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 the senior editor of World Hum. Her writing has also appeared in the National Post, the Montreal Gazette, the Ottawa Citizen and WestJet's Up! Magazine, among other publications. She's based in Ottawa, Canada.


2 Comments for The Ugliest Buildings in the World?

TambourineMan 11.26.08 | 2:18 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 11.26.08 | 11:24 PM 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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