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“Bread-Shaped Bread Factory”: 35 Structures So Odd They Could Be AI-Generated
Let your weird light shine bright so that the other weirdos know where to find you... That's what comes to mind when we think of some of the buildings people have dared to design and erect. Often, it's not even a case of thinking outside the box. But rather, destroying the box completely and creating a whole, new, never-seen-before, architectural shape.
Think India's National Board of Fisheries headquarter building, which is shaped like... a fish. Or the St. James Quarter in Edinburgh, Scotland, nicknamed the Golden Turd... we'll leave you to figure out why. These are just a few of the unique structures around the world that have people stopping in their tracks and doing double or triple-takes, just to make sure their eyes aren't deceiving them.
Someone recently asked, "What's a weird or funny building in your country?" and the replies came rolling in faster than tractors on a construction site. Some structures are mind-blowingly creative, others are plain bizarre. All are proof that the planet we live on is anything but vanilla.
Bored Panda has put together a list of our favorites for you to scroll through while you plan your next sight-seeing adventure. Let us know which ones you find the most interesting by hitting the upvote button.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
This Is The Headquarters Of The National Fisheries Development Board (Nfdb) In Hyderabad, India. This Building Is Just So Weird And Funny
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 1 day ago (edited)
Nice plaice you have here. You can feel the sole of the building. Must have been a haddock to design.
Lotekguy 1 day ago
I'm glad this is all in print since I'm hard of herring.
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Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
This building needs a balcony with an awning on its right side so the poor fishy can gain its missing fin...
rustyscate 1 day ago
I love it! It reminds me, vaguely, of the MEPS building in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, shaped like a boat. (Military recruiting office where you take your placement test and swear in) I was an 89 bravo ammo tech
The world would be so boring if everything and everyone was exactly alike. Thankfully, when it comes to building design, the sky is the limit... At least, in many places around the world.
China made headlines in 2016, after announcing that the government planned to ban "bizarre" and "odd-shaped" buildings. Ironically, the country was at the forefront of unique architecture, and was home to some of the wildest buildings in the world at the time.
RELATED:
#2
France, The "Palais IDéal", Built By A Single Mail Carrier On His Spare Time, With Odd Rocks That He Found In The Paths
Bi.Felicia 19 hours ago (edited)
A bit more info- It was built by Ferdinand Cheval, a French postman, who spent 33 years (1879-1912) collecting stones and constructing the palace entirely by himself. The palace is a unique example of naive architecture and art environment, blending influences from various cultures and styles, including Hindu temples, Egyptian tombs, and Swiss chalets. Cheval was inspired to build it after stumbling upon an unusually shaped stone during his mail route. The structure is 12 meters high and 26 meters long(approx 40ftX85ft)and includes various sculptures of animals and figures, as well as inscriptions and poems. It has been recognized as a major work of art and classified as a French Historical Monument.
Rick Murray 15 hours ago
Just a ways down the road from me is a pleasingly weird place. Google "musée Robert-Tatin", you'll see what I mean.
Lotekguy 14 hours ago
Thanks for the tip. I googled yours and this one, both are spectacular. This picture doesn't begin to do justice to the intricacy and extent and of the craftsmanship. Glad to have seen more detailed views of each.
Load More Replies... Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
I'll bet that from when he started, it took at least a week before there was anything worth going to look at
Take Beijing's "big pants" building, for example. The state-owned China Central TV Headquarters is an icon in the country's capital and was one of the first unique and "weird" structures.
The steel and glass building got its nickname from its unusual and experimental angular looped shape. It is made up of two leaning towers, joined on the upper floors by a 75-metre cantilevered bridge, and looks very much like... you guessed it: a huge pair of pants.
The structure and facades were completed ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2008 for all the world to see. But the building was only officially opened in 2012.
#3
This Is The Last Remaining Example Of The Original Shell Gas Stations. It's Located In Winston Salem, NC
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 1 day ago
If you hold your ear to it you can hear the sound of ecological catastrophe.
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago (edited)
Once upon a time, service stations provided, oh what did they call it? Oh yeah, *service*! People would pull up and an attendant would, um, *attend* to them; putting in the amount of fuel requested by the customer, checking their oil and radiator levels, and, if needed, clean their windscreen. The customer had no need to exit their vehicle and enter the building. That was simply a place for the till & where the attendant could hang out when there was no customers. Imagine that! Sounds like a fairy tale...
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Remi (He/Him) 1 day ago
the entries switch places according to the up and down votes, so what was #47 at the time you made the comment is probably something completely different from what it is now
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#4
The Kindergarten "Katze" (Cat) In Karlsruhe-Wolfartsweier, Germany. Right Over The Left Paw Two Small Windows At A Yellow House Can Be Seen. That Once Was My Bedroom
#5
USA. It's The Headquarters Of A Company That Makes These Types Of Baskets
Tango Wox 1 day ago
Well it was until the company went under. iirc its been for sale for a while now.
rustyscate 1 day ago
The USA has big weird people and big weird buildings at least we are good in that way! 🤷♀️
GrowingThruConcrete 1 day ago
no one wants it, if I had the $ I'd turn it into a 90s pop culture museum
#6
At No Surprise To Anyone, New Zealand Has Sheep Lmao
Nikki Sevven 1 day ago
The way they're looking at each other, there will be a bunch of lamb buildings in the morning.
The "big pants" was once billed as "the greatest work of architecture built in this century" by architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff.
"At moments monumental and combative, at others strangely elusive, almost retiring, it is one of the most beguiling and powerful works I've seen in a lifetime of looking at architecture," Ouroussof proclaimed.
But that didn't stop China's president from criticizing the building, and going a step further by announcing a proposed ban on "weird" architecture in the country.
#7
United Kingdom. This Is A Private House That Has A Shark In The Roof
Roxy222uk 1 day ago
As far as I know this is in Oxford, there’ve been complaints, but the council can’t legally get them to remove it.
UKDeek 1 day ago
It is in Oxford, (Headington to be exact) and was sculpted by artist John Buckley and installed in the house, without permission, by journalist Bill Heine on the 41st anniversay of the dropping of the atomic b**b on Nagasaki. Many attempts were made to have it removed as it broke planning laws, but was saved by Michael Heseltine after an appeal in 1992. I won't add a link, but just search Headington Shark and you will find plenty of information.
Load More Replies... Ghostchaplain16 1 day ago
Is anyone else hearing the theme from the movie "Jaws" as they look at this?
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
That would be an ingenious way around council planning permission. "That's my TV antenna. Where's the law that says TV antennas have to be a certain shape?"
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Norfolk and good 23 hours ago (edited)
We don't have HOA's in the UK because we generally believe that people can do what they like to their own house, and if the neighbours don't like it that's their problem.
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#8
France
In the 1970s and 80s, the French government wanted to strengthen swimming instruction. This required building many swimming pools. A model was developed and almost 200 were replicated throughout France.
These pools look like flying saucers (and they can partially open). Weird but a bit cool, I think.
April Pickett 1 day ago
The mechanics still work? They haven't been abandoned like so many other structures from the 70s and 80s?
Michael Grant 14 hours ago
The Canadian government also did this in the 50's-60's but with covered skating rinks. They looked like a large quonset hut. They were all over rural Canada.
Upstaged75 12 hours ago
As a kid I used to play tennis and in the winter they put up a "bubble" over the courts. I never liked how loud it was in there - it was partially held up by air pressure and there were blowers going constantly.
#9
Taiwan Has A Bread Shaped Bread Factory
Apatheist Account2 14 hours ago
The staff have been through thick and thin together, barely making a crust.
The CCTV "big pants" skyscraper was just one of China's "weird" buildings that came under fire by president Xi Jinping in 2014 when he gave a two-hour speech lamenting bizarre structures. The Chinese leader also hit out at twp bridges over the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Chongqing, which have been compared to female private parts.
Fast forward two years later, and in February 2016, China announced that it would no longer allow such creativity when it comes to city skylines. In a document, the country's State Council forbade "oversized, xenocentric and weird" buildings, stating that all new buildings should be "suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye".
#10
Canada. The Gooderham Building In Toronto Is Fun!
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
In my reply to myself is a link to the google maps entry for the Geelong Arts Centre. Coolest looking façade I've ever seen!
#11
Australia. He Is Beloved Tho!!
Vivian McBride 19 hours ago
There used to be some animal-shaped buildings in southern California. I remember a couple of dogs.
Lee Gilliland 16 hours ago
And the giant hot dog near the LA Brea Tar Pits.
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The Warped House, Poland
Ghostchaplain16 1 day ago
Imagine popping out of the local watering hole late at night and looking at this. "Here, Tom, better take my keys."
#13
Appartment Building In Amsterdam
Lotekguy 1 day ago
I'd be really, really careful about what I put on the part of my apartment that doesn't have another unit under it. No grand pianos or pool tables.
Rick Murray 15 hours ago
When your address is apartment four and a third on floor six and five eighths...and everybody just thinks it's some bizarre Harry Potter reference.
#14
Hotel In Zaanstad (Nethwrlands) Lots Of Traditional Shapes Of Dutch Houses Together
#15
Czech Republic. The Dancing House, Prague
It resembles a dancing pair (the man on the right, the woman on the left)
Photo By Danny Alexander Lettkemann, Architekt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Spidercat 1 day ago
The architect who designed this recently dïed. He also designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Frank Gehry.
Cee Cee 1 day ago
And at the request of Marge the Springfield community centre in The Simpsons!
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#16
Scotland. The St James Quarter In Edinburgh, Affectionately Nicknamed 'The Golden Turd' For Obvious Reasons
angelmomoffour62 1 day ago
It is lopsided. The one from the top looks like it's going to fall.....
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago (edited)
If you go through life always expecting symmetrical tụṛd piles, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. They're typically shıt!
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#17
South Korea. The Cafe’s Name Is Literally ‘Grasshopper Cafe’, Located In Jeongseon, Gangwon Province
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
I'd be tempted to always use a certain descriptive F word before saying that name...
#18
Italy. The Church Tower Of A Flooded Village
Jeroen Maes 23 hours ago (edited)
There are no houses left, the tower is the only remaining structure. I've seen the lakebed when the lake was dry due to maintenance to the dam (late 1970's)
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Raymond Core 1 day ago
It's not a flood. This is a lake created by a dam. There is a whole village that goes with that church.
Pedantic Panda 22 hours ago
Yes, the village and valley were flooded to make the lake/reservoir.
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#19
Australia. I Would Say It’s This Hotel Shaped Like A Crocodile In Kakadu, Nt
Panda McPandaface 16 hours ago
You'd be amazed how many places have trees.
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#20
The Atomium, An Iron Atom 165 Billion Times The Size Of A Real Iron Atom. Belgium
WindySwede 1 day ago
Wiki "in the shape of a unit cell that could represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times."
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Stardust she/her 23 hours ago
Atoms do NOT look like this because they instead have funky shaped orbitals. Well I guess the S orbitals are the most normal looking (they’re spherical) but the P, d and f orbitals have completely different shapes. This is most likely a lattice of iron atoms
WindySwede 22 hours ago
See my comment under 'Ryan's comment, more info on Wikipedia about it. (Its an iron crystal)
Load More Replies... Lotekguy 1 day ago
This looks so much better in person with all those curving reflective surfaces.
#21
Church In The Shape Of Chicken, Indonesia
More Information 1 day ago (edited)
"[Censored]! Wait, that's not a woodpecker, it looks like someone's-.."
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Siege Rook 16 hours ago (edited)
The real question is: but y, tho? Like, seriously. Why? EDIT: Apparently the designer *intended* for it to be a dove... and missed the mark by a country mile.
#22
This Is A Museum In The City Of Niterói, State Of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
#23
USA. This Dinosaur Is A Gift Shop, In California
Stacie-LZ 17 hours ago
I used to live near this. They used the site to film the movie "Pee Wee's play House"
SkyBlueandBlack 16 hours ago (edited)
Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Edit: they painted the T-Rex to look like Pee Wee after Paul Rubens passed, but I've heard it's since been painted green again.
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#24
There Are A Few, But The One That's Truly Whimsical And Witty In My Opinion Is Casa Orgánica, In Naucalpan. (State Of Mexico, Not Mexico City)
#25
Taiwan
Temple of the 18 Lords which boasts the “worlds biggest dog statue”, you walk in through its butt and go up stairs until you can look out of it from a platform inside sorta like the Statue of Liberty. But the door was sealed shut a few years back
Panda McPandaface 16 hours ago
Seems cruel. I mean, how would you like having your rear end welded shut?
Lennon Liu 11 hours ago
I ɢᴇᴛ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ $120 ᴘᴇʀ ʜᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴍᴇ. I ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ'ᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴜᴅᴅʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴏᴠᴇʀ $13,453 ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ. sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴀsʜ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙʏ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ɪɴsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴs............ 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝟭.𝗰𝗼𝗺
#26
The Shoe House In Lancaster, PA USA!
Bewitched One 1 day ago
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.
SheamusFanFrom1987 1 day ago
There was an old woman who lived... Oh, someone else lives there now? Hopefully she doesn't have too many children, gives her kids more than broth with at least some bread, and tucks them in rather than whipping them soundly to bed... XP
Siege Rook 16 hours ago
"There was an old lady who lived in a shoe... she had so many kids, her uterus fell out! OH!" ~Andrew Dice Clay
#27
Crocodile Stadium, Bursa, Turkiye
Janelle Collard 15 hours ago
At least that's interesting to look at. Way better-looking than Levi's Stadium. Just sayin'...
#28
There’s A Guy In Colorado Who Spent Some 40 Odd Years Building A Castle
Melody 1 day ago
Sooo my comment where I provided a link to an article was automatically hidden. (Are links not allowed anymore? I haven't been on here much recently because the content has gone downhill so much.) But it's called Bishop Castle.
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#29
Us. Saw This One In New York
Bob Brooce 1 day ago
I'm glad this one is here (well, it's actually a bit SE of Riverhead, NY at the very beginning of Long Island's south fork) because if it wasn't I'd have mentioned it in the comments at the bottom of the page. There used to be a lot of duck farms on eastern Long Island.
Andy Frobig 19 hours ago
I figured it must be on the Island, but I've lived in a lot of parts of the state, so when I read something's "in New York" I automatically think "that doesn't narrow it down much"
Load More Replies... Siege Rook 16 hours ago
Okay, unlike the Chicken Church above, this one ACTUALLY looks like a dove. Mostly.
Adorable Davelands 17 hours ago
That's actually a photo from the old location. It was saved and moved to its current location around 1990. It is a tourist shop now. I was there a couple of months ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Duck
Panda McPandaface 16 hours ago
How did you sneak a link into your comment without it automatically getting hidden!?
Load More Replies... PenguinEmp 1 day ago
No it's now a historic building with a gift shop. It was built in 1931 by a man who wanted to sell ducks.
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#30
Toad Museum, Thailand
SheamusFanFrom1987 1 day ago
Gamabunta from Naruto really fell on some hard times to have to make money housing antiques in himself...
#31
Elephant Building Bangkok
#32
Vegas, USA
Whatshername 15 hours ago
Agree, even on my third day I still found it very distracting.
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Panda McPandaface 16 hours ago
I don't really fancy visiting Vegas and certainly not living there, but I would like to experience this globe - it just looks phenomenasl.
#33
Los Angeles, It Has To Be The Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by Frank Gehry. Personally not a fan of his architectural works, and I don’t personally like it but it makes for a good statement piece. Close seconds are The Broad Museum and Petersen Automotive Museum.
Paulsible deniability 17 hours ago
Right after he read the description above.
Load More Replies... Nikki Sevven 1 day ago
Also not a Gehry fan, but he did do a magnificent job here of making something incredibly heavy appear to be about to take flight.
WindySwede 1 day ago
To me it looks like an solar powered nuclear plant. The nuclear building, see stripy building left, at almost the top.
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Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 1 day ago
For a second after I saw it was a Disney building, I thought for sure it came from the imagination of Dali!
WindySwede 1 day ago
To me it looks like an nuclear power plant, the stripy reactor building on the left side..
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#34
This Is East Beach Café In Littlehampton, UK. People Call It 'The Turd'
#35
Indonesia. It Became Viral Few Months Ago, It's A Mosque Built By A Military General, Located In His Hometown LOL
Phantom Phoenix 1 day ago
Has anyone seen the design plans for the ballroom?
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What do you think ?
Rick Murray 15 hours ago (edited)
So - if it's British and it exists, it is called "the t**d". 😂 [edit: seriously BP? censoring a word used multiple times in the article? 🤦🏻♀️]
SchadenFreudian Psychology 14 hours ago
In northern Virginia, we have the Toilet Bowl Building and the Darth Vader Building.
Rick Murray 15 hours ago (edited)
So - if it's British and it exists, it is called "the t**d". 😂 [edit: seriously BP? censoring a word used multiple times in the article? 🤦🏻♀️]
SchadenFreudian Psychology 14 hours ago
In northern Virginia, we have the Toilet Bowl Building and the Darth Vader Building.
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