Some structures resemble disastrous incidents—eliciting sympathy while simultaneously holding your gaze captive. These buildings, whether marred by flawed design or the ravages of time, consistently manage to capture one’s attention.
It comes as no surprise that a whole subreddit is dedicated to these architectural anomalies. The ‘Shitty Building Porn’ community members exchange photos of ill-conceived constructions, amassing an astounding (albeit negatively so) compilation. We’ve selected some of the most unusual specimens to showcase the significance of key architectural choices. (H/T)
01. [Terrible] Building In Philadelphia
Architecture is a complex discipline that demands a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and a keen eye for detail. It involves not only devising the perfect design for a building but also supervising its construction. Both aspects are crucial to ensuring the structural integrity of the finished edifice.
Managing tasks from the initial sketch on a napkin to the final product on the street can be quite challenging. This is why the art of architecture isn’t suitable for everyone. Nonetheless, in 2019, there were over 115,000 licensed architects in the U.S. In the same year, the number of architectural firms reached almost 70,000, and it’s now approaching 75,000.
02. Selfridges Department Store In England
03. I’m On The 9th Floor. You Can’t-Miss It! [Kuwait]
The realm of architecture offers a diverse range of career opportunities, allowing individuals to specialize in various aspects. However, regardless of their chosen path, there are universal principles that apply—buildings must be aesthetically pleasing, secure, and functional.
Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio is credited with being the first to highlight these essential criteria. In the 1st century BCE, he employed the Latin terms “firmitas” (strength), “utilitas” (utility), and “venustas” (beauty) to signify the critical components of a well-executed architectural design.
04. Upside-Down Building
05. [Terrible] Thin Building, Egypt
06. Mirador Building In Madrid
07. Federal Building In San Francisco
08. This Ugly House In Mill Basin, Brooklyn
Architecture considers individuals’ lifestyles, values, and necessities. As the focus shifts towards environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes, the responsibility of designing such structures lies with green design architects. Other professions intimately connected to people’s needs include landscape architects and urban designers, who strive to create more comfortable living environments. Finally, industrial architects possess specialized expertise, allowing them to make well-informed decisions tailored to the requirements of various industries.
09. Dome Home Near The Gulf
10. Horrible Attempt At Re-Creating The Nice Architecture Of An Older Building
11. Markus Bahlmann – Macau Old Residential Building
However, you don’t have to be an architect to appreciate a beautiful design. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 19th-century Victorian-style house, an urban blocklike dwelling, or something else entirely. And suppose there are no examples of your favored architectural style nearby. In that case, you can always go online—as with most topics, the internet is brimming with content showcasing magnificent buildings. (For instance, check out the Architecture & Design posts on this Instagram account.)
12. Antilia In India (Personal Home)
13. The Rock In New Zealand
14. Grand Lisboa Hotel In Macau
Regarding attention-worthy online content, lovers of all things architecture might appreciate ‘Architecture Hunter‘, a digital media project focusing on construction and design. They shed light on extraordinary examples of human creativity that they believe have to be witnessed by the world. Deservingly so. Scroll through their Instagram to see some of the visuals yourself.
15. Elephant Building In Bangkok
16. Kaden Tower In Kentucky
17. Gateway To A Residential Neighborhood In Poland
To balance out the beautiful architecture-related content on social media, designs on the other end of the spectrum are also covered online. Ugly Belgian Houses is an excellent example of such counterweights.
18. National Library In Buenos Aires, Argentina
19. House Of Soviets In Kaliningrad
20. Another Railway Station In Estonia
The way we distinguish the appealing from the appalling is very subjective. However, when it comes to architecture, people can be split into two camps—architects and designers versus the rest of the folk. This idea was analyzed by the founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, professor of neurology, psychology, and architecture, Anjan Chatterjee, in his article for Psychology Today.
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