Time and again we hear about stunning architecture, mesmerizing buildings from around the world, and breathtaking structures that seem to defy gravity. Well, this article is about none of that.
Quite on the contrary, today, we take a look at the outsiders of architectural skill that challenge our perceptions of aesthetics, practicality and common sense.
Thanks to these two online groups, the “Ugly House” and “Ugly Architecture” subreddits, we have rounded up quite a collection for you to scroll through. Don’t forget to upvote your favorite posts as you go!
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Seems Like This Was A Mis-Steak. Okay, I’ll See Myself Out
"I'd like a Kobe beef finish on my front wall" - "Say no more"
And it's in a well-populated neighborhood as well!
Load More Replies...A great way to "meat" your neighbors? (I'm sorry, I'll go now!)
More than one person bought this. We have a similar house I pass on the way to work.
Pleeeease stop with the “I’ll see myself out” line. It’s not funny anymore.
Classical Style That Seamlessly Blends Into The Original Structure
Small town airport called, they’d like their small town airport back please
“Eagle 4182, foxtrot departure runway 18, wind 12 knots 15 degrees cleared for takeoff.”
Being German, this reminds me of the past. Just google for inner german border...
It Seems So Innocent At First
Psychodelic drugs? Yes but everything would be moving lol
Load More Replies...You know what, I'm into it. My grandma had a lot of foil wallpaper, I'm nostalgic for that era of decor.
I remember my dad putting that stuff up in the 70s. I distinctly remember a black foil for a bathroom and lots of that bronze in hallways.
Load More Replies...A bit much but I'll take it over the current preponderance of white and gray...
If you've ever spotted a weird-looking building and thought to yourself “jeez, this thing is ugly,” you can be sure you’re not the only one. There’s something about particular architecture that makes our eyes almost physically sore.
According to architectural historian Timothy Hyde, the author of “Ugliness and Judgement on Architecture in the Public Eye,” “ugliness is an undertheorized dimension of architecture, given how common that critique is.” Hyde has seen numerous people commenting about ugly buildings to him so naturally, he took notice.
This Building I Saw The Other Day Kinda Looks Like A Bad Sims Starter House
This looks like the back of a business. There seems to be a big sign off to the right on the other side of the building.
That's also a commercial glass door with a push bar and some sort of signage on it at eye level. So definitely a business facing a pareallel street on the other side that's a bit lower in elevation.
Load More Replies...What Would You Even Call This Color? Fugly Fuschia?
I don't mind the pink so much. The blue railings. I think if they used white paint for the railing, porch and around the windows it would look better. I am not going to lie I do not have a decorator's eye!!
I had think the same. The pink is okay. But with the blue it is just to much.
Load More Replies...Ugly, yes, but many cities have programs that provide surplus paints to owners who cannot afford to paint their house. Those large, multi-floor city houses that are very common in American cities cost an absolute s**t ton to paint. between linear feet and absorbent clap board siding, it takes a lot of paint and time. So, if you are approved for this program, you get what you get.
Thank heaven Chicago doesn't have that program. And we don't have lots of frame houses and most frame houses have siding.
Load More Replies...Boy Do I Love Modern Belgian Architecture!
I was trying to think of a boring joke for this pic and then I yawned. Good enough.
Goddammit, do you know yawn can be contagious through writing as well????
Load More Replies...They have this newfangled invention called a light bulb.
Load More Replies...this looks like my first minecraft house that i built when i was, like, 7 years old
huh? this is just a screenshot of minecraft with a super-realistic texture pack.
Utilitarian. How much time to you spend staring at your house? The neighbors can look elsewhere for entertainment. Bet their property tax is lower too.
Hyde argues that people always think buildings are ugly. “Particularly as a historian of modern architecture, I encounter any number of people who say ‘Oh, you’re a modern architectural historian, can you explain why would an architect ever think to do a building like that?’”
In the early 19th century, the architect Sir John Soane filed a long series of libel cases against critics who criticized his creations. “There was a prevailing assumption at the time that a work of architecture, a work of art, a work of literature, was an embodiment of its creator,” says Hyde. In those years, a critique of a building, something we experience on a daily basis, was seen as a personal attack on its creator.
Built The Ugly Houses From Across The Street
yup, sharp angles look better in minecraft because that's literally all it has
Load More Replies...I like the Godzilla tree behind it, about to stomp his way to a better looking neighborhood.
I hope for your neighbors' sake they won't get a bunch of snow of those flat roofs. It'll get real cold real fast
Load More Replies...In Loganville, GA - Overseas Money Built An Entire Subdivision Of Tacky Mega Mansions. The Builder Didn’t Use An Architect And Built These All Based On His Own Vision... And Went Bankrupt
Not! This is 1124 Moccasin Trl, Loganville, GA 30052, it was owned by an Atlanta Superbowl legend
Overseas money? Do they mean the owner/developer was from overseas, or it was somehow “funded” by overseas? I’m confused how the overseas bit is relevant anyway!
It’s exactly what they said. Someone not from the US funded the project. Maybe this person’s culture has a different standard of beauty for homes. I think is what they’re getting at. In my opinion, all mansions are a waste haha. But hey. That’s just me 😂
Load More Replies...This Is Horrendous
Wait for it: it's actually a spaceship and can take off any second now.
Things have changed beyond recognition today. “Now what we take for granted, this modern idea that one can criticize a work of architecture or book without necessarily saying its creator is a bad or immoral person, begins to emerge as a legal concept,” Hyde explained.
It Was A Bold Choice. That’s About All I Can Say About It
Construction process was definitely rocky.
Load More Replies...Lots of surface area to help the building gain heat during the summer and lose heat during the winter.
Who Thought This Window Was A Good Idea?
It looks like someone just pointed in a building merchants and randomly picked things to build a house from
Yeah, it's like when you have random bits of lego and not enough of one type to do the job properly...
Load More Replies...They leaned it up against the house and then said, ‘naw, too heavy to lift it up, I’ll just attach it here.’
“Venezia” Mega Outlet In Istanbul
This in a city where there is the Hagia Sophia, the amazing Bazaar that goes on for miles and many, many other astonishing architectural landmarks. This is truly vile.
The new improved Colliseum. It’s like Black Friday, but to the death!
That's where I'm going when the apocalypse happens. Oddly, it looks like it's been through a few apocalypse(s) (apocalypti?) Is there even a plural for it?
Someone Paid To Build This Monstrosity
It looks like a mid tier apartment building. With terrible parking.
But they are crying out in pain even with their backs to the house!
Load More Replies...I know where this house is. Perhaps the worst part of this is that it is across the street from the Chattahoochee river near Atlanta and has a beautiful view. The land itself would be worth more if the house were demolished.
The Epicenter, Seattle, USA
Those balconies definitely look as though the building has been the epicentre of an earthquake
Nope, I love it, sorry. I'd so much rather have this quirky thing to look at than the endless blocks of concrete or whatever.
It took me a few minutes of looking at the balconies to figure it out: they only look crooked/tilted because they are asymmetrical and the corners of the 3rd and 5th floor balconies stick out further to the left and the 4th and 6th floor balconies stick out further to the right. If you look at the symmetrical, traditional rectangular balconies on the far right, next to the fake tentacles (?), you can see that those are not crooked. It's something of an optical illusion, whether or not the architect meant for that is unknown *I posted this before I saw AnkleByter's comment saying that it is "intentionally unique"
I think it's cool. It kinda reminds me of this building in San Francisco that had furniture stuck all over the outside wall.
I have been to this building personally (several times, it has a grocery store next to it and is on a main route) and this pic gets the colors all wrong and really amplifies the ILLUSION that the decks aren't flat. I actually quite like the building, and the art on it, and am thankful we don't all feel the need to build tacky boxes.
I dunno, this one's not that bad. Certainly not nearly the worst on this list.
Looks Like It's Stomped On
So no light at the back of the house. If there is fire you can't get out the back or sides of the house? I would be so nervous going to bed at night. My body is tingling and I do not like the feeling.
They build it that way to reduce energy during cold. Also cheaper to build haha
Load More Replies...My understanding is that this is called an "earth contact" home and that they have a following up where the winters are of the Westerosian tradition for their insulating value.
How can you not have a window along the entire back wall? I know it's a split design but put something high up at least.
It's no different than having a semi-detatched or a row house, where an entire side is unavailable. Also: a partially earth-sheltered home can be more energy-efficient.
Load More Replies...These homes heat and cool easily. A friend growing up had one that was covered on 3 sides and the roof with earth/grass. It was super nice.
This could be a home built during the atomic age in the 1950s. People were so worried about atomic bombs that they built houses to be like a bunker. Most of them later had another floor or two built on top after the panic of the era died down.
Judging by the background this could be Midwest U.S. in tornado alley. Could be built with a lower profile to reduce tornado damage.
Do Ugly Townhouses Qualify?
Honestly ... I kind of like it. Although I prefer large windows. But the clean edges appeal to me.
I don't see a problem. Bet it has giant windows on the other side, where the neighbors can't see in.
Zurich, Switzerland (No, It's Not Abandoned)
Hopefully there is an antidepressant dispenser nearby. Just looking at it makes me sad.
Well it looks like it's made of concrete so at least it's sturdy 🤷
The concrete looks spotty. Like, all patchy. I'll bet that stuff gets crumbly.
Load More Replies...When You Let Your 5 Year Old Design Your Custom Home
The star has a Mason vibe to it. Near where I live the hall has an inverted star in these colors.
The Order of the Eastern Star uses an inverted pentacle and the colors a bit different. That was my fist thought too.
Load More Replies...I guarantee you the room over the garage with that Pentagram window is some sort of Cult Chapel.
This would actually work as a community or childcare centre, with a bit more landscaping/fencing.
Someone Lied On Their Resume
I don't mind the simplicity of this. But are those shutters actually wide enough to cover the window panes? I get the idea that "decorative shutters" exist but I'd want them to function, or at least match the size of the windows.
Are windows really, REALLY expensive or hard to build or something? Is there a window tax?
To my knowledge, windows are the biggest expense when building a house.
Load More Replies...Arizona houses...this just needs some desert landscaping and...some desperate help with those shutters. No, those shutters are not ok.
If U Wanna Have A Big Building In The Middle Of A Hill At Least Put Some Facade
Gotta believe there’s a reason for this one. Wondering what the other side of that rise it’s on looks like. It’s clearly meant to allow elevated observation of something. Is there a valley on the other side, maybe? Or, is that a fire break on this side and it’s meant to observe possible oncoming fires and to survive them if one comes? If it’s steel framing and brick, it looks like it is built to survive most anything, offering a view of what to prepare for and multiple levels of protection depending upon what the threat actually is.
This Is Just
Every dirt house in Minecraft is more appealing
Load More Replies...You Like Big Windows? I Got Big Windows!
I like windows as much as the other guy but this is too much. Also if you're in an earthquake prone area that's a death sentence for your house(window to wall ratio).
II was taught glass is a technically a liquid, and this demonstrates it beautifully. Imagine it in heavy winds?
Unfortunately, the first thing I thought of when I saw this house was 'what a target for rock-throwing hooligans.
This House Is Furious It Exists
I think there are a lot of people out there that would love to have this home.
Holiday Home In Near Balatonszemes, Hungary
Flood zone? I think more developers need to think about where they're building instead of just slapping up another carbon copy.
I have been there, it belongs to my ex-wife's cousin. Quite comfy actually.
Not bad, you can park below. The windows are nice. Not sure if the roof is idea for snow but it's not bad.
You can only park underneath if you have one of those low height convertibles that is short enough to drive under a parkade security gate without paying. I don't know the name of the make of car but they look difficult to get into.
Load More Replies...Actually the place under for parking kayaks and like. Houses like this near rivers and lakes are built this way, especially the site is not big enough.
The primary floor in my home is on the second level because I live on a water way. Hot water heater, central air and generator are all there as well because of potential flooding. I can't see the whole view but maybe that's the case here.
Load More Replies...Romsås, Oslo. These Buildings Are Horrible
Cleaning/painting the exterior surface would help. Not much admittedly.
In the UK we had the "bright" idea of making all these building look better by installing cladding. Unfortunately nobody took proper responsibility for making sure that this cladding wouldn't make the buildings go up like a pile of kindling. 70 lives later and we ended up with a million people stuck in apartments that had a value of zero, but having to pay thousands for 24 hour fire guards.
Church "Saint-Pierre" In Pau, France
I don't know when this was built, but back then, it was probably considered very avant garde.
Miltifunctional Center aka The Cappuccino Cup (Quartucciu, Sardinia, Italy)
I want a boat! No, a house! No wait, a home, but like a boat on land. Perfect!
Fugly
All those different window styles makes it look they went on online and searched for "free used windows near me".
The side in the second photo looks like they were going for the successful Old West Brothel vibe.
Load More Replies...Based on the 'I support police brutality' flag on the right, I'm guessing 'trigger-happy' might be an appropriate way to describe the occupants.
Load More Replies...Make the back the front . . . on the back, paint white, show movies!
I thought "well those balconies look nice tho" and then I zoomed in on the 2nd flag... 😬
Sparrow Hills, Moscow, Russia
The architects must have been compensating for something. Just saying ...
This one just feels out of place.... Imagine this on a space colony!
Torre Insignia, Mexico City
The villain took this picture, she built this for her kid who said he wanted to live in a giant blue pizza slice
Load More Replies...Tours Aillaud, Nanterre (France) The Renovation Of The Aillaud Towers Will Start Soon, I Would Have Preferred To See Them Destroyed But This Is Definitely An Upgrade
Yes, if done well with a decent budget could be amazing, probably knock through multiple apartments on each floor to make bigger residences. https://www.greyscape.com/nanterres-tours-nuages-the-cloud-towers/
Load More Replies...This reminds me of Stone Tower (the area leading to Stone Tower Temple, specifically) in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but uglier
Failed to put the photo in my previous comment Stone_Towe...d77ad9.jpg
I Sure Wish I Spent 8 Hours A Day At Corporate Square I
Why let it bother you? It's a job. Go in, do your thing, and leave. Done.
Brand New Modern Home In SF, With Bizarre Greek Columns
This would look great if those columns were replaced with something more angular, and clad in copper.
Never thought of copper. That would look gorgeous!
Load More Replies..."Unique", "Lots Of Nooks"
And can you imagine the fun of tracking it/them down?
Load More Replies...Historical Society, Ohio
This Condo High Rise In North Brooklyn, Williamsburg, NYC
Tragic and hideous. I know that neighborhood. Such a pity.
Load More Replies...Butcher Center Basketball Arena At Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
I can understand not putting windows in on a sports arena.
Load More Replies...This Monstosity Of A Building
*lol* I sometimes dream of doing exactly that. but the money... *sniff*
Load More Replies...can someone explain the top floor gaps? For real. Theres a building by me that did this and I thought that maybe they were thinking to add another floor and just didn't.
How Is This Legal
I kinda like it... I dont like the garage and entrance, but the general shape has some postmodern scifi vibes XD
I don't like these kinda houses, but there's nothing actually wrong with it
"Mediterranean", Like A Garbage Strike In Naples
Laundromat - Dubois, Wyoming
I Swear I’ve Built This House In The Sims
The Scottish Parliament Sure Is Something... Especially Given That It Opened Three Years Late And At Least 10.35 Times The Estimated Budget
Okay, but has anyone seen the Australian Parliament building? It's got this awesome green roof, I just want to run around on top. So very cool. I like this building too though. It's like if somebody said, "please design me a building that is the antithesis of everything great about Scotland, like make it so that if you were a Scot and saw this building you'd be forced by patriotic duty to immediately hang yourself," and there it is. Please note, that I think the Scots are possibly the greatest humans on Earth.
I like the foot baths in the front. Ideal for after a walk up to Arthur's Seat.
Compound? Church? Department Store?
Yeah but single family homes in Short Creek Utah need to be at least 10,000 sq ft
Load More Replies...Former Pirelli Tire Building In New Haven, CT This One Sorta Speaks For Itself
hey that's my ikea! bought many a piece of furniture and eaten many a swedish meatball here... but i think those are their offices? the actual store bit is the blue part behind it
I Really Just Need Other People To See This
When Youve Been Playing Too Much Minecraft
It looks like a reconverted firehouse. Edit: actually upon zooming in, is this just a business?
M2 Building, Tokyo, Japan, By Kengo Kuma
Maxed Out Mansard Roof
The Mixture Of Small, Round Columns And Styrofoam Padded Square Columns Looks Ridiculous
Please Zoom In Because There’s A Lot Of Little Extra Ugly Elements
I'm not zooming in - I'd rather not get the impulse to stab out my eyes.
Load More Replies...Princess Towers In Kingston Ontario
3 Bedroom House, 12 Car Garage
This is my father in law's dream house, although I think he's turn the whole part on the right into more garages.
Black Chamber On 40 Degrees Celsius
Lucky Motorex getting free advertising from their biggest fans? Edit: sorry I’m blind - Motorex has become the whole house, okay. Motorex is the new fashion police. Haha. Motorex is the new Karen. Motorex is the new HOA president (help me)
Outskirts Of Malmö, Sweden
McMansion 1952 Edition. Not The Ugliest House But It Still Looks Off
Moscow Is Full Of Stuff Like That
Parc Du Futuroscope, France
Nice Try Disneyland
Could this be construction hoarding fence. It's quite common nowadays to see printed façade during construction/renovation period.
No one has said anything about the trees that look like signs from the freeway.
This House Is So Incredibly Unorganized
That's because it's been "maintained" cheaply and with little respect for the original architecture. The original trim (there's still some by the eaves) has largely been stripped off to install cheap, low-maintenance siding and windows. And the red addition is a completely different era. If I had gazillions of dollars, I'd love to find houses like this and restore them to what they were meant to be
That looks like two seperate structures photographed at an unfortunate angle which makes them look like one unit.
So that's a corner of the house, right about where the rear window of the car ends? The overcast diffuses all the shadows and makes it look like it's just one continuous wall there, running at an impossible angle.
Markus Bahlmann - Macau Old Residential Building
Portland Building; Portland, Oregon
Xenu is kept here, awaiting the day that he will break free and use the thetans in human bodies to take over the world. When that day comes, our only hope is Tom Cruise.
Load More Replies...The offspring that resulted when fascism raped Art Deco
Load More Replies...Ugly Hotel In Raleigh NC
If you recognize that this was likely built in the late 50's to early 60's it's not that ugly. Dated, yes, but not ugly for the era it was designed in.
"Hey, if we just make the control tower wider, we can put apartments around the edge! Maybe ... pitch it to the deaf community?"
Looks Like It Was Built In The Sims
Maybe it just me but I don't hate this. Wish it had a dormer and some eves I guess.
Well luckily, this is only a rendering. So that changes could be added.
Load More Replies...Guys, All Your Photos Of 'Ugly' Buildings Are Nothing Compared To What We Have Here In Russia. What Do You Think About This City Called Grozny?
It's like they went straight from brutalist to just haphazard and weird.
I dunno. I love looking at architecture… but does anyone feel guilty? Many of these are people’s homes! Actual living human people call these places home… 🤷🏼♀️
A lot of the very square or run down looking ones just make me think of some government housing or private places done specifically for Section 8. Made to be barely functional, and that's it. But still someone's home (don't get me started on the situation of US housing...)
Load More Replies...I'm kinda disappointed, most of these were just totally normal looking houses. Some even looked really cool.
Then try to find on facebook Ugly Belgian houses.
Load More Replies...Ah some Brutalist, some Minimalist, and some true garbage mixed in. 🤌
Two monstrosities that need to be here are the Disney Music Hall in Los Angeles and the Georgia Power building in downtown Atlanta.
I dunno. I love looking at architecture… but does anyone feel guilty? Many of these are people’s homes! Actual living human people call these places home… 🤷🏼♀️
A lot of the very square or run down looking ones just make me think of some government housing or private places done specifically for Section 8. Made to be barely functional, and that's it. But still someone's home (don't get me started on the situation of US housing...)
Load More Replies...I'm kinda disappointed, most of these were just totally normal looking houses. Some even looked really cool.
Then try to find on facebook Ugly Belgian houses.
Load More Replies...Ah some Brutalist, some Minimalist, and some true garbage mixed in. 🤌
Two monstrosities that need to be here are the Disney Music Hall in Los Angeles and the Georgia Power building in downtown Atlanta.
