Many of us strive to be unique and stand out from the crowd. We express ourselves through the clothes we wear, our totally rad hairstyles, and what we talk about. But probably the most significant statement that we can make about our character is by choosing where we live and work. Would we love to work in a giant panda-shaped building? Definitely. Would yours truly like to live in a moody Victorian châtelet in the middle of some mysterious misty mountain woods that you couldn’t find on a map? You’d better believe it, but only if it had a haunted greenhouse and plenty of rainfall. [Cue lightning and thunder.]

The world is chock full of wonderfully weird and unbelievably beautiful architecture, and the ‘Bizarre Buildings’ subreddit documents the best of the bunch. Sure, some of these places look extremely unpractical for anyone inside… but gosh! Look at how impressive they are! Scroll down to enter the r/bizarrebuildings rabbit hole, and don’t panic if you meet Alice. Remember to upvote your fave pics, and let us know which of these places you’d love to visit (and potentially even live in!) the most.

Oh, and if you thought this was it, then hold on to your hats. For those of you who weren’t here the last time, definitely check out our previous piece about the subreddit right over here (why, yes, that is a cat-shaped building) when you’re done enjoying this fresh new list.

Don’t forget to read Bored Panda’s interview about dream home designs with Ariane Sherine, the editor at ‘These Three Rooms.’ Are you ready to have your imaginations expanded, dear Pandas? Don’t blame us if you end up daydreaming about the perfect home all afternoon, though.

#1 King Alfred’s Tower In England, Built In 1772

Image credits: Jakecohn12

#2 Alpine Refuge From World War I Located At 2760 Meters, Monte Cristallo, Italy

Image credits: TX908

#3 Sanaa, Yemen

Image credits: IamSmithh

Bored Panda asked Ariane, the editor at ‘These Three Rooms,’ about whether or not we can definitively tell about the quality of a home based on its interior and exterior aesthetics alone. However, tidiness and beauty don’t automatically mean that there are no problems to be found.

“While it’s generally true that homeowners who maintain their homes well are more likely to be aware of and fix problems, there still might be issues they’re unaware of or are trying to cover up. That’s why it’s extremely important to undertake a full structural survey before committing to a purchase,” the design expert told us.

#4 Unzipped Building. Milano, Italy

Image credits: Teillu

#5 This Pub Was Completed In 1765 Was Built On Top Of A Mine Shaft And Over Time It Had Sank On One Side. Getting In Sober Is A Challenge, And Even Harder Getting Out Drunk

Image credits: introvertalwayss

#6 The Iron Fountain – Gyumri, Armenia

Image credits: porcupineporridge

According to Ariane, what drives us to create unique and impressive homes is our desire for individuality. 

“Many people want to design a build that encapsulates their vision and personality, rather than having an off-the-peg home,” she explained to Bored Panda.

“And if you can afford it, why not create your perfect house rather than having to make do with an existing one that might not completely suit your preferences?” she suggested that if someone doesn’t have any budget constraints, they should consider a fresh project rather than having to settle for something that doesn’t mirror who they are as a person.

#7 Lyon Airport Train Station, Lyon, France

Image credits: Heavy_Machine008

#8 Temppeliaukion Church, Helsinki, Finland

Image credits: UsefulThing8306

#9 Hallgrímskirkja: Lutheran Church In Reykjavík, Iceland. Commissioned In 1937 And Completed In 1986.

Image credits: jewish_tricks

We were also curious to find out what kind of dream home Ariane, from ‘These Three Rooms,’ would love to live in, ideally.

“We’re talking a glorious three-story six-bedroom house made of glass, larch wood, and steel with a floating spiral staircase, straight out of Grand Designs!” she opened up about her perfect home.

“Only two of the six bedrooms would be used as bedrooms though; the other four would be a walk-in wardrobe, home office, music studio, and home cinema,” she noted that she would love to have some of the spaces reflect her various interests as a creator.

#10 This House Exexexexexextension

Image credits: Teillu

#11 Container House In The Desert

Image credits: LimpBrother21

#12 House With Many Windows

Image credits: logatwork

Currently, the ‘Bizarre Buildings’ subreddit has 149k members. The community has grown a bit over the past year. When Bored Panda featured the online community the last time, it had 131k weird design-loving members. Just three moderators run the entire show. They stress that r/bizarrebuildings is meant for truly, well, bizarre buildings. A house looking quirky with all of its Christmas decorations twinkling simply doesn’t cut it.

The buildings have got to be unique. They’ve got to be show-stoppers. They’ve got to make you think, “Hey, maybe I should send this pic to all of my friends and/or colleagues to impress them.” In short, the weirder, the better. Who wants to live in a regular house when you can have so much more fun moving to one of these places?

#13 This Single-Family House In Bayview.

Image credits: Teillu

#14 France Built 1347

Image credits: carmensax

#15 “Flintstone House,” Declared “Public Nuisance,” Now Allowed To Keep Colorful

Image credits: anteater1415

Previously, Bored Panda had an in-depth chat about architecture with Dr. June Komisar from Ryerson University. The architectural design specialist told us that professionals should look to the “wise” ancient Roman writer Vitruvius for some well-needed inspiration.

“What he said about balancing commodity (the suitability of the building to needs), firmness (structural integrity), and delight (the aesthetics of the building and its relationship to site and context) still holds,” she noted the timelessness of his ideas.

#16 Ow-Energy Organic House Design With Wild Slate Roof In Germany

Image credits: biwook

#17 Still Standing In Canterbury, UK

Image credits: S1lentA0

#18 Peles Castle, Romania

Image credits: OptimistRuby

According to Dr. Komisar, no architect will ever be prepared for all of the potential problems that they might run into during a project. No matter how good you are, you’ll never be perfect. “But understanding the site conditions and evaluating other buildings using the same construction techniques and materials can help avoid problems,” she pointed out that preparation and research do have their uses. However, architects need to be realistic: no single project will go completely as planned.

When it comes to innovation and originality, Dr. Komisar suggested that architects start small and consider tiny changes.

#19 Abandoned Art Deco Awesomeness In The South Of France

Image credits: carmensax

#20 Evil? Debatable. Bizarre? Absolutely!

Image credits: froqmouth

#21 Mogno, Switzerland

Image credits: redhead-18

“Innovation does not have to be radical, but can be an incremental change that will benefit the users and society at large. At the moment we have a huge opportunity to build sustainable buildings that approach or attain a ‘net zero’ energy cost. By using local and/or sustainable materials, designing for passive and/or active solar and wind power, designing for very low energy usage, and renovating and adapting existing buildings we can help to mitigate climate change,” she said.

“Addressing this environmental crisis is not only an issue that we must address but also is a tremendous opportunity for design innovation. Addressing these concerns will most definitely introduce a variety of creative solutions.”

#22 Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam

Image credits: hrsportonlinestore

#23 Colin’s Barn, Chedglow, England – More Details In Comments

Image credits: biwook

#24 The Steel House, Lubbock, Texas

Image credits: Wide_Lifeguard9192

Look, it’s no secret that many of us want to impress others. We’re inherently social beings after all. There’s a lot riding on having a good reputation and being well respected. It feels nice to be liked. And it’s useful, too, because it makes life so much easier. So it’s no wonder that some of us try to impress others with our fancy homes.

A while back, Bored Panda had an insightful chat about first impressions and how we design our homes with dating expert Dan Bacon, from The Modern Man. He stressed that we have to be true to ourselves and furnish our homes in a way that makes us happy. We won’t be able to impress absolutely everyone, so we should focus on what it is that we truly want. Not what we think others want of us.

“A man’s home is part of what people initially use to judge his social status and character. However, how he behaves and acts with the people who come over to his place says so much more about him,” Dan told Bored Panda that one’s behavior is more important than where they live, even if it’s our homes that leave the first impression.

#25 Reclaimed Windows And Doors Form Facades Of Collage House By S+ps Architects

Image credits: Moist-Yet_Dry

#26 House On A Leg, Hamburg, Germany

Image credits: Smith-Oliver1999

#27 This Building Looks Like It Was Designed In Microsoft Word

Image credits: godot-3000

“A man might have a perfectly tidy, well-designed, and stylish home, but be very nervous and try too hard to impress people who come over. So, rather than seeing him as a cool, confident, successful man they can admire and look up to, most people just perceive him as a nervous, insecure guy with a nice place. Alternatively, they may see him as a guy who tries hard to please others with material things because he’s insecure about himself and doesn’t feel good enough in their eyes,” he said.

According to Dan, one of the core parts of being a good host is letting your guests be in the spotlight. Let them be the center of attention. “Remember that most people care more about themselves than other people. So, allow people to talk about themselves, rather than always trying to be the center of attention,” he said.

“Also remember to not try to oversell yourself or your place, to hopefully gain people’s approval. Be confident and secure in who you are as a person and let your surroundings provide additional clues about who you are and how you approach life.”

#28 Hole House Or Villa Vals, Switzerland

Image credits: positive_molecule

#29 Tiniest Bizarrebuilding Ever?

Image credits: Teillu

#30 Multipurpose Building. Rome, Italy.

Image credits: Teillu

The expert pointed out that everyone is unique: while some feel confident only in a perfectly ordered home, others are fine with a bit of a mess and a dash of chaos.

“If you enjoy placing a lot of importance on your home because it means a lot to you, then do that. If you only see it as a place to live and want to focus your attention on other things, you should do that. You can never impress or please everyone, no matter what you do. Just look at celebrities as an example. They have millions of people who love them and millions who hate them,” he said that homeowners ought to focus on what makes them happy.

“The same applies to your home. You will never make it, furnish it or arrange it in a way where everyone loves you for it and wishes they had it. Some people will love it, others will like it and some will hate it. So, just enjoy doing what you want to do. That’s the only way you’ll truly be happy.”

#31 This Building In Sydney Has Mastered The Art Of Hula

Image credits: Teillu

#32 This Church In Rowayton, Ct

Image credits: justdoo08

#33 Winning Design For Shenzhen’s Natural History Museum

Image credits: Common-Alfalfa-8588

#34 The Dunmore Pineapple In Dunmore Park

Image credits: bad_vampire

#35 Luxury Hotel Or Collapsed Pile Of Sheet Metal?

Image credits: soaringfreedom

#36 Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, Florida – USA.

Image credits: Teillu

#37 Fallen Star

Image credits: JugglingBear

#38 12 Ugly Ducks By Victor Enrich

Image credits: Agreeable-Emu-1830

#39 Grand Lisboa Hotel, China

Image credits: hrsportonlinestore

#40 Hang Nga’s “Crazy House” In Dalat, Vietnam

Image credits: No_Canary431

#41 Former Us Listening Station In Berlin, Germany.

Image credits: Teillu

#42 Studio City, Macau

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

#43 Office In The Woods Near Madrid, Spain.

Image credits: Teillu

#44 Harbin Opera House

Image credits: IdealPuzzleheaded140

#45 Poseidon’s Horse, An Abandoned Former Library On A Beach Of Peloponnese, Greece

Image credits: PatatasFrittas

#46 Only Surviving Photo Of A Hoarder House Demolished Around 2007 In Nagoya, Japan

Image credits: biwook

#47 These Are Real Houses. Located In Encinitas, California

Image credits: 69isMyluckyNumberToo

#48 L’ile Fllottante (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)

Image credits: earthmoonsun

#49 An Apartment Building That Popped Up In Krasnodar, Russia

Image credits: biwook

#50 Changjiang Media Building, Wuhan, China

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

#51 Kinemax Cinema, France

Image credits: jess33_aussie

#52 This Follie Designed By Aldo Loris Rossi In Napoli (Italy)

Image credits: Teillu

#53 Alien-Esque Footbridge In Brussels, Belgium.

Image credits: Teillu

#54 Giant Drawer Building

Image credits: HibbityBibbityBop

#55 Industry City Building – Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Image credits: ValleyAquarius27

#56 “Twisted House” In Indianapolis, In

Image credits: icouldbuildacastle

#57 Holy Sh*t.

Image credits: Teillu

#58 Bierpinsel, Berlin, Germany – By Architects Ralf Schüler And Ursulina Schüler-Witte, 1972-1976.

Image credits: biwook

#59 India’s Research Base In Antarctica

Image credits: utkarsh_aryan

#60 This House In Tokyo

Image credits: Teillu

#61 Building Shaped Like A Bulldozer; Turlock, Ca

Image credits: EMike93309

#62 Taipei Performing Arts Center

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

#63 Chrysler Pavilion At The New York World’s Fair, 1964

Image credits: earthmoonsun

#64 Casa Beretta, Val D’aosta, Italy, Designed By Mario Galvagni In 1967

Image credits: archineering

#65 Kring Kumho Culture Complex

Image credits: LimpBrother21

#66 We Call It “The Cheese Grater”. It’s A Medical Research Lab

Image credits: Acceptable_Cow788

#67 A Building In Bangkok, Thailand

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

#68 Some Apartments In Inwood, Upper Manhattan, NYC

Image credits: Iambikecurious

#69 Termite Proofing

Image credits: digdilem

#70 The Whale Car Wash, Formerly Located At Nw 50th St. & Meridian Ave. In Oklahoma City (Photo By John Margolies, 1979)

Image credits: TheBitterSeason

#71 Conservatory, Montreuil, France

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

#72 Canadian Museum For Human Rights – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Image credits: ResurrectedToast

#73 Guiyang 201 Building, Guiyang, China

Image credits: tanmaypendse63

Source: boredpanda.com