people of all religions. Its snow-white marble petals symbolize purity and harmony. Despite its religious function, the building looks like a modern sculpture and attracts thousands of tourists every day.
Crooked House in Sopot
The Crooked House in the Polish resort town of Sopot looks like a building from a fairy tale or a cartoon. Built in 2004, the 400-square-meter structure does not have a single straight line. Architects Szotynski and Zaleski were inspired by the works of artists Jan Marcin Schanzer and Per Dahlberg. The facade of the building is decorated with wavy lines and the roof resembles the scales of a dragon. Inside there is a shopping center with stores, restaurants and a radio station.
Tianjin Library in Binhai
Nicknamed “The Eye of Tianjin”, the library is a futuristic book temple with an exciting design. Opened in 2017, the building is striking with its sphere-shaped central atrium surrounded by terraces of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Wave-shaped shelving creates the optical illusion of an endless ocean of books, and in the center is an auditorium in the shape of a glowing eye. The library can hold up to 1.2 million books and has become one of the most photographed libraries in the world. The project by the Dutch firm MVRDV embodied the concept of a “mountain of knowledge” where visitors climb up terraces, symbolically ascending to the pinnacle of education.
