25 Ugliest Buildings In The World

Posted by , Updated on January 9, 2024

Although they surely must have appeared to be a good idea to somebody, to most of the world these buildings should never have happened. Of course, we realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so while compiling this list we tried not to lean on our own understanding but only to include structures that the local population has vehemently disapproved of. So, by majority vote these are the 25 ugliest buildings in the world.
25

Elephant Building, Bangkok

Elephant Building, Bangkok

This high rise located in Bangkok, Thailand was built to resemble an elephant and as a result has managed to make its way into nearly every ranking of ugly building every assembled.

24

Kaden Tower, Kentucky

Kaden Tower

In spite of the intricate detail and effort put into decorating this building in downtown Louisville, it hasn’t stopped it from consistently being rate one of the ugliest buildings on Earth.

23

The Fang Yuan Building, China

The Fang Yuan Building, China

This coin shaped building in Shenyang, China just wasn’t creative enough to stay off of the ugly lists.

22

The Portland Building, Oregon

The Portland Building

The small boring windows, off white masonry, and terracotta pilasters have all been cited as contributing to the ugliness factor.

21

Delftware Warming Station, The Netherlands

Delftware Warming Station, The Netherlands

Notable for having been identified as the ugliest building in Holland according to a prominent Dutch newspaper.

20

Selfridges Department Store, England

Selfridges Department Store, England

Found in Birmingham’s Bull Ring Shopping Center, the face of Selfridges Deparment Store leaves some people swooning and others cringing.

19

Petrobras Headquarters, Brazil

Petrobras Headquarters, Brazil

Unfortunately the headquarters of this Brazilian energy company continues to find itself ranked among the ugliest buildings in South America.

18

The Rock, Wellington International Airport, New Zealand

The Rock, Wellington International Airport, New Zealand

A relatively new addition to the ugly pages, this extension of the Wellington International Airport in New Zealand was constructed in 2010.

17

Boston City Hall, Massachusetts

Boston City Hall, Massachusetts

Although it may have been considered hip and cool for its time, the building is often criticized today for its dreariness and out-of-place architecture.

16

CCTV Tower, Beijing, China

CCTV Tower, Beijing, China

Serving as headquarters to China Central Television, this interestingly shaped building is also known as the “squatting man”.

15

Roundhouses, Netherlands

Roundhouses, Netherlands

After building 50 or so in the 1970′s there wasn’t enough support to continue building these futuristic looking houses in the small European country, for somewhat obvious reasons.

14

The Sugar Cube, England

The Sugar Cube, England

Although its strikingly odd design surely flatters some, there is a good number of people voting this building onto the ugly list.

13

National Library, Buenos Aires

National Library, Buenos Aires

Quite literally a center for higher learning given its elevated position, the national library of Argentina is well known for its unappealing exterior.

12

Landmark Theater, England

Landmark Theater, England

Set along the coastline of Ilfracombe in England, these strange looking, out of place towers are actually a rooftop addition to the Landmark Theater.

11

First World Hotel, Malaysia

First World Hotel

This Malaysian hotel is a perfect example of how a paint job can just ruin everything.

10

The Corn Palace, South Dakota

The Corn Palace

Sometimes referred to as the ugliest building in the midwest, the facade is redone every year in different kinds of corn to recreate a mural of pioneer life.

9

Federal Building, San Fransisco

Federal Building, San Fransisco

Although this government building is supposed to be friendly towards the environment, some locals complain that it is not very friendly to the eyes.

8

La Lavadora, Mexico City

La Lavadora, Mexico City

As you can see there is a reason this building is known as La Lavadora, or “the washer”. Set in one of Mexico City’s upscale business districts it definitely stands out against the background and generated mixed reactions.

7

Pangu Hotel, Beijing

Pangu Hotel, Beijing

Yet another interesting piece of Chinese architecture, there is no city with more entries on the “ugly buildings” list than Beijing.

6

Agbar Tower, Barcelona

Agbar Tower, Barcelona

There are few buildings in the world that can almost be considered objectively bad ideas…and this is one of them.

5

Antilia, Mumbai, India

Antilia, Mumbai, India

Interestingly enough what is one of the ugliest buildings in the world is also the most expensive house in the world with a full time staff of over 600 people.

4

Žižkov Television Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

Žižkov Television Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

Built during the communist regime, the Zizkov tower has often been rated to be one of the ugliest buildings in the world and was not received warmly by locals, if not because it “ruined” an otherwise beautiful city skyline.

3

Stora Enso Building, Finland

Stora Enso Building, Finland

Supposedly taking inspiration from Venetian Palaces there are a number of people residing in Helsinki that would beg to differ.

2

Edificio Mirador, Spain

Edificio Mirador

Highlighted by a large hole right in its center, different colors represent different apartment blocks, each with its own planning.

1

Ryugyong Hotel, North Korea

Ryugyong Hotel, North Korea

Come to be known as the “Hotel of Doom” the Ryugyong Hotel dominates the Pyongyang skyline and has been referred to as the “worst building in the history of mankind”.



SEE ALSO: 25 Most Intelligent Animals On Earth »

NOW WATCH:

video
play-rounded-fill