Bolwoningen Complex – Den Bosch, Netherlands
We almost want to take this off the list with its kooky name. The Bolwoningen Complex. You don’t hear that every day, do you? Sadly, the physical reality of this building holds it back. This complex was built as an experimental housing in the Dutch town of Den Bosch, the hometown of Hieronymus Bosch, the 15th century painter.
Aldar Headquarters Building – Abu Dhabi
An ugly high-rise in Abu Dhabi? This must be some kind of mistake. Located in the Al Raha region, the Aldar Headquarters Building was the first circular building of its kind in the Middle East, so there’s that. Anything else? Not really. All this signals is the beginning of a neverending wave of ugly, glass edifices.
Kaden Tower – Kentucky, USA
Yeah…there’s no defending this one. Sorry, people of Louisville, this thing stinks to the high heavens. The Kaden Tower is consistently ranked as one of the ugliest buildings in the world. Opened in 1966, it serves as the headquarters for Lincoln Income Life Insurance Company
Mirador Building – Madrid, Spain
2005 didn’t know what had hit it when the Mirador Building appeared in Madrid. Spaniards adored this thing when it was built. Kidding! They hated it, of course, because it’s atrocious and cumbersome. It was designed with the aim “to break the excessive uniformity”. They certainly did that, but at what cost?
Elevador Lacerda – Salvador, Brazil
Firstly, a bit of praise for the Elevador Lacerda: it is Brazil’s first elevator, dating back to 1869 (before it was refurbished in 1930). That’s cool. That’s history, however banal. Now the criticism: this is a complete eyesore and disgrace to the good city of Salvador.
The Robarts Library - Toronto, Canada
The Robarts Library may do a lot of good, namely allowing students at the University of Toronto to further their education, but that doesn’t hide the fact it’s an absolute mess. Completed in 1973 and designed by Mathers & Haldenby Architects, this should only be seen from the inside.
National Fisheries Development Board Building - Hyderabad, India
Look, not every building in existence has to be super serious, grave and possibly threatening. They can be fun and whimsical. The National Fisheries Development Board Building is neither. Completed in 2012, Hyderabad, India took a huge step backwards with this one.
National Library of Belarus – Minsk, Belarus
Top marks for ambition. Architects have to dream big and take chances, even if they might not come off, like the National Library of Belarus in Minsk. Wanna know what shape this is? It’s a rhombicuboctahedron. How many other buildings exist with the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron?
Landmark Theatre – Devon, England
Wow, they turned nuclear reactors into a modern-day building? Nope. This is just the Landmark Theatre in Devon. That design came from scratch. That, or someone watched a concert video of Madonna from the early 1990s and had a light bulb click over their head.
Ryugyong Hotel – Pyongyang, North Korea
Most of us are never gonna see this in real life because, you know, North Korea, but you can get a taste of just how rank it is from pictures. The Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang is an unfinished 105-story skyscraper that was designed to be the tallest hotel in the world. Sadly for them, it’s just the worst.
Elephant Building – Bangkok, Thailand
Finished in 1997, the Elephant Building is one of Bangkok’s most iconic high-rises. It’s also one of its ugliest. It’s supposed to resemble an elephant but…had the architect ever seen one that wasn’t on an arcade game from 1988?
Zizkov Television Tower – Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is one of the most beautiful cities you could be lucky enough to visit. Still, there are nooks and crannies of the Czech capital that are an insult to the grand tradition of architecture. The Zizkov Television Tower actually has baby sculptures crawling up the tower.
Harold Washington Library – Chicago
What do you get if you attempt to combine neoclassicalism and Mannerism? The Harold Washington Library in Chicago. Located south of the Loop ‘L’, at 400 S. State Street, this building is definitely one of the city’s worst, dwarfed and outclassed by an otherwise superior skyline.
Selfridges Building – Birmingham, England
Birmingham is one of England’s punchlines, and so long as the Selfridges Building continues to exist, that isn’t going to end any time soon. This shopping centre was completed in 2003 and cost a whopping $75 million. Who knows what the inspiration was? A cheese grater maybe?
Longaberger Basket Building – Ohio, USA
This would be great if it was located in a zany theme park, or in a landfill. Sadly, the Longaberger Basket Building is very much above ground in Ohio. Does it take a genius to realise that Longaberger is a manufacturer and distributor of maple wood baskets? Hopefully not. This 9,000-ton copy is just silly.
Agbar Tower – Barcelona, Spain
Try and guess what this is supposed to look like. Go on. We’ll give you a million guesses. The Agbar Tower is supposed to resemble the shape of a geyser rising into the air. This 38-storey skyscraper looks like one thing and one thing only. What a shame it has to besmirch the hard work of Gaudi.
Petrobras Building – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Situated in Brazil’s most vibrant city, the Petrobras Building is entirely lacking in any vibe. They don’t even have the backup of it being an arts centre or something boujee. This is the HQ of Petrobras, a semi-public Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry. Hard pass.
First World Hotel – Pahang, Malaysia
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of colour on a building, but this is a step too far. Subtlety is key when it comes to splashing the likes of green and yellow on a structure. The First World Hotel has a staggering 6,100 rooms – all of which are likely full, as it’s the only place in Pahang where you can’t see this building.
Federation Square – Melbourne, Australia
What is happening here? Is Australia OK? The Federation Square is a mixed-use development in the inner city of Melbourne and it is horrendous on the eye. Our friends Down Wnder, with all due respect, aren’t renowned for their architectural prowess, but come on!
CCTV Headquarters – Beijing, China
Don’t freak out too much – this isn’t a building devoted to closed-circuit television, but to China Central Television, a national broadcaster in the country. This 44-story building was praised by critics as one of the greatest ever built when it opened. Those critics must have had guns to their heads.
Aoyama Technical College – Tokyo, Japan
Designed by Makoto Sei Watanabe and opened in 1990, the Aoyama Technical College is one of the most striking educational buildings in the world. It’s supposed to represent a new order achieved through tolerance of chaos. We think it looks like the midway point between a car turning into a Transformer.
Museum of Pop Culture – Washington, USA
A museum devoted to pop culture has to look a little out there but maybe not to this extent. Designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, Washington’s Museum of Pop Culture is located on the campus of Seattle Center. Students have been known to projectile vomit the first time they see it in the flesh.
National Library of Kosovo – Pristina, Kosovo
According to the National Library of Kosovo architect, the building is meant to represent a style blending Byzantine and Islamic architectural forms. Opened in 1944, this barnacle-infested-looking building was divisive then and is divisive now.
Embassy of Russia – Havana, Cuba
If you’re a Russian who has run into a spot of trouble in Havana, you can always seek out the embassy located in the Miramar District. There’s no need to ask for directions, just look out for the ugliest building you’ve ever seen. Completed in 1987, this syringe-looking thing was a big mistake.
Lincoln Plaza – London, England
This luxury apartment was given the Carbuncle Cup back in 2016, but feedback since then has been largely negative. Critic Ike Ijeh wrote: “In its bilious cladding, chaotic form, adhesive balconies and frenzied facades, it exhibits the absolute worst in shambolic architectural design and cheap visual gimmickry.”
J. Edgar Hoover Building – Washington DC, Virginia
This building, which functioned as an FBI headquarters, cost $126 million to construct back in the early 1970s. At the time, it was considered a stylish addition to the city. Modern attitudes have taken a stance against this big, ungainly block of cement.
Portland Building – Oregon, USA
The Portland Building is ambitious, but ultimately not what a lot of locals wanted when it came to a 15-storey municipal building. The random mix of colours, shapes and designs doesn’t encourage a whole lot of sympathy from critics who continue to slate this giant plug socket of a construction.
Slovak Radio Building - Bratislava, Slovakia
We think this is great, personally, but large swathes of ordinary Slovakians can’t stand the thing. Shaped like an inverted pyramid, the Slovak Radio Building has been defended to the proverbial death by critics in the country since its erection in 1983.
Boston City Hall - Massachusetts, USA
You either vibe with brutalism or you don’t. Most don’t, especially when it comes to Boston City Hall. Built in 1968, this mammoth structure was a hit with local hipsters. Today, it’s considered a stain on an otherwise pretty and inviting city. The red-bricked pedestrian area outside certainly doesn’t match.
Pompidou Center - Paris, France
Tourists often think of Paris as an untouched city, but there is a whole side to it which is just as ugly as any European capital. The Pompidou Center, a public library and museum of modern art, is finished believe it or not. You are not looking at a building mid-construction.
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral – Liverpool, England
When the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral opened in 1967, mosaic tiles started falling to the floor and the roof started leaking. Not the greatest omen for such a place. The exterior spires don’t exactly scream religious harmony, either.
The Ascent – Kentucky, USA
“Ask anyone to describe the Ascent in Covington and you’ll hear, ‘It’s the building that sweeps,'” says the narration in a Kentucky local television channel’s YouTube video on the building. If you really ask anyone about the Daniel Libeskind-designed condo, you’ll hear, “It’s the building that turned me into a misanthrope.”
Scottish Parliament Building – Edinburgh, Scotland
A wee humdinger of a building, this. Edinburgh is famed for its stunning architecture, particularly in the historic old town, but the Parliament building that opened in 2004 is an affront to good taste. What’s worse, this ended up costing ten times its initial budget.
Newport Railway Station – Newport, Wales
Newport Railway Station has been described as everything from “a sci-fi snail shell” to “a giant gleaming set of ovaries”, according to Buildworld. Built in 2010, it is the second busiest railway station in Wales. The locals wanted to embrace change, but not like this.
Hypo-Haus – Munich, Germany
The headquarters for the HypoVereinsbank, Munchi’s Hypo-Haus is home to Germany’s fifth-largest financial institution. As such, you would think they’d be able to spend a little cash to make it look somewhat presentable and nothing like this…whatever it is.
Radio & Television Building – Cairo, Egypt
You call a new structure the Radio & Television Building and it’s never going to live up to expectation. This Cairo construct was doomed from the moment it was completed in 1957. Designed by Naoum Shebib Architects, this is no highlight for locals or visitors.
Torre Velasca Building – Milan, Italy
Milan seems appealing to those who live in drab, cold countries with not a lot of history, but to Italians, it’s known as the “ugly city”. More famous for football than anything else, you won’t find as much beauty as you will in Rome or Florence. Take the Torre Velasca Building, for example, which was completed in 1958. Yuck.
Verizon Building – New York City, USA
The New York City skyline is generally pleasing, but it’s had a few howlers over the years. The Verizon Building, which was designed by Rose, Beaton & Rose and completed in 1975, is located in downtown Manhattan, one of the hottest areas of real estate on the planet. What a waste.
MI6 Building – London, England
Yes, London has Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. But it also has the MI6 building. Look, we get it. You’re a government intelligence agency. Do you really have to be this imposing and ugly? Couldn’t you have shown a tiny bit of creative zest?
Drake Circus Shopping Centre – Plymouth, England
Another winner of the Carbuncle Cup, Plymouth’s Drake Circus Shopping Centre is one of England’s ugliest buildings. Architecture magazine Building Design called it a “crime against architecture” and said it was “an example of how bad architecture and bad planning can combine to produce something truly awful”.
