52 Strangest Buildings People Have Dared To Design
The funniest, weirdest, and most surprising buildings ever created.
Some places take creativity far beyond blueprints and symmetry. Instead of sticking to the usual glass boxes or brick rectangles, some architects seem determined to ensure their work can never be ignored. These are the buildings that leave people staring, laughing, or questioning whether the designer was a genius or simply having a great time.
Take the headquarters of India’s National Fisheries Board, famously shaped like a giant fish. There’s no subtle symbolism; it’s literally a fish sitting proudly beside the road. Then there’s the St. James Quarter in Edinburgh, which earned the unforgettable nickname “The Golden Turd” for reasons that become obvious the moment you see its unusual dome.
Around the world, countless buildings spark reactions ranging from admiration to confusion. Some look like they walked straight out of a sci-fi movie, while others resemble objects no one ever expected to see enlarged into full-sized architecture.
Recently, someone online asked, “What’s the strangest building in your country?” and people were more than ready with answers. The responses came pouring in, each one stranger than the last, proving that the world’s architects are full of imagination or maybe chaos, depending on how you see it.
We gathered the best examples for anyone curious enough to explore this odd architectural universe. Scroll through, enjoy the creativity, and decide for yourself: Are these masterpieces, architectural jokes, or something in between?
"This Is The Headquarters Of The National Fisheries Development Board (Nfdb) In Hyderabad, India. This Building Is Just So Weird And Funny"
DiMpLe_dolL003"This Is The Last Remaining Example Of The Original Shell Gas Stations. It's Located In Winston Salem, NC"
HavBoWilTrvl"USA. It's The Headquarters Of A Company That Makes These Types Of Baskets"
Flimsy_Security_3866
"The Kindergarten "Katze" (Cat) In Karlsruhe-Wolfartsweier, Germany. Right Over The Left Paw, Two Small Windows At A Yellow House Can Be Seen. That Once Was My Bedroom"
kittyf0rman
"At No Surprise To Anyone, New Zealand Has Sheep Lmao"
Ragnar-Firebeard
"France, The 'Palais IDéal', Built By A Single Mail Carrier On His Spare Time, With Odd Rocks That He Found In The Paths"
0x1more
"France"
NutrimaticTea
"United Kingdom. This Is A Private House That Has A Shark In The Roof."
Ochib
"Taiwan Has A Shaped Bread Factory."
federicoaa
"Canada. The Gooderham Building In Toronto Is Fun!"
pineconeminecone
"Australia. He Is Beloved Tho!!"
AssociationNo6008
"Czech Republic. The Dancing House, Prague"
bb-17
"Apartment Building In Amsterdam"
Despite55
"Italy. The Church Tower Of A Flooded Village"
Marconerix
"The Warped House, Poland"
OkBus3544
"Hotel In Zaanstad (Netherlands) Lots Of Traditional Shapes Of Dutch Houses Together"
Beagle432
"There Are A Few, But The One That's Truly Whimsical And Witty, In My Opinion, Is Casa Orgánica, In Naucalpan. (State Of Mexico, Not Mexico City)"
Silver_Phoenix9
"Scotland. The St James Quarter In Edinburgh, Affectionately Nicknamed 'The Golden Turd' For Obvious Reasons."
Chocolatpetitpois
"South Korea. The Cafe’s Name Is Literally ‘Grasshopper Cafe’, Located In Jeongseon, Gangwon Province"
CommercialChart5088
"Australia. I Would Say It’s This Hotel Shaped Like A Crocodile In Kakadu, Nt"
Striking_Spite9102
"This Is A Museum In The City Of Niterói, State Of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil."
Odysseus-p
"Church In The Shape Of Chicken, Indonesia"
bayclean
"Us. Saw This One In New York"
Skywren7
"The Atomium, An Iron Atom 165 Billion Times The Size Of A Real Iron Atom. Belgium"
FissileAlarm
"The Shoe House In Lancaster, PA, USA!"
Hildedank
"Taiwan"
olympic_peaks
"There’s A Guy In Colorado Who Spent Some 40 Odd Years Building A Castle"
Yeti_Funk
"Toad Museum, Thailand"
docwannabox
"Elephant Building Bangkok"
Ok-Active1581
"Crocodile Stadium, Bursa, Turkiye"
Celecanto
"USA. This Dinosaur Is A Gift Shop, In California"
Skywren7
"Vegas, USA"
HelenaBelena
"Indonesia. It Became Viral a Few Months Ago, It's A Mosque Built By A Military General, Located In His Hometown LOL"
AdministrativePool93
"Kazakhstan. We Have Got A Lot Of These. Egg"
b100d7_cr0w
"Australia"
AssociationNo6008
"Los Angeles, It Has To Be The Walt Disney Concert Hall"
OttomanEmpireBall
"Union Of Architects Of Romania (UAR). And Yes, Those Are The Top Floors, They Are The Same Building."
daraskav
"Whale On The Danube Bank In Budapest"
Accurate_Cap_4920
"Taiwan"
olympic_peaks
"Barcelona, Spain"
ElA1to
"We Got The Kunsthaus In Graz. Always Makes Me Uncomfortable"
meepweepsheet
"This Is East Beach Café In Littlehampton, UK. People Call It 'The Turd'"
meglington
"Vancouver House, A Residential Building In Downtown Vancouver, Bc, Canada."
PaduWanKenobi
"Japan. This Is Asahi Beer Museum"
Serious-Discussion-2
"Singapore. The Art Science Museum"
EnvironmentalLion355
"Legozilla? Tetris Tower? Actually, It's The Ayer Rajah Telephone Exchange (1978) In Singapore"
sjioldboy
"Noah’s Ark In Kentucky, USA"
kaywrennn
"The Markel Building, AKA The Baked Potato Building, Here In Richmond VA"
SquirrelBurritos
"The Beer Can House"
rebby2000
"Germany. Bierpinsel In Berlin"
knightriderin
"In The Middle Of NYC. Edit: Leaked Documents Have Proven That Inside This Building Is The NSA And Telecommunications."
mikki1time
"Russia. Grocery Store In Moscow"
Eimaga
These unusual buildings show that creativity doesn’t always follow straight lines or safe ideas. They stand out, spark conversations, and sometimes leave people confused - in the best way.
Whether you love them or hate them, you definitely won’t forget them. And maybe that’s the point: the world is more interesting when design dares to be unexpected. So next time you travel, keep an eye out - odd architecture might be closer than you think.
