Architectural Oddities in France

A cluster of cylindrical apartment buildings nod to the city’s vegital past.

A cozy, cave-like home hidden in the French countryside.

A suburban housing complex with astonishing architectural features, locally nicknamed "the Camemberts."

The unique design of these skyscrapers in a Paris suburb led to them being nicknamed "cloud towers."

A pink sandstone column once used in ancient times to measure one's belly after a night of debauchery.

Was the twisted roof on this church's belltower an intentional design or a happy accident?

A small house sits between two huge rocks, with its back to the sea.

This abandoned church in central Lyon is missing its front stairs.

A medieval church built into an ancient cave.

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.

This building’s ghostly exterior reflects its former lives as a prison, school, and funeral home.

These rustic holiday homes are made from discarded fishing boat hulls.

This church looks more like a spaceship than a house of worship.

A medieval house adorned with enigmatic carvings, including one of a man displaying his masculine attributes.

An enchanting work of outsider art, full of whimsical sculptures and carvings.

The industrial architecture honors the laborers who brought the Exposition Universelle of 1900 to life.