45 of the Strangest and Most Unique Buildings From All Over the World

King Alfred’s Tower in Somerset, England is more decorative than anything. The structure is named after Alfred the Great, who won a battle there.

Giving off serious Rapunzel vibes, the castle’s topmost level can be reached through a spiral staircase. With stunning views to feast your eyes on, this castle is a must-visit for all tourists. It’s also a testament to how some buildings serve no purpose other than just being a mark of success and victory.

Built in 1765, the crooked house is a building that’s – as the name suggests – crooked. Standing on a mine shaft, it has slightly sunk to one side over time due to mining practices and it now appears lopsided.

The crooked house is actually a place where people can socialize in the UK and is a favorite among tourists and locals alike. Be careful though, if you suffer from vertigo, this building might not be the one you want to step in.

Also known as Dalat Crazy House, the Hang Nga Guesthouse resembles a giant tree and is as bizarre a guesthouse as it could be. The place was designed by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga and is marketed as a fairy-tale-themed house.

The house has a lot of twists and turns, nooks and crannies, and other things that make it mysterious and magical. With handcrafted furniture and numerous sculptures, it truly is an experience you’ll never forget.

The houses in Monsanto, which are in use even today, are a huge tourist draw for people visiting Portugal. These buildings are highly unique as they are built around, between, and under gigantic boulders that are scattered around the tiny village.

The boulders become everything, from the walls to the roofs of these bizarre and truly one-of-a-kind houses. Some of these boulders even have doors fitted into them! The village has been given heritage status, so it’s here to stay!

You know you’ve built a truly bizarre and unique house when tourists start flocking the place, even making appointments to visit and view it. This is the story of Eliphante Art House in Arizona.

Named for its differently shaped entrance, the house was built by artist Michael Kahn and his wife Livant in 1979. The duo finished the house 28 years later. The house is filled with curves, stone mosaics, and intricate wood and is a true artist’s abode.

The name of the building itself explains very well what the concept is. The Unzipped building in Milano, Italy is a piece of art wherein the building seems to be unzipping itself, like a pant.

The building was a part of an art installation by Alex Chinneck in 2019 for the prestigious Milan Design Week. The facade is a front for a former car repair shop and is now being used for events.

Yes, it definitely looks like a gingerbread house, but it definitely wasn’t that easy to make it. This is the largest city in Yemen, and it’s full of buildings that are made of rammed earth.

Red and white, the multi-storeyed tower houses make the city a beautiful vision to behold. The buildings date back to almost 2,500 years ago and have stood the true test of time while retaining their elegance.

These houses, or rather rooms, are built into a cliffside, 57 miles from Beijing. Situated near a natural spring, the 110 ancient rooms on the cliff are also known as the biggest maze in China.

The largest cliff residence is connected by stone steps and ladders. On the inside, stone hearts, beds, and wardrobes were also discovered. These houses are true testaments of how advanced and resourceful ancient humans actually were.

Just looking at the absolutely gorgeous Romanian castle gives the feeling of stepping into a medieval gothic place. But it exists in today’s time, in Prahova Country, Romania, and is a site not to be missed if you’re ever in the region.

Owned by the Romanian royal family, the castle is known for its technology embracing history. This was actually the first European castle to have electricity, not to mention its own power plant.

This house is the brainchild of two architects, one with a dream of escaping to the mountains and one with a plot of land in the Alps. Seven years later, their union resulted in this gorgeous Hole House in the Swiss village of Vals.

The house has four bedrooms, is flooded with light, and has views that you can get lost in. All in all, it’s a pretty sweet house you won’t ever want to leave.

If Willy Wonka ever built a house, we assume it would look something like this crazy mess. Nestled in a relaxed mountain town in Vietnam, the house is a maze of spiral staircases, bright colors, hidden nooks, and sculptural bedrooms.

One thing is for sure, once you enter this weirdly beautiful house, you’re certainly going to feel crazy yourself. Check the hidden nooks to see if there are any Oompa-Loompas hiding!

This four-star hotel is an impressive building with its many, many windows and gorgeous facade. Nestled in the Zaandam province of Amsterdam, the structure is actually built of stacked houses of almost 70 little houses.

The four shades chosen for the building are actually variations of the traditional color of the region. This hotel is just one of the many stacked-house buildings in the area that are sure to delight you.

There are many iconic train stations and airports in the world that are known for their beautiful designs. But hardly any of them beats the Lyon Airport Train Station in France when it comes to being beautiful but also pretty disturbing.

The inside of the station is a beautiful tapestry of blue, green, and yellow glass. But the outside looks similar to the helmet of a villain in a Power Ranger movie.

You might never be able to fly like a bird in the open sky, but thanks to artist Jayson Fann, you can now live like one. Fann invented these nest homes as getaways in California.

Doubling both as a forest getaway or a beach home, these houses are made with eucalyptus branches twined together to create sturdy small houses. These houses are also available for customization from Fann through his website.

This particular house looks like it started small and then grew over the years, alongside the forest. Which is exactly what happened! A very recent reconstruction that started only in 1989, the house was built by Colin, a farmer who got a little carried away.

The house is also known as the Hobbit house, and is not accessible to everybody! The unfinished project lies in the forest, as Colin moved away in 2000.

This house has an ingenious design, as it actually looks like a telescope when it opens up. Built by Georgetown architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, the house stretches towards the sky as each slanting roof gets progressively higher.

The $1.7 million house is made up of skylights, windows, and sliding doors that provide ample natural light to filter inside the walls. The unique design has made it a favorite amongst people of the region, and rightly so!

It is befitting that an architecture firm has an office space that’s an absolute marvel, both to work in and to look at. This office is nestled in the woods and is a sure-fire way to get the creative juices flowing for the designers working inside.

The tunnel-like office offers direct sunlight, thanks to the glass walls. Not to mention, it’s a direct work testament of the firm itself.

The futuristic design for the Shenzhen Natural History Museum looks like something right out of a sci-fi movie and will soon be a reality. The design was chosen in 2020 and was shown to be a curved river-like structure.

The design will be topped by a park accessible to the public and will act as a walkway along the curved building. A trip to this 42,000 sq ft museum is one you won’t forget anything soon.

If you’ve ever wanted to stay in a pineapple, your wish can now come true. All thanks to the Dunmore Pineapple in Scotland. The summerhouse allows accommodation for up to four people and is a unique accommodation that’s worth trying.

Built in the 18th century, the structure rises above the stone wall of a garden. It also has a private garden in the back, for those staying at the property.

Yes, you read that right. This absolutely bizarre structure is actually a cafe in Jeongseon in South Korea. Made by converting two train cars, the cafe resembles two grasshoppers joining together under the open sky.

The giant insect-like structure houses a two-story restaurant inside. Situated next to a biking track, it’s a definite moment of double-take for all riders when they lay their eyes on this weird mess.

Located in the desert, this container house became a viral sensation in 2017 when it was first unveiled. The house was already a part of many real estate listings back in 2020, even when construction was yet to begin.

The property is made up of many shopping containers, painted white to reflect the light and keep the insides cool. The placing of the containers in the outward motions gives the appearance of the house looking like a starfish, with way too many hands.

This house was inspired by the beloved TV family the Flintstones and is all carved with rocks, befitting the Stone Age setting of the hit TV show.

Built by radio personality Dick Clark, the house sits on a 23-acre land and is surrounded by beautiful views of the Boney Mountains, Serrano Valley, and the Pacific Ocean. The house is a step back in history, but with all the modern comforts of today’s world.

The Harbin Opera House in China is another building that’ll blow your mind because of the way it’s built. Designed by a well-known architect firm MAD, the building is the focal point of Harbin Culture Island.

There’s a grand theater that can seat over 1,600 patrons and a smaller one for 400 people. The mind-bending designs are minimalistic, futuristic, and a marvelous piece of architectural wonder. It’s an Opera House like never before!

The infamous Flintstone House of the Bay Area is a controversial piece of property. Owned by Florence Fang (yes, even the name is an eye-catcher), the house is a magnet for visitors with its colorful decor, Flintstone decor, and whimsy layout.

The Flintstone House has been served with papers for not having the necessary permits, but after all the struggles, Fang and her quirky house are free to run wild.

These really cool buildings are from way back in history, dating all the way back to 3,700 BC. Made from mud, straw, dirt, and stones, these Beehive Houses in Syria can be found in rural farming communities and deserts.

The conical shape on the top keeps the interior dry during rain, while the oculus hole at the top lets in light. These ancient houses are in use, even today, as storage barns and residences.

This is another whimsical building and another safe place for the book nerds to get lost in their fantasy land. This leaning house in Canterbury houses within it a second-hand bookshop that’s a super-duper hit with all the tourists in the region.

The crooked building seems to defy all the laws of physics with its slightly slanted structure. It’s also rumored that it was actually inspired by David Copperfield, the book.

If you’ve ever wondered what size the biggest drawer in the world is, we have your answer. The biggest drawers in this world are exactly the size of a building, which resides in Bogota, Colombia.

With the facade of giant drawers, it’s a fitting design to house a furniture store. However, the building does have the internet divided on whether it’s creative or an eyesore waiting to happen.

The Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau is a study of grandeur and opulence, standing at a height of 261 meters. The five-star hotel stands out even in the sea of hotels that is Macau.

Just looking at the gold and sparkly building is enough to remind somebody of a disco ball. The only place this extended display of kitschy luxury looks like it belongs seems to be Las Vegas.

This is an example of a unique house with modern architecture. The Keret House in Poland is the world’s narrowest house, spanning only 48 inches in width. Architect Jakub Szczesny designed this house specifically for traveling writers.

Squeezed in between two buildings, this building is in the center of Warsaw and is an iconic tourist destination in the city. If you’re ever in the city and need a reason to appreciate open spaces, this place might just give you a reason to do so.

Hard Rocks are all over the world. The hotel chain is known for being amazing, hip, and all-around one of the most trusted hotels. But none of them embody the spirit of Rock as well as their hotel in Florida.

Shaped like a guitar, the hotel lights up in multiple colors and truly transports you to a rock concert with its exteriors. Either you love it or you hate it, there’s no in-between for the Hard Rock in the sunshine state.

Take a look at the building below. Now look again. This isn’t a screenshot from a 90’s computer game but is actually a building situated in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The Industrial Park Building is a favorite amongst the locals and a true head-scratcher for those who are just passing by. The building’s exterior gives off the look of it being a part of a fun, digital game or poster.

Yes, we have all seen and heard of the amazing creation of igloos, ice houses that are rounded on top. These modern adaptations of the design can be found in Denmark.

The houses, shaped like an igloo, are designed to accommodate tourists. Situated between the mountains and the bays, these houses are truly wondrous getaways for people looking to reconnect with nature with just the bare minimum.

There’s always that one place in the house that your parents ask you not to go to. It could be the garden’s edge or a particular room. For this house, we’re pretty sure the kids just get told not to go in at all!

Thankfully, this isn’t an actual house but just an art installation. People who’ve dared to venture inside this creative house have echoed feelings of awe, and vertigo, in there.

Designed by philosopher Stephen Turner as an experiment, the house was meant to just be an art installation but later turned into Turner’s residence on water.

The Exbury Egg has a one-room living space, which has all the amenities for a minimalistic experience like a basic shower, a hammock, and cooking devices. The egg-shaped house has a wooden exterior and is moored to the dock with ropes.

California is the city of stars, but it turns out it’s also the city of extremely weirdly shaped dwellings. These houses, which are on land, are actually shaped like stranded boats.

They can’t be called houseboats either, since there is no water anywhere. However, these ship houses are a great addition to the anyway quirky California. Not to mention, they certainly stand out as a unique idea of how to change up your house.

Just one look at this structure, and it’s impossible to not think of Po and Dipsy. Also known as the Teletubby House, this residence in Wales is built entirely underground, and is invisible from the top due to being covered in grass.

The only way to view this house is the tiny patch of front glass. The house was built in 1998 and is a unique take on how to blend nature with architecture.

This luxury hotel located in Spain is a true architectural splendor. Made up of stunning metal sheets of the colors red, silver, and gold, it’s the best one in the region.

This is architect Frank Gehry’s second most famous building. The interiors are a beautiful, serene design and the resort is a must-visit for anybody who likes architecture and experimentation when choosing their accommodation.

Macau is a city that’s teeming with high-fi resorts, each one better than the last. So doing something to get people’s attention is a must. Studio City’s strategy was to speak to people’s love for pop culture by adding elements of it throughout their hotel.

With a giant Ferris wheel, a 30,000-square feet entertainment center, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and many more things, this eye-catching building is something you can’t miss.

If you’re somebody who likes your privacy and only wants to see people on your own terms, this might not be the house for you. Just looking at this house is enough to give a person the feeling of being watched.

Multiple windows decorate every wall of the house, though it’s hard to pin down what the reason for it could be. Just imagine how high their curtain bill must’ve been!

These houses might not be as bizarre as the others, but they definitely warrant some quirk with their mushrooms. Built around the 1970s in New York, the structure resembles a mushroom from the outside and rests high above the ground.

The interior is decorated with mosaic tiling. Overall, the house feels just different enough to be unique. Not to mention, it’s surrounded by nature.

Imagine one hula hoop sitting on the ground. Now imagine hundreds of them laying on top of one another, slightly lopsided and making a pretty structure. That’s what this building looks like – a stack of hoops.

Either that or this quirky design can easily be the dust that Bugs Bunny leaves behind when he runs away from everything. Since it seems to be set in a corporate setting, we guess even the workers know the power of running!

This house is very famous amongst tourists who visit Germany and it really is a must-visit place. The upside-down house is built like its name suggests – upside down. Everything inside the house is flipped upside-down.

So if you suffer from vertigo, maybe venturing into this one might not be the best idea. The house has everything from tables to beds nailed to the ceiling, creating the perfect illusion.

Some people like peace and quiet, but some just want to leave the world behind and live like a hermit. This house is an ideal choice for the latter.

Built on a rock on the Drina River in Serbia, the house is a 1968 construction that was made with the purpose of serving as a shelter. It was made by a group of men who deemed a rock to be a good sheltering space.

If you’re a fan of Transformers and are fascinated by their transformations, this house is the one for you. Built by designer Michael Jantzen, these houses allow the occupant to rearrange them to suit their needs.

The wooden panels of the house slide along a steel frame to change the way the house looks. The bizarre but ingenious house is built at just 230 square feet and is present at only 10 locations around the world.

Say goodbye to privacy and solid walls if you decide that this is the house you wanna live in. The transparent house in Tokyo, Japan is as the name suggests – transparent.

The transparent windows all around the house allow plenty of daylight to filter in. It’s inspired by our ancestors, who lived in trees.