Miscellaneous Forum

This weekend while looking through a book about Paris, I started thinking about how much I hate the Montparnasse Tower--I just think it's hideous even though the view from it is great. Then I started thinking about other really ugly buildings and monuments like the pyramid outside the Louvre (I know--a lot of people love it but I hate it).

What buildings around the world do you think are really ugly?

This should be fun!
C

Birmingham has many candidates for the ugly award. New Street Station is a nasty introduction to the city...but there are plans to build a new station building on top of it, to make it more pleasing...wish them luck! http://www.flickr.com/photos/strangebehaviour/114526965/in/set-72057594085308929/

Next door is the Rotunda, a 1960s/70s circular skyscraper...it's been threatened with demolition quite a lot, but I think it might have been saved now...it is quite ugly, but also quite likeable at the same time. http://www.birminghamuk.com/BrumFoto/newstreet/rotunda.jpg

The new Bull Ring shopping complex, Birmingham's centrepiece, is odd...the main feature is a massive Selfridges store, which looks like it has been coated in bubble wrap. I can't decide if it is architecturally interesting or just ugly. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Birmingham_Selfridges_building.jpg

Birmingham's Central Library used to be a nice old building, but someone decided it was far too nice for the city, tore it down in the 70s and replaced it with this: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.14038 which is now going to be protected.

Durham is awash with beautiful buildings, part of the reason we are a UNESCO world heritage site...but who on earth thought it was a good idea to build this in prime position on the riverbanks? http://maths.dur.ac.uk/~dma1jas/durham_pics/new10.jpg
It's the Durham Uni Students' Union, a vile pile if ever there was one. And next to it is my office, in a riverside office block that's hardly pretty.

I think I quite like Selfridges but those other examples are pretty hideous, Michael! At least the ugly block near where you work isn't very tall.

I haven't seen this incomplete building in person but hope I am wrong. But the "tallest building in the world" under construction in Dubai, does not look attractive to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai

My least favourites are:

1. The "Dancing House" in Prague
2. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto
3. The London Pickle (an absolute blight on the skyline, I think)

"The Dancing House" is the ugliest thing ever!! And worst of all, it was designed by a Canadian.
[Ed hangs his head in shame. ...Shame, I tell you!]

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Czech_Republic/Hlavni_Mesto_Praha/Prague-400455/Things_To_Do-Prague-Dancing_House-BR-1.html

...And if those disgusting images aren't enough, check the Google Image search. I defy anyone to have a building uglier that this:

http://images.google.ca/images?um=1&hl=en&q=dancing+house+prague&btnG=Search+Images

Holy cow--I just got into work and read through these--some of the pictures literally made me laugh out loud!!! It really makes you wonder what people were thinking.

I have to admit, I'm a little drawn to the Selfridge's one--not sure why. Maybe because it's a store. ;)

Look at hour stupid our museum looks!

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/070604rom.asp

My brother and his wife work there and say it's the worst place to try and maneuver around and wheelchairs can't get into many of the areas. What a nightmare. It makes me mad just thinking about it. I really think the architect should be hung. ...Or at least forced to tear it all down using his own money.

Sorry, I know I'm on a rant here, but check out the Toronto Art College. I want to barf every time I see this building.

http://images.google.ca/images?q=toronto+art+college

It's a giant box on stilts that's painted like a cow. >:(

No worries--we love rants!

Wait, I mean...we love rants in response to a forum post--not as one. ;)

That Toronto...thing...is awful!!!

Eiffel Tower was a considered an eye sore by many Parisians when it was first built.

Yes, I know--hard to believe some people's lack of foresight, isn't it? ;)

My Buddy Eddie has such a wonderful way with words eh eh
Hi Eddie I guess we won't be visiting and seeing that ''Art '' Building in T O very soon eh .

Hansi

I was fascinated with the Dancing House in Prague. I took too many pictures of it while I was there because it fascinated me so much. And this was before I had a digital camera. So I used lots of film on the building. I guess it is kind of ugly, but I really liked it. There is an interesting story about the way it was built and why it was designed that way, although I have forgotten the story..lol.

Larry

I just did a google search to read about the Dancing Building to refresh myself of the story behind it. Lo and behold one of the links was to my VT page. So I went there and I did put the story on my page. I have not read that page in several years so I had forgotten I had added it to my page.

Here is what I said about it

"It is designed in the tradition of deconstructive acrhitecture. The building is situated on a site where American bombs accidently destoryed a building at the end of World War II. When first looking at the building the left side seems to have been crushed thus recreating a allusion to the effects of the violence from the bombs. And yet at the same time it appears to be whimsical and dancing. I found it fascinating and yet somewhat out of place."

Larry

Here is one in my home city of Baltimore that I think is really ugly. Its the Morris Mechanic Theater. Its no longer open. The theater closed several years ago and the building was set to be destroyed. But there was a move to preserve the building for historical reasons. I have always thought it was ugly and can't understand preserving it.


http://www.archlog.com/?c=buildings

I am also not a big fan of the Sears Tower in Chicago. It just looks like some large dark tower with no real design.

Larry

Taipei101

Larry --> That Morris Mechanic Theater is pretty bad--I think I remember seeing that when I was there for Baltoberfest. ...But you'll never convince me it's worse than the Dancing House. It's *supposed* to look like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing, but seriously looks like there was an earthquake and the middle part collapsed. And it looks SO out of place in a city that has (otherwise) such beautiful classical architecture.

Hansi -> Yep, no visiting the art college. ...Unless you want to help me try and take it down. I saw it once when I had a bad hangover and it really did almost make me puke. Lately it seems they have a determination to make Toronto as ugly as possible.

I love how adament you are about the dancing buildings! I don't mind them, but then I've never seen them in person. I get that way, too about certain buildings--it's just impossible to believe that someone allowed them to be built!

Ed our Art center in Windsor is no beauty either .
But it's not a box it looks like the bow of a ship start skinny and then gets
wider and wider and is all glass .
So not bad really .

Hansi

I think the Royal Ontario Museum is kind of cool. It makes me want to see the inside.

The Morris Mechanic Theater is pretty bad, though. We have some houses in our town that are built along the same lines, as if they're made from children's wooden blocks. Ugleeeeee!(yeah, baby, but she sure can cook...)

Unfortunately, when you see it in person, the Royal Ontario Museum looks like a regular skyscraper that collapsed. The architect says it's supposed to look like crystals, but to me it just looks like something that broke.

Hansi--I just found a picture of your Windsor Arts Centre on LoriPori's page. Hahaha... You're right, it looks like a giant glass shark fin!

Yes Ed very good description ,but the view of the Detroit River and Detroit skyline is Awesome from up there .

Hansi

You know, I'm just curious--I just looked up Princes street and it said that part of it is really beautiful. Has the ugly part been replaced, or does the street just have two different areas?

Princes St -

North side is shops. Some of the old buildings are still there.

South side is gardens, the castle, art galleries etc.

Overall, it is still beautiful. Its just a pity that the city authorities allowed some of the old buildings to be pulled down and replaced with ugly modern ones. I It hasn't happened for a while, and may never happen again, because now the retailers want to be in suburban malls.

Oh, I see what you mean. Just curious!
C

Just wanted everyone who participated in this forum to know that we've taken your answers and compiled them in a list which was published by Reuters today and actually appeared on the front page of Yahoo.com!!! Needless to say, we really, really appreciate your input (sorry I didn't say why I was asking the question originally--I just didn't want to say why in case for some reason the list wasn't published).

Here's the link in case you want to see it as well as the link on Yahoo.com:

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE4AD2V720081114
Yahoo: http://buzz.yahoo.com/articles/y_featured/24/1/

Thanks again, Everyone!
Courtney

Good work Courtney, yea!!

Thanks, daarth!

Well done Courtney .

At the news tonight I saw this ''NEW '' AGO as in Art Gallery of Ontario
Have look at this building Courtney .
I think it is Ugly or at least very different .
It is brand new just opened .
Here is the link

http://www.artmatters.ca/blog/index.php?/archives/213-Transformation-AGO-Twittering-and-TVOs-The-Agenda.html

Hansi

Thanks, Hansi! I think we actually considered that, but decided to take it out--I don't remember why.

Thanks so much for sending--keep 'em coming! Who knows when we'll do another list like this!

C