15 BIZARRE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING ELSE

15 Bizarre Commercial Buildings That Look Like Something Else
By Julian, Business Pundit, 31 July 2013.

The idea of literalism in advertising grew in popularity in the early 20th century as company proprietors designed their buildings to resemble their products. This not only cut down on the need for signage advertising what was contained within, but it also ensured the building stood a chance of becoming a local landmark, if done well. Today, those earlier buildings have been joined by other distinctive structures whose shapes don’t necessarily reflect what’s being sold inside. More broadly, this phenomenon is known as “programmatic” or “novelty” architecture, and it has spread worldwide. Read on for 15 bizarre commercial buildings that look like other objects.

15. National Fisheries Development Board Office - Andhra Pradesh, India

The giant fish-shaped building pictured above is actually the regional office for the Indian National Fisheries Development Board near Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. This four-story building opened in April 2012 and was constructed at a reported cost of almost 20 crore rupees (approximately US$3.3 million). The intention was to add colour to the regional headquarters, and we reckon it’s mission accomplished. The building may only bear a passing resemblance to Frank Gehry’s golden “Fish” sculpture in Barcelona - purported to be its inspiration - but it certainly has a distinctive look of its own. The fish building is also said to be unique throughout the entire continent of Asia.

14. The Sheep Building - Waikato, New Zealand

Animals have inspired quite a few of the most unusual commercial buildings in the world, and two such strange structures are located in Tirau, New Zealand. The small town - around 30 miles southeast of Hamilton in the Waikato region - has a population of just 729, and it has had to continually adapt to a tourist economy as its farming roots floundered. It has also developed a reputation for creating artworks from disused corrugated iron; a large iron shepherd even sits in the town’s churchyard. One of the most noticeable iron buildings is this giant sheep, which hosts a wool and craft store belonging to John and Nancy Drake. It’s close to a dog-shaped information centre (see entry 3).

13. Longaberger Company Headquarters - Ohio, USA

This “basket building” in Newark, Ohio is the headquarters of the Longaberger Company. It was the brainchild of former owner Dave Longaberger, and the structure is a 160:1 replica of the company’s best-selling Medium Market Basket. Staggeringly, the handles alone weigh nearly 150 tons. Basket making has been in the Longaberger family ever since Dave Longaberger’s father got into the trade in 1919, and although the firm has since branched out to offer other home products, this building ensures that the Longaberger name remains synonymous with baskets. The oversized container is a seven-story structure that occupies 180,000 square feet, and it has attracted attention across the globe since it was opened in 1997. Longaberger’s plan to turn all of the company’s buildings into baskets was apparently rejected by his daughters after his death in the late 1990s; however, his legacy remains attractive and unique.

12. Overseas United Bank headquarters - Bangkok, Thailand

Thai architect Sumet Jumsai took inspiration from a toy robot belonging to his son to create what is now the United Overseas Bank headquarters. Known as the “Robot Building,” Jumsai’s vision was completed in 1986 at a cost of US$10 million. While the design may seem frivolous to some, parts of the robot do serve as integral functions of the building, from its sunshade eyelids to its lightning rod antennae. As one of the last pieces of modern architecture in Bangkok, the structure certainly adds something different to the Thai capital. An additional special touch also sees the robot’s eyes wink at night to the sound of Jacques Bekaert’s “The Robot Symphony.” [Video]

11. Office Centre 1000 (Bank Note Building) - Kaunas, Lithuania

This building, completed in 2008, is said to be more than just a monument to finance. Jonas Plenta, marketing director of Urmas, the company behind the building, explained that when Lithuania sought to join the eurozone in 2005, his firm chanced across a striking 1926 banknote and decided to base the project on it. The resulting 10-story structure has been described as “one of the Baltic region’s most daring and original construction projects.” The exterior of the building is made of 4,500 pieces of glass, created in the Netherlands and boasting enamel designs.

10. Big Duck - New York, USA

Duck farmer Martin Maurer originally built the Big Duck to sell birds and eggs in the early 1930s, which makes it the oldest structure on this list. Maurer originally chose a key location on Main Street in Riverhead, Long Island, before moving the building to his duck ranch at nearby Flanders a few years later. It was constructed using ferrocement - cement and sand covering layers of steel mesh. Despite being moved again, the building returned to Flanders in 2007 and now houses a gift shop. In 1997, the Big Duck was added to the National Register of Historic Places. [Video]

9. Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn - Northern Territory, Australia

This is probably one of the most unusually shaped Holiday Inns in the world. The hotel is marketed as “the only deluxe accommodation” in Kakadu National Park, Jabiru, in Australia’s Northern Territory, and the crocodile structure takes its cues from the predatory animals that live in the area. Two well-known galleries containing Aboriginal rock art as well as the Bowali and Warradjan cultural centres are nearby. The hotel’s Energy Eye system aims to improve energy efficiency in rooms and decrease the building’s carbon footprint, and it also runs an indigenous employment program. Hopefully, it’s the closest vacationers will come to the belly of a crocodile. [Video]

8. Dog Bark Park Inn - Idaho, USA

This giant beagle has got to be one of the most unusual bed and breakfast buildings in the world. The pet project of couple Dennis J. Sullivan and Frances Conklin, it stands 12 feet tall on Highway 95 in Idaho. The inn was constructed as a tribute to the unusual roadside attractions that flourished in the early years of American freeways. The couple funded it with money made from selling chainsaw-crafted wooden dogs on home shopping channel QVC. Opened to the public in August 2003, the massive canine hosts a living area and bedroom within its body, while another room is hidden within its head. [Video]

7. ING House - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ING House in Amsterdam was designed by MVSA Architects and was officially opened in September 2002. The building is the headquarters of Dutch firm 3 Insurance, and it is made of anodized aluminium and glass. It seems to resemble a sleek boat in a dry dock, although it has also been nicknamed “the Shoe” and “the DustBuster.” The structure is suspended on 16 steel legs, which rest on pins in concrete blocks - a method used in bridge building. ING House is 28 meters wide and 138 meters long. It also has 10 floors and boasts over 800 square meters of conference rooms as well as six themed interior gardens.

6. Fangyuan Dasha - Liaoning, China

While it may seem like a strange shape for a structure, the Shanghai Bank-owned Fangyuan Dasha building in Shenyang, Liaoning can’t help but catch the eye. Its rounded shape and the prominent square cut out of the middle of the building recall old Chinese money. It’s therefore no surprise that it’s referred to as “the Coin Building” - although its concrete lower level with grooved glass and steel rims suggests a more modern corporate presence. Interestingly, the 25-story construction has received some criticism for its melding of Eastern and Western traditions, and in 2012 CNN listed it as one of the world’s ugliest buildings.

5. Wuliangye Liquor Bottle Pavilion - Sichuan, China

This bottle-shaped structure in Yibin in China’s Sichuan province houses a factory that produces Chinese liquor. The Wuliangye Liquor Bottle Pavilion is located in Pengcheng Plaza, in the centre of what has been dubbed “Liquor City.” It is flanked by the iconic “Human Face Hawk Body” sculpture as well as various pieces of garden architecture. At a height of 219 feet (66.8 meters), the Wuliangye Liquor Bottle Pavilion is thought to be the biggest bottle-shaped construction in the world, and inside a central elevator travels up to the bottle cap. According to the Wuliangye Company, the structure also serves as a navigation point for the nearby Laiba Grade II Airport.

4. Shtrikh Kod - Saint Petersburg, Russia

It may come as no surprise to learn that this building’s name translates into English as “Barcode.” This is the stylish Saint Petersburg office of Russian architectural firm Vitruvius & Sons, and the building also contains several retail units. It was designed to add some colour and liven up the surrounding area, which is full of grey housing blocks. Those who venture inside can peek out through the windows situated to the rear of the numbers on the sixth floor. And while it may not be the only building in the world to use the barcode motif, its bright red appearance offers a striking twist on the theme.

3. Tirau i-SITE Visitor Centre (Big Dog Information Centre) - Waikato, New Zealand

In the late 1990s, the South Waikato District Council needed to build new public toilets in the town of Tirau. And when the council discovered an ideal plot of land belonging to John and Nancy Drake, the couple suggested that it should include other amenities, too, such as this dog-shaped information centre. John Drake’s idea for the centre was inspired by his adjacent, sheep-shaped building, and local craftsman Steven Clothier built the canine’s head. Inside, Tirau artist Fred Luckman designed a much-admired mural that portrays local scenes. And the structure also features a spectacular stained glass window, which was unveiled in 2005.

2. United Equipment Office - California, USA

United Equipment is a company in Turlock, California that sells and hires out construction machinery, and the firm’s offices are somewhat appropriately situated inside a bulldozer. The building is modelled on a Cat D5 bulldozer and was made in 1976, predominantly from plywood and redwood, with hydraulics made of steel and aluminium. Surprisingly, the massive treads were constructed out of redwood. The dozer, which is visible from Highway 99, is 66 feet long and 21 feet tall and stands in a permanent state of “action,” seemingly pushing a large pile of earth and rocks. Inside, the entrance features a wall of articles about the distinctive building, and visitors are encouraged to stop by and take photographs.

1. Piano Violin House - Anhui City, China

This building was clearly designed to hit all the right notes. The Piano Violin House, which locals have dubbed “the most romantic building in China,” actually serves as a showroom to display the plans and proposals for the new district of Shannan in Huainan City, Anhui. The transparent violin contains an escalator and staircase to the main building, located in the grand piano part of the structure. The house was partly designed by students from the Hefey University of Technology’s architectural faculty, and it was built in 2007. It has become a popular tourist attraction, notably with newlyweds, who have been seen taking advantage of the unusual photo opportunity. [Video]

Top image: The Bulldozer Building of United Equipment Company (source)

[Source: Business Pundit. Edited. Links added.]