The Ugliest Buildings in the World?

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  11.26.08 | 9:37 AM ET

imagePhoto of Dunelm House by tompagenet via Flickr (Creative Commons)

I’m guessing the folks at VirtualTourist.com had a lot of fun putting together this list of the world’s ugliest buildings and monuments. For my part, I enjoyed reading a “Worst of” list for a change, complete with acerbic commentary, instead of the glowing superlatives of the usual “Best of” lists. Here’s their take on New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal: “Those who pass by this iron monstrosity might be tempted to ask about a completion date, but alas, this is the finished product.”

As for the ugliest building I’ve encountered on my travels? The hands-down winner is Dunelm House, the students’ union building at Britain’s Durham University. It’s a prime example of Brutalist architecture, and its ugliness is only emphasized by its location: smack in the middle of an otherwise lovely medieval town.

Tags: Architecture, Shrinking Planet

Eva Holland is a contributor to the World Hum blog. She is also a contributing editor at the Matador Network and at Not Coming to a Theater Near You, and a regular contributor to the Ottawa Citizen. Based in Ottawa, Canada, she loves to write about travel, history, sports, and culture high or low.


2 Comments for The Ugliest Buildings in the World?

TambourineMan 11.26.08 | 3:18 PM ET

It’s not well known, but I nominate the Caltrans building in downtown LA:

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=385076

In these parts it’s known as “The Death Star.”

Vera Marie Badertscher 11.27.08 | 12:24 AM ET

I nominate the federal court building in Tucson Arizona.http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0228/design_1-1.html
The author of this article actually likes the disparate collection of objects….judge for yourself.

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