Neat/Weird/Unusual Towers and Buildings around the World

[tenken627]

I saw the proposed rendition of the Ren Building in the Post Your Photo thread, and I was impressed.

I'm not an expert in architecture by any means, but I love looking at these new breath-taking or unusual towers that have been completed, under construction, or under proposal. I always wonder how they will affect the city's skyline. It seems like we are entering a new age of futuristic designs of buildings and structures all around us.


Here are some upcoming buildings that look interesting.


Ren Building: Shanghai, China - proposed
Modeled after the character "人" or Ren.

Spoiler for Ren Building:

Chicago Spire: Chicago, United States - under construction
I'm not too fond of this one because it looks like something else... Yeah, let's leave it at that...
Tallest building in United States upon completion.

Spoiler for Chicago Spire:

Burj Mubarak al-Kabir: Kuwait City, Kuwait - proposed
This will be the highest tower at 1,001 m (3,284 feet) in the world if the government approves construction. That's crazy talk.

Spoiler for Burj Mubarak al-Kabir:

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower: Tokyo, Japan - under construction
I think this oddly-shaped but strangely elegant tower is nearly completed?

Spoiler for Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower:

Russia Tower: Moscow, Russia - under construction
This will be the highest building in Europe, and 2nd only to the Burj Dubai when completed.

Spoiler for Russia Tower:

Rotating Tower: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - proposed
This crazy tower has independently rotating floors. So it will always be constantly changing it's shape. The picture below shows some of the possible shapes it could be in at different times during the day.

Spoiler for Rotating Tower:

Freedom Tower: New York City, United States - under construction
In place of the old World Trade Center buildings.

Spoiler for Freedom Tower:

Al Burj: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - proposed
Dubai loves to build towers it seems.

Spoiler for Al Burj:

India Tower: Mumbai, India - under construction
Looks like a bunch of boxes about to tip over.

Spoiler for India Tower:

Shard London Bridge Tower: London, United Kingdom - under construction?
I know this was approved, but has construction started yet?

Spoiler for Shard London Bridge Tower:

Burj Dubai: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - under construction
The current tallest structure in the world, and upon completion, the tallest building in the world at a monstrous projected 818 m (2,684 ft).

Spoiler for Burj Dubai:

[Vinak]

for a little while, someone proposed building a "blue collar" building in Milwaukee Wisconsin...no joke. thankfully the idea was rejected.

on the other hand our art museum is impressive.
http://www.mam.org/info/details/quadracci.php

Spoiler for picture:

the "wings" move with the wind.

we also have he world’s largest four-faced clock: The Allen-Bradley Clock tower. its rather ugly...but still...its big

Spoiler for Picture:

[Solais]

Yeah, so much technology in old sci-fi books became reality, it's time for the futuristic cities to become real.

[xris]

Don't forget the Gherkin, 30 St. Mary Axe, London. Opened in 2004. It looks great I think but so out of place (i.e. War of the Worlds or crashed spaceship) located in the City.

[escimo]

Originally Posted by xris

Don't forget the Gherkin, 30 St. Mary Axe, London. Opened in 2004. It looks great I think but so out of place (i.e. War of the Worlds or crashed spaceship) located in the City.

I don't know if it's just me and my dirty imagination but to me that looks like a certain type of "toy".

[tenken627]

Originally Posted by Vinak

on the other hand our art museum is impressive.
http://www.mam.org/info/details/quadracci.php

Spoiler for picture:

the "wings" move with the wind.

That looks cool. It looks like it's flapping. That's in Milwaukee?

Originally Posted by xris

Don't forget the Gherkin, 30 St. Mary Axe, London. Opened in 2004. It looks great I think but so out of place (i.e. War of the Worlds or crashed spaceship) located in the City.

Haha. That tower is so much bigger than it's surroundings, so it makes it look even weirder.



These aren't huge, but they are certainly impressive:

The original Ice Hotel in Sweden where everything is made out of pure ice (was used in the movie 007: Die Another Day) -

Spoiler for Ice Hotel - Sweden:

And the recent one that opened up in Canada -

Spoiler for Ice Hotel - Canada:

[Mystique]

To continue from the rotating skyscraper picture that you put up there
here's a news link + video report of it in action from the designer himself
(even if i was a millionnaire, i'd pass on wanting to live here, imagine if you're drunk and trying to find which apartment is yours as it continues to turn) xD
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen.../jun/25/russia

Originally Posted by xris

Don't forget the Gherkin, 30 St. Mary Axe, London. Opened in 2004. It looks great I think but so out of place (i.e. War of the Worlds or crashed spaceship) located in the City.

It's an eyesore, wish it'd collaspe to be honest. (Made out of a hell of lot of glass too, have passed by the reception of that building when i worked in the business district two summers back)
I can see it from any high hill of any london park and it's just so out of place.
i remember some hollywood movie recently trying to get a landscape of the London business district and that was in there, just looked so... bleh from the other regal and historical buildings that make up the city.

Will check out the rest of the other designs that tenken posted, it truly is beautful some of them.
Kinda nice to see how technology and physics are applied in an artful way, though can't help but think of some of the other man made wonders of the world, where technology and computers weren't around centuries ago, just human blood, sweat and tears to create some architectual masterpieces that we're fortunate to see today.

Wonder if we'll ever see that kind of innate talent in people resulting in some amazing buildings in the near future or if it'll die out...

As for the chicago one that you're not to fond off, let me guess, phallic references make you male members here queasy?
from a female P.O.V, I think with the washington mounament in DC, that kinda tops it all to be honest

[nanafan]

those ice hotels look like fun. here's something that's in my own backyard(not really but it's close)

that's the st. louis arch it was built in the early 60's, not sure about the rotating building how does that work?

[TinyRedLeaf]

This is what passes for "architecture" in Singapore (*sigh*).



It's The Esplanade — Theatres On The Bay, "without a doubt, Singapore's most exciting performance arts venue". Yeah right. It looks a pair of jackfruits. From a distance, they remind me of a fly's eyes. As for "exciting performances", I wouldn't know, because the shows that have been staged there were either too expensive or too arty-farty for my liking.

[WanderingKnight]

I have the distinct impression that this is how margination will be dealt with in a possible post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future. Color me cynical but that's something that somewhat prevents me from appreciating the artistic side of these things.

[tenken627]

Originally Posted by Mystique

As for the chicago one that you're not to fond off, let me guess, phallic references make you male members here queasy?
from a female P.O.V, I think with the washington mounament in DC, that kinda tops it all to be honest

Well, I guess I don't mind it looking like a big giant phallus or "toy" for a laugh, but I don't know if I would want it right outside my house.


I know that some people from Chicago like to refer to it as flipping off a big giant "F.U." to the world.

I live right outside the Washington Monument in DC, so I never really thought of it like that. Maybe because the Monument is so angular, and the Chicago Spire is so "round"?

I guess you're right though, I guess it does kinda now that you mention it.
OMG Mystique, thanks a lot!

Originally Posted by nanafan

not sure about the rotating building how does that work?

Each floor operates on it's own motor I believe. And each floor has wind turbines, so that the tower will operate entirely (or almost entirely) on wind power.

I see now that it's been approved for Moscow and construction will be underway soon, while the Dubai one is still awaiting approval.

[nanafan]

that's interesting i never would of thought of something like that.

[Vinak]

Originally Posted by tenken627

That looks cool. It looks like it's flapping. That's in Milwaukee?

yup yup here in Milwaukee.

Since Chicago pretty much acts like a giant blood sucking parasite when it comes to business, Milwaukee only has one "real" skyscraper. the US bank center standing 42 stories tall, second highest building is city hall. which in my opinion is kinda sad. If you look at our skyline it basically is a giant bird to the world. Can't complain though. we're like a big city without the big city traffic. Plus I don't actually live in the city itself.

Spoiler for skyline:

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by tenken627

Well, I guess I don't mind it looking like a big giant phallus or "toy" for a laugh, but I don't know if I would want it right outside my house.

I know that some people from Chicago like to refer to it as flipping off a big giant "F.U." to the world.

I live right outside the Washington Monument in DC, so I never really thought of it like that. Maybe because the Monument is so angular, and the Chicago Spire is so "round"?

I guess you're right though, I guess it does kinda now that you mention it.
OMG Mystique, thanks a lot!

You're welcome

anyways, here's my contribution, feel free to pick your top 3:
top 25 bizzare buildings

1st place: the hole house (USA) - i mean seriously... what were these people on to 1: design it and 2: live there...
2nd place: the lopsided house (Japan)
3rd place: the basket house (USA)

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Mystique

anyways, here's my contribution, feel free to pick your top 3:
top 25 bizzare buildings

A lot of these houses are really cool. In a "fantasy world" sense that makes me wish this world is a little crazier than it already is.

Some of them are a fantasy geek's wet dream comes true.

[tenken627]

Originally Posted by Mystique

anyways, here's my contribution, feel free to pick your top 3:
top 25 bizzare buildings

1st place: the hole house (USA) - i mean seriously... what were these people on to 1: design it and 2: live there...

wth?

Kinda reminds me of "Donnie Darko", but in that movie, the jet engine/turbine fell through the house from the top and not through the side.

[The Chaos]

Originally Posted by Mystique

anyways, here's my contribution, feel free to pick your top 3:
top 25 bizzare buildings

WOW...I Never There were Houses Like That...Thanks For The Sharing

[nanafan]

the shoe houses remind me of that old nursery rhyme "there was an old lady that lived in a shoe..." wow those are some wierd houses..

[shelter]

This probably won't beat the previous buildings already posted, but at the entrance of the central business district of my city there's a building which I've always found unusual because of its conical shape.

It's called Wheelock Place. The glass cone structure in the 2nd pic is a shopping centre. The pencil-shaped building in the 3rd pic is a 21-storey office tower.

Spoiler for Wheelock Place:

Wheelock Place, Singapore:

They've been around for 10 years now, so I think the novelty of strangeness has worn off I think the strangest/ neatest buildings are just right in our own backyard (not always in Dubai or Shanghai, or some new developing city). We've probably just gotten too used to them.

[Vinak]

you could have simply edited the picture out instead of deleting the post altogether.


its the Louvre museum.

Spoiler for omg its a spoiler tag hiding an image: