The World’s Most Interesting Architectural Designs: Unusual Buildings and Their Stories
The world is full of ancient and historical structures that tell a story about the period and culture in which they were built. However, some structures carry completely different traces, far from their period and culture. There are architectural works with unusual designs in many parts of the world. Let’s check out these works that attract attention with both their designs and stories.
Crooked House (Krzywy Domek), Poland
Reminiscent of a Salvador Dali painting, Crooked House is a structure that stands out with its wavy and rugged exterior. Built-in 2004 by the Szotynscy&Zaleski design team, the 4,000-square-meter Crooked House has four floors and is also a part of the Rezydent shopping mall. This unusual-looking building was inspired by Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg’s Polish fairy tale illustrations. The Crooked House, which looks like it’s moving with its asymmetrical roof and windows, attracts great attention from tourists.
WonderWorks, Florida
WonderWorks, an entertainment center that works with the motto “Unleash Your Imagination”, designed its building in Orlando, Florida with this idea in mind. The story of the structure is based on a top-secret research laboratory run by Professor Wonder on a remote island in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. While working on an experiment to control the power of a hurricane, the winds get stronger and stronger. Professor Wonder tries to stop the experiment, but everything goes out of control. The force of the hurricane spreads through the laboratory and turns the building upside down. This 4,500-square-meter education and entertainment center combines education and entertainment with hands-on exhibits that challenge the mind and stimulate the imagination.
Big Basket Building, USA
When you think of a basket, what size basket comes to mind? Longaberger, one of the largest basket manufacturers in America, decided to continue its operations in this building by building a basket-shaped building to highlight its brand awareness. Although the architects only thought of designing a structure resembling a basket, the owner of the company, Dave Longaberger, showed one of his products, a medium-sized basket and wanted the building to be exactly the same. The Big Basket building was designed to be approximately 160 times larger than the best-selling product of the company, which is the medium-sized market basket. The construction of the structure was completed in 1997. A central courtyard and glass roof were included in the design to take advantage of natural light. The 7-story building ceased to be the headquarters of the company in 2018 and was sold to investors.
Stone House (Casa do Penedos), Portugal
The architecture of the stone house built into the rock in the Braga region of northern Portugal is known to be inspired by the Stone Age cartoon. The house, which is built by combining several large rocks, has a rustic style both on the outside and inside. Despite being close to large windmills, the house is completely without electricity. The two-story house has a kitchen and a small living room on the ground floor. In the living room, there is a sofa made of eucalyptus wood and concrete, weighing about 350 kilos. The bedroom is on the upper floor and there is a swimming pool outside the house. Each room in the house has a different shape adapted to the structure of the rock. The construction started in 1972 and was completed in 1974.
Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul
Designed by Levantine architect Alexander Vallaury, the construction of Pera Palace Hotel began in 1892. The hotel, which was completed in 1895, was opened with a ball. Built to provide the luxury standards that Orient Express passengers were accustomed to and to provide comfortable accommodation, the hotel was one of the few buildings in the city to be lit by electricity. It was also the first building to have an electric elevator. Pera Palace Hotel is a neoclassical icon dating back to the 19th century. Its architectural structure is a blend of neoclassical, art nouveau and oriental styles. The interior decoration of the hotel uses materials such as marble, wood and stained glass to add a sophisticated air to the environment.
The building was designed with 115 rooms, including 16 suites. Another feature that makes the hotel different is its rooms of historical importance. For example, room 101 was the room where Atatürk stayed and made important decisions for Turkey. Today, that room has been converted into a museum room that everyone can visit. In addition, some rooms and suites bear the names of guests who stayed at the hotel, such as Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock, Ernest Hemingway, Jacqueline Onassis and Agatha Christie. In fact, Agatha Christie wrote her detective novel Murder on the Orient Express in room 411 of the Pera Palace Hotel. The hotel, being one of the most popular buildings in Istanbul, continues to host its guests today and offer them a feast of flavors in its Michelin-starred restaurant.
