Some buildings will absolutely fascinate you with their stunning designs, genius architectural decisions, and the sheer power of their aesthetics. This article isn’t about these kinds of buildings, however. Nope! Not all buildings are made equal, you see, and the ‘bad’ ones need to be shamed publicly so that others don’t copy their designs. So we’ll be focusing exclusively on just plain terrible architectural decisions.
And the worst of the worst end up on the ‘That’s It, I’m Architecture Shaming’ Facebook group where users mercilessly prod and poke bad design. It’s fun, it’s educational, it’s something cool to scroll through during your next coffee break.
Remember to upvote your fave photos that you love to hate and be sure to follow the architecture-shaming Facebook group if you like their stuff. They’re a growing community with awesome content.
Bored Panda spoke about what separates good and bad design, the need to democratize the access to quirky private property designs, as well as about the roles that architecture plays with an expert in the field from Sweden who has a background in urban planning. You’ll find our full interview with her below.
#1 This Is Not Photoshopped
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#2 I Might Like This If Those Were Slides
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#3 A House I Used To Drive Past In A Little Iowa Town. All I Ever Heard From Locals Was That This Place Had A Terrible Leaking Problem When It Rained
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The Sweden-based urban planning expert explained to Bored Panda that while public spaces must meet safety and accessibility standards, aesthetic standards can be much more fluid for buildings. The expert spoke to Bored Panda on the condition that she remain anonymous. (Remember, just because you're an expert in something and want to be helpful doesn't mean that you always like the limelight... unlike quirky architecture which just begs you to look at it!)
“Most of the time, the elements of the built environment should be in harmony amidst each other and with the surroundings. However, sometimes, something bolder and out-of-the-box might form an engaging contrast,” she said. However, the urban planning expert shared with Bored Panda that, in her personal opinion, our built environments have to engage us, as well as stimulate our minds and senses. In fact, she believes that architecture’s ability to make us think is one of its most powerful aspects.
#4 The Cactus Is *chef’s Kiss
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#5 “Sharkitecture”
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#6 The “Snail House” In Bulgaria Actually Does Look Like A Snail
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“There are circumstances where the architecture should create a sense of calmness and safety, yet there are instances in which it is not bad if the architecture provokes us and makes us think, ‘Why don't I like the look of this building?’”
The urban planner said that we should give people the freedom to express themselves as they wish when it comes to designing their private property. As long as they have the means, nearly everything is allowed, in her opinion.
#7 Car Dealership Trying For More Of A Classy Look!
Image credits: architectureshaming
#8 I Do Not Give A Damn How Well It’s Cantilevered Or How Strong The Struts Are. I Do Not Have The Kind Of Luck It Would Take To Set Foot In This House.
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#9 Toilet-Shaped House (Named Haewoojae), Built By Sim Jae-Duck, The Chairman Of The Organizing Committee Of The Inaugural General Assembly Of The World Toilet Association
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“Quirky architecture comes from our innate desire to demonstrate our uniqueness. However, not everyone who has the means has an average taste for aesthetics. Yet, as long as it is for the people who inhabit or use their private space, I mean why not?” she told Bored Panda that as long as you’re not actively harming anyone else with how bad your designs are, you should be able to be as unique as you want. Even if it falls short of objective aesthetic standards.
#10 They Drew The Line At A Fountain In The Kitchen
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#11 Um... What Is This?
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#12 Surrealist Neighborhood
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However, the expert acknowledged that others in the industry might not see things the way that she does. Others, she said, believe that private property must be in harmony with the surroundings.
“But, I think that we should not cross that thin line where architecture becomes reserved for only the wealthy and for those with ‘good taste’ (whoever decides that). I’m only talking about private property here, though. When it comes to public space, there should be a consensus between the public and the professional about the design,” she said that the rules for the private and public spheres are very different.
#13 That Gives Me Anxiety
Image credits: architectureshaming
#14 I’ll Meet Your Brutalism, And Raise You This
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#15 Just In Case You Ever Wanted To Open A Drive-Thru From Your Crib
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The urban planning expert also had some advice when it comes to design. “Firstly, even though I often advocate for unconventionally looking buildings, I do not encourage purposefully provocative architecture. The building should be designed with the intention to accommodate and protect society. It should create a sense of safety but not be boring,” she told Bored Panda that we ought to strike a balance between uniqueness and service, expression and community.
#16 This Looks Like A Place A Villain Would Live
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#17 The Asymmetry Would Drive Me Nuts
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#18 Interesting Concept
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What’s more, the expert from Sweden pointed out that accessibility, inclusiveness, and empowerment should also be key features of any architectural project. “Also, I prefer somewhat complex but systemic designs. Minimalistic and box like floor plans are good in some cases where easy access is necessary (for example, hospitals) yet they can be completely mind-numbing while more complex floor plan designs are more mind-stimulating (for example, good for schools, in my opinion).”
#19 Art Nouveau On Psychedelics
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#20 This Bothers Me
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#21 This Pillar Was Straight Last Week. This Is The First Floor Of A Seven-Floor Building
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At the time of writing, the ‘That’s It, I’m Architecture Shaming’ community had 64.1k members. However, it’s growing so rapidly, that by the time you’re reading this, dear Pandas, that number could be much, much higher. Just in the last week alone, the group grew by over 7.3k members. And they’ve made upwards of a thousand posts in the last month.
#22 This Building Has My City In A Uproar
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#23 Please Don't Take It Too Seriously, Just A Surprised House
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#24 I Think They Put A Bath Where A Closet Was
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Because of this fast growth and the issues that came with it, the administrator of the ‘Architecture Shaming’ group, Oregon-based Matthew Brühn, addressed the community and the changes that took place in April. In short, the rules are much more structured now.
#25 Has Anyone Ever Brought Up How Hideous Boston's Logan Atc Tower Is?
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#26 This Is Plane Awesome
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#27 Here’s A Building In Pittsburgh. They Tore Down The Church But Left The Steeple. Built An Insensitive Building Behind It
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Matthew pointed out that the admins have been getting tired of the “massive influx of negativity” that came with more and more members joining the community. While the admin expressed his admiration for how wonderful many members are, he also noted that the group will start filtering out overly-aggressive posts.
#28 Spotted This Gem In Tel Aviv
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#29 Keeping The Old Facade Because The Law Says So
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#30 I’ve Been Looking At Homes Trying To Get Ideas For When We Move In A Few Years And I Came Across A House That Was Perfect In Every Way Except One
What in the ever living fudge is this - one pass thru is ‘eh, but this one has three-at different levels plus the added detriment of the worlds worst architectural detailing around it. Please someone else tell me that you hate this as much as I do. I know it’s probably more interior design but it’s just so ugly.
Image credits: architectureshaming
“Don’t take it personally; we’re just trying to create an atmosphere where we can all have fun and be kind. There’s now the equivalent of a small city of us all here now, so that will be more difficult,” Matthew pointed out. He added that mentions of politics and religion will be deleted while all potential new members have to answer some questions before they get in. Which, at the end of the day, leads to a friendlier and happier community that, we're sure, plenty of you Pandas will want to join.
#31 Who Remembers Those Gerbil Enclosures That Look Like This?
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#32 You Too Can Have Your Own White Castle
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#33 Forbidden Waffle In Santiago
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#34 This Place Is All Curb Appeal
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#35 Bangkok's Elephant Building. The Tusks Are A Bowling Alley In My Imagination
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#36 Opera And Ballet Theatre Of Cheboksary (Russia)
Top: original picture Bottom: slightly photoshopped picture
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#37 Victorian Balusters With Greek Columns. This Is So American It’s Painful
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#38 Saint Benedict Church, Andrelândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Built In 1989
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#39 Why?
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#40 I’m At The Pizza Hut I’m At The Mod Suburban Home I’m At The Pizza Hut / Mod Suburban Home
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#41 I Think Syndrome From The Incredibles Lived Here
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#42 Oh, I Live In A Gated Community. It’s Very Posh
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#43 If You Want To Live In A Cheesecake Factory And You Enjoy Really Drafty Showers.
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#44 A Friend Of Mine Cross-Posted This And It Made Me Think Of Y’all
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#45 The Glorious Flower Of Communist Brutalism That Is The Former Central Post Office In Skopje, Macedonia. Some People Want It Preserved
#46 I Dunno, Slim Doesn't Seem To Be Digging This Situation
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#47 I Wonder Who Thought This Would Be A Good Idea
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#48 Pensacola House
#49 Another In The Bizarre San Francisco Tradition Of Stucco Treatments That Look Like Skin Diseases. The Kitchen Is To Die For — The Facade Doesn’t Deserve That Attention To Detail?
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#50 I Don't Think A Paint Job And Landscaper Would Help This Poor House Down The Street From Me
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#51 No, Because I Need To See Actually Bad Architecture And Not Just Something That’s Historic Or Non-Traditional
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#52 House I Found While Browsing Properties In Melbourne, Australia
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#53 This Building Has Been In My Hometown For Ages, But I Never Noticed It Until I Joined This Group
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#54 Whatttttt Is Thissssss. The Front Of The House Looks Like It’s Made Of The Spare Parts From The Other Builds
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#55 This. The Building I Hate Most In Dallas And I Have To Look At It Every Time I Drive To Work
Looks like something a four year old would build in Minecraft but, no, someone actually got paid to design this butt ugly monstrosity that blocks an otherwise cool view of downtown.
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#56 Concorde De Luxe Resort In Turkey
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#57 I Will Haunt Your Dreams! Residential Building In Belgium
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#58 Kind Of Reminds Me Of A Church (Granted, A Strange One) But It’s Actually A House With A 6,000 Sq. Ft. Garage… And Its Own Car Wash
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#59 I Mean, Come On
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#60 Can We All Just Take A Moment And Acknowledge That Prince Produced Some Great Music, But He Lived In A Water Treatment Station
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#61 “The Clients Insisted On A Big Window In What Must Now Be The Least Discreet Bathroom In Melbourne.” Note The Train
There are no blinds or curtains. apparently people on the train call the hotel downstairs & ask if they know they are baring all
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#62 Feast Your Eyes On This Mcmansion Beast. Complete With Roof Nub Quartet, Stupid Turret, And Parasitic Garage
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#63 I Never Realized How Important It Is For The Roof To Hang Over A Little Bit
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#64 Always Thought This Was Strange, Silly, Terrible Use Of Space? Just Crooked... Why.
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#65 The “Blender” On The Campus Of The University Of Oklahoma. That’s All One Building. I Took Math Classes In This Thing Back In The 90s
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#66 Warsaw. Poland. Don't Know Why
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#67 Neighbors Had Some Material Left, Contractor Cut Them A Deal On A Monstrosity
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#68 I Give You, The Most Boring Roof Ever Built And A House With Very Little Natural Light Coming In
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#69 I Appreciate Efforts At Creativity, Sustainability, Affordability. I Really Do. But Do They Have To Be So Ugly? This Looks Like A Bad Public Washroom
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#70 Just
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#71 Saw This On A Walk Today. A Table Lamp, In A Glass Box, Hanging From The Roof Of A Carport
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from Bored Panda https://bit.ly/2SxhlFx
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