The Strangest Buildings in the World

Image via Complex Original

Magic Mountain Lodge

Location: Huilo Huilo, Chile

Located in the Huilo Huilo natural and biological reserve, the mountain-shaped hotel is accessible by a footbridge and is covered with vegetation. A water spout at the top of the structure occasionally covers the hotel in water, mimicking the effects of surrounding local waterfalls. Although from the outside this creates a great visual effect, to ensure the safety of those inside, we hope the building is waterproof. Otherwise, check out was just made easy as everything is washed away.

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Tianzi Garden Hotel

Location: Hebei Province, China

Officially the largest image building in the world, the hotel is a monument celebrating the Chinese gods Fu, Lu, and Shou, who represent good fortune, prosperity, and longevity. Though it depends on your beliefs, if entered with the right mind, spending time inside the gods might just allow guests to leave with the effects of their power.

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Crooked House

Location: Sopot, Poland

As if being looked at through a funhouse mirror, the Crooked House seems to be warping as its front facade does not display a single right angle. Designed as part of a shopping center, the building's shape was inspired the illustrations of Polish artist Jan Marcin Szancer, whose works have been featured in around 150 children's books. Viewing the Crooked House may induce feelings of being under the influence, or lead you to the feeling present inside a child's imagination.

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Honey Bee Hive House

Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Built in the 1970s, this housing structure has a confusing facade that seems to be a jumble of some recognizable features of a traditional home, while also resembling a bee hive. The construction was part of the National Ministry of Housing's efforts to create and promote unconventional architecture throughout Jerusalem, and bees should definitely be credited for the design. Perhaps there are a few things we can learn from the insects that have become known for the intricate but simple construction of their homes.

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Dog Bark Park Inn

Location: Cottonwood, ID

The bed and breakfast, a true mom-and-pop establishment, features monuments of Sweet Willy and Toby, named the world's largest beagles—modeled after real dogs. The inn offers two rooms available for lodging, and contains a gift shop and a woodshop studio that dedicates even more love to man's best friend. The buildings call all dog lovers and dogs to unite inside a real canine atmosphere.

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La Balade des Gnomes

Location: Durbuy, Belgium

The ten guest rooms of this hotel are as unique and strange as its exterior facade, which resembles a Trojan horse but won't roll away while you sleep. According to its motto, "All that you can imagine is real," the hotel makes fairytale fantasies come true in its themed rooms and decor. You might just wish further that the horse will carry you forever into a space of imaginary bliss.

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The Big Duck

Location: Flanders, NY

The Big Duck, located on eastern Long Island near the Hamptons, was built in 1931 to serve an appropriate purpose of being a shop for selling ducks and eggs. Originally constructed by a duck farmer, the 20-foot tall, 30-foot long Duck was once relocated then moved back to its original location. Though at the time of its creation both the animal and food may have lead to the same imagery, today, animal rights advocates might find that the Duck was being exploited.

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Dancing House

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Completed in 1996, this swaying house, which does not seem so upright, was designed by architects Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry. The structure, an embodiment of Gehry's use of curvilinear angles, appears to be dancing as it seems to swerve along with the neighboring road near the Vltava River. Although any actual swaying of the building would cause huge complications, infinite dancing is allowed inside.

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Shell Service Gas Station

Location: Winston-Salem, NC

As a promotional campaign, beginning in the 1930s, Shell built a series of eight gas stations shaped like the company's iconic logo throughout North Carolina. Though all of them have since been put out of service, this one still remains standing. Before extremely bright lighting, giant roofs, and an illuminated sign bearing the Shell logo, you had to look out for a cute shell-shaped structure to spot your gas station.

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Hat 'n' Boots

Location: Seattle, WA

Originally built in 1954 as part of a Western cowboy-themed gas station, the giant hat and boots are known to be the largest of their kind in the country. The structures have gone through extensive restoration and reconstruction as it was relocated for preservation to Oxbow Park in the Georgetown neighborhood. Although no one can be wearing these Hat 'n' Boots, they are literally a huge reminder of the architectural history of roadside America.

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Lucy the Elephant

Location: Margate, NJ

Built in 1881, Lucy is 132 years old, still weighing 90 tons and standing six stories tall. Her initial use was as a real estate office space, while she later became a summer home and then a tavern, but could not handle the drunkenness of her guests. Lucy was named a National Historic Landmark and is open today for tours that lead up to the howdah on her back, where views of the surrounding landscape can be enjoyed. Head over to Atlantic City and meet the oldest elephant on Earth for a small admission fee.

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Teapot Gas Station

Location: Zillah, WA

The strangely shaped service station was built in 1922 to remember a scandal involving the Teapot Dome oil reserve in Wyoming. Although no longer in service and forced to relocate in 1978, the original building, after some restoration, remains standing. While teapots cannot brew gasoline, putting the two images together, it is nice to dream of such abundance in supply.

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Hotel Spirit

Location: Bratislava, Slovakia

While the hotel looks like it was built out of many other buildings, its accommodations include typical selections of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, along with a relaxation pyramid where guests can meditate and become in tune with each other. Unfortunately, little is known about the building's architectural history besides that it has also become known as the Crazy Hotel. If you enjoy a session of meditation within its premises, make sure its spirit doesn't haunt you to go crazy.

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Airplane Service Station

Location: Powell, TN

Unique architecture was a great way to attract customers to roadside businesses, like this airplane structure built in the 1930s as part of a gas station. Named as one of the 10 most endangered roadside places by the Society for Commercial Archeology, efforts are being made to restore the building to an appropriate condition to host a new local business. This airplane cannot fly or offer you any service today, but it continues to remain treasured by its local community.

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Hang Nga Guesthouse

Location: Dalat, Vietnam

Also known as the Crazy House, the structure resembles the growth of a Banyan Tree and features animals like giraffes and spiders throughout its design. The structure's architect is the daughter of the former president of Vietnam, who managed to complete the project despite the local government's opposal to the strange buildings. While the house is reflective of the fact that no formal blue prints were used in its construction, we may come to appreciate such freestyle architecture that is not limited by convention.

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The Big Chicken

Location: Marietta, GA

Although today the Big Chicken is part of a KFC, it was originally built in 1963 to decorate the site of Johnny Reb's Chick-Chuck-'N'-Shake. The restaurant's owner created the bird with moving eyes and beak in order to promote his business, but since then the structure has become a landmark attraction. While KFC continues its efforts to create big chickens for consumption, this Chicken has always been big, naturally.

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The Big Apple

Location: Ontario, Canada

The 50-foot tall apple is indeed big, but is not located in the Big Apple, where it probably would not fit. Inside, fresh pies and other apple (food) products are sold, fitting to the building's shape. Other facilities include a small petting zoo and gift shop, while the zoo part is as strange as the shape of the structure.

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The Donut Hole

Location: La Puente, CA

If you love donuts, marvel at this drive-thru serving coffee and donuts 24 hours a day. While you are inside, you may feel like you are in the middle of a warp hole to a universe of donuts, and this could come true once you begin to enjoy your freshly baked treats. It is known to be local tradition for newlyweds to pass through the building, and you can imagine why. Hint: the hole is entered.

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1950s Bristol Freighter Motel

Location: Otorohanga, New Zealand

The motel functions inside the structure of one of the last allied planes out of Vietnam. While its guest rooms are not so spacious, the two units located in the cockpit and tail of the plane can host up to four people each. Don't expect much floor space or high ceilings, though. Where else would you get a chance to explore the detailed insides of a genuine aircraft?

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Upside Down House

Location: Szymbark, Poland

The building's name explains it all, as this house is truly upside down and standing on its roof. Built by Polish businessman and philanthropist Daniel Czapiewski, the house attracts large volumes of tourists who have reported a state of vertigo upon entering the structure and having to walk on the ceiling. The design is said to comment on the state of Communism and the world's society, as its interior features a television displaying 1970s socialist propaganda. Although visitors have noticed their confusion within the house, perhaps their perception was already distorted upon entering.

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Longaberger Basket Home Office

Location: Newark, OH

While buildings usually are not shaped like baskets, for the Longaberger Company, who appropriately manufactures baskets, it only made sense to design such a construction for its offices. The interior and exterior planning was done by the company itself, including a heating system for the handles to prevent them from freezing. If you are wondering why this matters, it may be to protect the hands of whoever wishes to pick them up.

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The Coffee Pot

Location: Bedford, PA

Designed to make you crave coffee, the Coffee Pot was built in 1927 as a roadside lunch stand. Despite threats of destruction, the structure was moved across the road and restored to remain a landmark today. The pot no longer holds any coffee, but reminds many Americans of the long history of our attachment to the drink.

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Mushroom House

Location: Cincinnati, OH

This might as well be a house out of Tim Burton's <em>Alice in Wonderland</em>. As complex as this house looks, it took architect Terry Brown 10 years to complete its construction. With help from students from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, where Brown was an assistant professor, the house was built as an office and decorated by hand, resulting in a final product that seems more like an art installation than a simple home. Step inside, and the trip continues.

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Shark Bar

Location: Perm, Russia

Located near the Kama river bank, the bar sometimes appears to be floating when water levels rise. Enjoy yourself, but stay away from the water and remember that even though you drank inside of one, your swimming skills are probably lacking compared to a shark's.

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Wonder Egg

Location: Ishigakijima Island, Okinawa, Japan

Designed as a birdwatching point, the Wonder Egg offers a hideout for visitors to observe migratory birds, who hopefully will find the building's shape as welcoming as we do. With camo-esque patterns on its surface, the Egg is sure to be noninvasive and remain unnoticed by the awaited guests.

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