Sometimes we come across buildings that don’t seem real, having a design so creative that
it’s hard to believe architects could be given such free reign.
Luckily for us, there
are plenty of buildings out there that define outside-of-the-box thinking.
I'm Reacher and
today we're bring you 10 insane buildings that actually exist.
Number Ten
Unveiled in 2005, this spectacular office building in central Hamburg has a rhombus-shape
design that makes it look almost like a ship about to sail down the river.
Construction
started in 2002 as part of a bigger redevelopment of the riverbank, and when it was finished
three years later it won the “Building of the Year” award.
The building hangs at a
66-degree angle out over the river, leaning to allow the ship’s bow to cantilever for
almost 131 feet.
It’s 69 feet wide and houses a restaurant, roof terrace, and 9000 square
feet of office space.
Made of steel and glass, the developers had to receive special permission
to extend the dock walls into the river with 323,000 square feet of earth to surround the
concrete pile foundations.
It now stands as a beacon welcoming container and passenger
ships to the Hamburg Harbor.
Number Nine
Nestled up in the mountains about one-hour outside of Tehran, Iran is the Barin Ski Resort.
The stunning white façade of this 108,000 square foot hotel is intended to resemble
the natural landscape covered in fresh snow.
The purpose of the project is to show new
ideas that help in modifying the relationship between architecture and nature.
The designers
also took inspiration from native arctic residents, as each apartment is reminiscent of igloos.
The twist is that instead of placing ice blocks horizontally to make a dome shape, here topographical
layers are placed.
The interior features clean lines and offers an easy flow between rooms.
The use of white again comes into play, allowing the natural light to reflect off the walls
to fill the room.
Number Eight
The SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Center was completed in 2013 for around $144 million.
Depending on how the light hits it, the building seems to be either a beautiful sculpture or
a silvery plant covered in a type of pine cone skin.
But it's actually covered in little
triangular hoods which create the mixed appearance.
Some of these hoods have built-in shading,
which allows the depth and degree of solar control to be varied according to the needs
of the different spaces within the building.
This keeps it cool, well lit, and environmentally
friendly.
The building accommodates up to 700 researchers, and inside it looks as though
it's a building within a building, as the desks and offices are in the internal structure,
located on floors that are more like balconies, as they gaze out at the external hood.
Number Seven
Unveiled in 2002, the Nord/LB Bank occupies an entire city block, standing out from the
pattern and scale of the surrounding buildings.
Inside the complex is a large, public courtyard,
dotted with reflecting pools, public art, shops, and cafés.
The standout structure
is a 230-foot-high building in the center of the courtyard which was once derided as
“a stack of containers” by the locals.
Nowadays, Hannover residents take pride in
the design, which sees the building twist and turn the higher up it goes.
It also has
green roofs and terraces which are enclosed by steel and white glass railings.
The main
structure offers a coat of steel cables and glass in the parts of the building that project
out, allowing the structure the same flexibility as a suspended roof.
Number Six
The red and silver colored Peterson Automotive Museum is sure to catch the attention of those
driving by.
The museum had been a hit since opening in 1994, but back in 2014, it was
in bad need of a redesign.
The goal of injecting new life into the building came in the form
of a $90 million renovation employing a design with minimal intervention that would produce
the maximum effect.
Inspired by the automobiles, they came up
with the idea of covering the building in red and adding 308 custom-made stainless-steel
ribbons on top of the façade, evoking a feeling that the building is moving.
At night the
red color and ribbons are lit from within to accentuate the steel sculpture.
Number Five
The Mauritius Commercial Bank has enjoyed public approval since it was built in 2010.
Seen from the front, at first, the building looks like an egg lying on its side and resting
upon two stilts.
The curving sides were a natural choice, considering the building needed
to accommodate an auditorium and lecture theater.
It cost $45 million to construct and provides
over 300,000 square feet of office space.
The architects opted to design a one-size-for-all
desk, irrespective of salary structure, which resulted in a less hierarchical working environment.
The office atmosphere is also enhanced by the open floor plan, as space is well-lit
by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and large floor plates create easy communication
between workers.
Number Four
Innovation is at the heart of the Kring Kumho Culture Complex in downtown Seoul, South Korea.
With its rippling circular windows, the complex is home to offices, conference rooms, cafes,
and a creative space for holding public performances, events, and exhibitions.
The 44,000 square
foot complex is constructed out of steel, which gives the exterior a silver color and
contributes to the futuristic feel.
The interior features stark white walls giving
way to high ceilings, cylindrical glass walkways connecting different spaces, and a suspended
tunnel on the third level.
The experimental design employs the idea of brand strategy
by using interior spaces as a medium between the company and the consumer.
This so-called
"Brandspace" attempts to create a corporate identity through architecture.
At night, the
biggest circular window can be lit up to advertise events or project unique designs.
Number Three
Namba Parks blows away what a traditional mall is supposed to look like.
A rooftop park
is the showstopper to this eight-floor commercial center, and it comes complete with tree groves,
rock clusters, lawns, streams, and even waterfalls.
When the Osaka stadium closed down, prime
real estate next to the Namba train station provided a great opportunity.
It's owner hired
an architectural firm to create a gateway to redefine Osaka’s identity.
The creation
was Namba Parks, what would become a natural intervention in Osaka’s dense and harsh
urban environment.
The development cost $648 million but attracts a large number of people
due to the scarcity of green spaces in the city.
The park starts at street level and
visitors can either walk up the gentle incline to the rooftop or walk through the commercial
center, which acts as a canyon, cutting through
the center as the park rises on either side of it.
Number Two
Intempo looks like a giant letter 'M' standing out among the hotel skyscrapers of Benidorm.
It's the fifth tallest building in Spain consisting of two parallel towers rising 630 feet high
that are connected by a 66 foot cone structure at the top.
This 269-home residential apartment
building has become a symbol of incompetence that was plagued with problems throughout
its conception.
The building was originally approved in 2006 and scheduled for completion
in 2009.
It was lauded as a banner of the future, however, due to the recession, debt
problems, and poor architectural planning, it wasn’t completed until 2014.
Homes are
only just going on sale now though, as fresh economic and legal problems meant the property
developer behind the project went bankrupt and a new owner had to be found.
Prices for
a one-bedroom luxury apartment are expected to start around $400,000.
Number One
This final entry on our list is, by far, one of the coolest things we've ever shown in
one of our videos.
It's called the Liebian International Building and it's located in
the city of Guiyang, China.
The building itself resembles most skyscrapers
of its kind having reflective windows, a surrounding
plaza, and a height of just under 400 feet tall.
But it's the addition of a massive waterfall that makes this one a standout, not just locally,
but worldwide.
The water comes from a mix of collected rainwater
and recycled tap water that is moved by four 185 kilowatt pumps that take two hours of
prep time just to get started.
Once it's flowing the water cascades 350 feet down from an opening
on one side of the building.
Seeing this wonder first hand is free to the
public but comes at a price to the company as the cost of running everything uses about
$120 worth of electricity per hour.
This has led to it only being turned on for special
occasions for 10 to 20 minutes at a time since its completion about two years ago.
The feeling among the locals has been mixed with some saying it's too strange while others
have embraced the progressive nature of the idea and the coming changes in architectural
design that seem to be inevitable.
Although you might question reality when looking at some of these buildings, I can assure you-you're
not dreaming.
So be sure and let us know in the comments which one surprised you the most.
Hey, Guys, this is Cassie.
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