Why Are There Statues Of Beavers On Top Of This Oxford Street Shop?

There's plenty to catch your eye on Oxford Street; even more if you raise your gaze above shop level. If you glance up at the top of 105 to 109 Oxford Street, you'll see a strange quartet of creatures decorating the roof. Four beavers, the top one holding a scroll, have been peering down on Oxford Street shoppers for 130 years. Why is that?

The Most Diabolically Evil-Looking Buildings In The World

image credit

Sometimes you have to wonder if architects secretly want to take over the world. Maybe it's the planes of black-tinted glass, the jutting angles, or the sweeping archways. But sometimes you look at a building and it just plain gives you the willies.

(via Neatorama)

Cathedral Of Créteil Extension: UFO Or Just Innovation?

Somewhere close to the Seine river, hidden between the buildings, a strange shape rises from the ground, that looks like an UFO has just landed on Earth. Although it may not seem anything like a cathedral, that's exactly what it is: Cathedral of Créteil extension.

The creator of this unique design is Charles-Gustave Stoskoph. During day time, the window located at the junction of the hulls offers a colored light into the sanctuary. After the sun sets, it is illuminated from the inside and creates a reflection of The Christian Cross.

15 Insane Homes From Around The World

image credit

A colection of photographs of some of the most insane looking homes from around the World. Some of the homes are in strange places, some of them are shaped like various things and they are all bizarre for one reason or another. An article by Estate Agent Jobs.

Unsellable 196-Foot Picnic Basket Marked Down To $5 Million

image credit

According to some, the future of architecture is wood, but in Newark, Ohio, the future has already arrived - in the form of big, dumb picnic basket that's also an office building no one will buy.

First put on the market 18 months ago for $7.5 million, the former headquarters of struggling basketmaker Longaberger is now available for a mere $5 million, Despite the steal of a price, the iconic building seems unsellable.

The 19 Most Breathtaking Buildings In The World, According To Architects

image credit

Like paintings and sculptures, buildings can be beautiful works of art. Here are 19 of the most breathtaking buildings in the world, according to people who build them for a living.

(via Neatorama)

The Stories Behind 17 Skyscrapers And High-Rise Buildings That Changed Architecture

image credit

The skyscraper: representative of spatial economy and a symbol of power. This building typology has a storied, turbulent and even contested past.

Here is a selection of some of the skyscrapers and high-rise buildings.

(via Everlasting Blort)

Bubble Buildings: 13 Structures You'll Wish You Could Pop

image credit

Would the satisfaction that comes with popping bubble wrap scale up as the bubbles get larger and larger, until they're big enough to cover entire buildings? These blobby bubble-shaped buildings tempt us to find out.

Inflatable translucent structures offer space for gardens, bathrooms, museum extensions and even entire parks enclosed to keep out air pollution in a literal representation of the term 'living in a bubble.'

The Hofskirkja Church - Iceland's Only Church With A Grass Rooftop

image credit

The Hofskirkja Church is the last grass roof church standing in Iceland. The Church was built in 1884. Its pointed roof stretches all the way down to the ground. The roof was built using stone slabs and covered with grass.

This was an usual style of Icelandic architecture; one of the best methods of keeping the warmth inside during winter. This way, the Hofskirkja church was a warm place for its visitors.

The Retro-Futuristic Undersea Habitats Of Jacques Rougerie

image credit

Jacques Rougerie is a French architect-oceanographer who specializes in underwater habitats. Since the 1970s has been designing and creating habitats and craft that not only allow people to hang out under the waves, but also to do it in sci-fi style.

Rougerie was originally inspired by the undersea research platforms of Jacques Cousteau, and after becoming an architect, spent much of his design output on creations that would allow humans to experience life underwater.

10 Of The Strangest Looking Homes In Europe

image credit

Not everybody is satisfied with a cookie cutter 'box on the hill.' There are some people in the world who were destined to take the concept of 'home' and turn it into something truly magical. Across Europe, there are many bizarre and strange homes that don't conform to our expectations of what a living space should be. They are bold, brilliant, and visually spectacular.

20 Of The Most Beautiful Libraries In The World

image credit

A library can be a second home for a bibliophile. They come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of embellishment. The nearly 300-year-old State Hall in Vienna, Austria, boasts carved wooden galleries, baroque-style statues, and frescos, while Taipei's Beitou Branch resembles a treehouse more than a shelter for books. Here are 20 of the most beautifully designed libraries around the world.

Parque De Bombas: The Old Ponce Fire Station

image credit: Ken and Nyetta

One of Ponce's most recognizable landmarks is Parque de Bombas, the city's old firehouse building and now a firefighting museum.

This brightly colored red and black candy striped building, located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral, was Puerto Rico's first ever fire station.

The Tombstone Covered Floor Of St. John's Co-Cathedral Of Malta

image credit: Tony Hisgett

Commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Conventual Church of St. John, the St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, is considered to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.

The cathedral's interior is extremely ornate, with carved stone walls, painted vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of John the Baptist. The most impressive is the marble floor which is composed of nearly 400 tombstones of Knights and officers of the Order.

The Crooked House Of Canterbury

image credit: Fotorus

Sir John Boys House, also known as The Crooked House, is a skewed 17th century half-timbered building located at the extreme end of Palace Street in Canterbury, Kent, England. The most noticeable feature is the front door, which leans at an exaggerated angle and was built with severely skewed corners to fit the door frame.

The house started to lean as a result of alterations to an internal chimney causing the structure to move sideways. Over the years the lean intensified and the chimney collapsed in 1988. The building is now supported internally by a steel frame, which prevents it from further movement.

Markthal: Rotterdam's Beautiful Food Market

image credit: Tom Roeleveld

In Rotterdam, the Netherlands, there's an eleven-stories-tall arched building that huddles over an immense food market on the ground floor. The building is also habitable and contains over two hundred apartments.

The exterior facade of the building is clad in grey natural stone. But the ends are closed with glass panels to keep rain and the cold out. The vaulted ceiling of the market is adorned with gigantic murals of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, that some have likened to the Sistine Chapel.

The Pyramid Of Austerlitz

image credit

At the highest point of the Utrecht Ridge, in the Dutch village of Woudenberg, stands Europe's only pyramid. The earthen hill was built in 1804 by Napoleon's soldiers, under the direction of General Marmont as a tribute to his friend and example Napolean Bonaparte.

Marmont called it 'Mont Marmont.' But in 1806, despite protest from General Marmont, Louis Napoleon, the new king of Holland, renamed the hill the Pyramid of Austerlitz in memory of the Battle of Austerlitz in which Napoleon decisively defeated the Russians and Austrians.

The Parthenon Of Nashville

image credit

In the late 19th century, the city of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, was known to be one of the most refined and educated cities of the south. It was home to at least half a dozen universities and colleges, that earned the city the moniker of 'Athens of the South.' When Nashville organized the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897, the city decided that it should be appropriately represented.

Nineteen states participated in the Expo including sixteen foreign nations. A very impressive array of buildings was constructed to house the exhibits, but the most favorite building at the Expo was Nashville's full-scale replica of the Parthenon, the ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The Notre-Dame Basilica In Montreal

When it opened in 1830, Montreal's Notre-Dame was the largest church in North America, and it would remain so for fifty years. Today, this French Gothic Revival basilica is one of the top attractions in the city.

With its two Gothic towers and ornate facade, the Notre-Dame strikes a fine figure when viewed from the Place d'Armes, which it faces. But it isn't until you step inside that its true beauty is revealed.

(thanks Juergen)

Incredible Photographs Of Some Of The World's Holiest Buildings

image credit

Some of the world's most beautiful, imposing and culturally significant buildings are dedicated to worship. From the Taj Mahal in India and the Vatican in Rome to the humblest of chapels in the middle of nowhere - they're a constant source of fascination and inspiration.