Fascinating Architecture

Having a real fascination for architecture can lead me down many internet black holes. In other words, I can get lost for hours looking at some of the incredible, fascinating, and sometimes funky architecture that has been created.

Here is a sampling for you… hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

The Ray and Maria Stata Center, designed by Frank Gehry, is an odd jumble of lopsided buildings. The Center houses three departments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge.

The unconventional design led to cracks, leaks, and other structural problems. The amphitheater had to be rebuilt and reconstruction cost some $1.5 million. MIT filed a negligence suit against Gehry Partners, charging that their design of the Stata Center was defective.

The Bubble House. Located in Tourettes-sur-Loup, France, and designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and completed by Pierre Cardin. At 35 years old, it has already been listed by the French ministry of culture as a historic monument.

It consists of a series of bubbles covered in oval, convex windows, the whole assemblage set into the volcanic rock hillside.

Located in Sopot, Poland at Bohaterów Monte Cassino Street the Crooked House was constructed in 2003 based off of drawings from Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg.

The Piano House, China. This unique piano house was built recently in An Hui Province, China. Inside of the violin is the escalator to the building. The building displays various city plans and development prospects in an effort to draw interest into the recently developed area.

Located in Dalat, Vietnam the Crazy House, formerly known as Hang Nga Villa, was designed by architect Dr. Dang Viet Nga.

This office building is located in Prague, Czech Republic and was designed by architects Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. Because the building somewhat resembles a pair of dancers it was originally named Fred and Ginger, after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Later it was nicknamed the Dancing House.

Though quite a few thin houses exist around the globe, this particular Thin House is located in London, UK.

Dar Al Hajar. Located in Yemen, the Dar Al Hajar and built by Imam Yahya as a summer residence in the 1930s.

View from the roof of the Dal Al Hajar or Rock Palace.

Located in Arkhangelsk, Russia, The Gangster Wood House is believed to be the world’s tallest wooden house, soaring 13 floors and reaching 144 feet - about half the size of the tower of Big Ben. Rumored to be built by a gangster. This house reminds me of the houses in the movie Moulin Rouge.

The Sutyagin’s house is under the threat of demolition by the city authorities.

Cubic Houses of Rotterdam. Located in Rotterdam in The Netherlands, and developed by Piet Blom. Each cube house has three floors. The reception, the kitchen and the living room are on the first floor. The bedroom and bathroom are on the second floor. The third floor is used sometimes as a small garden.

Located in Valencia, Spain, the building is the opera house and is one of the buildings within the City of Arts and Sciences.

Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.

The Pixel Tower in Dubai is scheduled for completion in 2010. Architecture designed by James Law Cybertecture.

Have a great week!