This Week’s Crazy Building: Mercedes Benz Museum

The Mercedes Benz Museum’s unique shape is based on the double helix, a nod to the evolution of the brand over more than 125-years. The building’s curves complement the surrounding landscape of Stuttgart, Germany. Nowhere in the over 82,000 square foot space are any straight walls or closed rooms. The exterior is formed from aluminum
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Fondation Louis Vuitton

The Fondation Louis Vuitton located in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne park makes a noticeable splash. Designed by Frank Gehry, the contemporary art museum’s unusual forms exhibit his characteristic deconstructed look. The park is nearly twice the size of New York’s Central Park and is composed of several smaller parks. The Fondation is in the Jardin
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Royal Ontario Museum

Toronto Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum merges old with new in a startling way. The Crystal as the new addition is called seems to burst forth from the older style building, originally constructed in 1914. The various angles were attained by lifting the steel beams one by one to their positions. The Crystal actually isn’t attached
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Kunsthaus Graz

the friendly alien (Kunsthaus Graz) by Rosino is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Move over, E.T. there’s a new alien in town! The Kunsthaus Graz was nicknamed “the friendly alien” by architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier. Located in Graz, Austria, this biomorphic structure makes a striking contrast to the traditional surrounding buildings. Inside you’ll find contemporary art ranging from the 1960s to today. About 119,479 square feet
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Museo Soumaya

Museo Soumaya by Dan is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The award-winning Museo Soumaya is located in Mexico City’s cultural and commercial district, the Plaza Carso. Seen from above, its shape resembles a rhombus or diamond. From the side, it looks like an exaggerated top hat without the brim. The exterior shine and pattern comes from 16,000 hexagonal steel pieces. The design was inspired by
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This Week’s Crazy Building: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum by Dakota Callaway is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a unique building with an equally unique mission. It is located in Cleveland, Ohio on the banks of Lake Erie. Reminiscent of the Louvre in Paris it features a large, glass pyramid. Designed by architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners they drew inspiration from the music itself.
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This Week’s Crazy Building: California Academy of Sciences

Touched By An Angel by Peter M. is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. (Photo of the California Academy of Sciences)
Thanks to its greenroof, the California Academy of Sciences blends into the surrounding hills of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. This unusual architectural marvel was made using about 50,000 biodegradable trays of tree sap and coconut hulls. They contain the roof’s vegetation and allow roots to grow across trays which helps bind them together. The
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Paläon Research and Experience Center

Paläon Schöningen by Helena is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The scene is an open-cut coal mine in Schöningen, Germany, the time is 1994. A discovery is made that totally changes the way scientists view our ancestors. Three spears were found. Radiocarbon dating confirmed them to be approximately 300,000 years old, making them the oldest hunting tools in the world. Before this discovery, it was
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This Week’s Crazy Building: Centre Pompidou-Metz

Centre Pompidou-Metz by manuelsvay is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Located in Metz, France, the Centre Pompidou-Metz seems even more unusual in the context of the surrounding historical structures. Designed by architect Shigeru Ban, the inspiration actually came from a Chinese hat! Ban wanted to create a space that would seamlessly integrate into the city as well as being effective for displaying works of art.
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This Week’s Crazy Building: MAS

Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) in Antwerp by Bobo Boom is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Museum aan de Stroom or MAS is located in Antwerp, Belgium. An impressive sight, the building resembles an exploded view and you can catch some glimpses through the large undulating glass windows of the spiral staircase inside. Each one of its ten floors has a slight twist, which creates the spiral. After journeying up
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