Wednesday, 04 February 2009

• Some of the World's Most Interesting Buildings

  By Molly

  On your travels, it is always interesting to see the architecture in the places that you go. It makes for interesting pictures and unforgettable sights, and some places just seem to have incredibly unique buildings. Some are quirky, and you stop to look because you are more curious than amazed. Others are just plain breathtaking. Here are a couple interesting buildings that you may not have heard of, and some you probably have:

  Piano House, China

  

  This building was designed by the local Chinese government to attract more development to Huainan, Anhui. The transparent guitar acts as a staircase up to the building, where a variety of city plans and ideas for the future development of the area are on display. So basically, this is a very grand version of a city hall. As you can see from the picture, there isn't much around the building as of yet, but the government is really hoping for the best from this building!

  National Grand Theater, Beijing, China

  

  A somewhat controversally modern structure just west of Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the National Grand Theater, or The Egg, is one of the most amazing theaters in the world. It is surrounded by an artificial lake, and was built with titanium accented glass. The controversy with this building comes in its moderistic architecture. Because of the great respect for ancient Chinese architecture throughout the country, many critics voiced their opinion that The Egg took away from that feel in Beijing. Although, the elegance of this modern marvel cannot be denied.

  Crooked House, Poland

  

  This is a shopping complex in Sopot, Poland. Its arcitecture gives the illusion of a fun house mirror at a carnival, making it a very interesting attraction to visitors. The strange angles and colored glass make it a pretty amazing piece of architectual artwork. Definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Poland!

  The Upside-Down House, Poland

  

  This interesting house was created upside-down as a statement about the state of the world and the Communist era by a philanthropist and businessman, Daniel Czapiewski. It has attracted thousands of tourists, who commonly complain of nausea once inside. It took the workers extra time to complete, as they were disoriented by the direction of the corners and wall countours. Definitely a sight you wouldn't expect to see!

  Picnic Basket Building, Ohio

  

  This picnic basket-shaped corporate headquarters embodies the lifelong dream of Dave Longaberger, owner and CEO of his family basket weaving company. The outside is made up of clay-stucco, with 80-foot high clay handles affixed to the top. The building is similar to one of Longaberger's signature baskets, in that it gets bigger as you go up. Even though it wasn't easy to build, the giant picnic basket is definitely a sight to see!

  Have you been to any of these places? What are some of the most interesting buildings that you have seen on your travels?

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