Architectural Oddities

This gate served as a small lock-up jail in the 14th century.

This former cigarette factory was built in a style inspired by Islamic architecture.

Geothermal resources are cooled in this oddly-shaped structure before being used for irrigation

A gigantic shoe, inspired by a nursery rhyme, sits in a park atop Mumbai’s Malabar Hill.

This large garden vase urn has nothing to do with the seventh U.S. President—it was designed by one landscape designer to honor another landscape designer's contributions to the National Mall.

These concrete crustaceans are actually public restrooms.

This 19th-century house museum features a horse-drawn hearse and other antique oddities.

A rare example of a building constructed specifically for catching eels.

This magical grotto is adorned with a complex pattern of native seashells, minerals, and fragments of colored glass.

Instead of sermons, this church became home to millions of books.

Now a ruin, this grand resort was coveted by a communist autocrat and an eccentric Japanese golfer.

The kitsch mansion of the former Romanian president Nicolae Ceaușescu features a golden bathroom.

A serene, almost spiritual place to do one's business. Who knew a public toilet could inspire and awe?

This iron building in the Amazon allegedly shares an architect with the Eiffel Tower.

A collection of historic buildings in central Birmingham blend seamlessly into the cityscape but have an interesting story to tell.

The largest public library in the United Kingdom was designed to reflect the industrial and artistic history of the city where it stands.