They are all crooked!

They are all crooked!

A journey among some of the most incredible crooked buildings in the world

Morena Giannascoli

“There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature. Therefore, buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners.” Antoni Gaudi

Here is an interesting list of crooked buildings that challenge the laws of gravity every day with their inclination giving their cities that touch of peculiarity. Some of them have become crooked over time while others are deliberately constructed by architects.

• ITALY, The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most recognized leaning tower.

The tower's tilt began during construction in the 12th century, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century. It gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

• FRANCE, Rennes

The beautiful and vibrant old town of Rennes is full of old half-timbered crooked houses.

• UNITED KINGDOM, Windsor Crooked House

The Crooked House of Windsor was built in 1592 at the edge of the town’s market square. In 1687, the town council ordered the house to be demolished. A land dispute erupted over the lot and the council was eventually ordered by the court to rebuild the dwelling in its original spot. The house was re-built with haste, using unseasoned green oak wood. When the wood dried, the house buckled but it stood its ground. Since then it became known as the Crooked House of Windsor. The house was originally a butcher’s shop, but over the centuries the building has housed many types of businesses. Currently, it functions as a tea room and restaurant.

The Crooked House has a now-blocked secret passageway that leads to Windsor Castle and is said to have been used for illicit trysts between King Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwyn. The passageway was also used for delivering produce from the market directly to the kitchens of Windsor Castle.

• ESTONIA, Tartu Crooked Art Museum

The house has its foundations partially built over the old city walls, which unfortunately did not support the weight, giving the museum its particular inclination. Apart from its bizarre appearance, the Kunstimuuseum attracts numerous visitors thanks to its rich permanent collection of Estonian art and its minor temporary exhibitions.

• NETHERLANDS, Leaning Oude Kerk

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) was founded in 1246. The characteristic leaning tower started to lean since its construction due to the unstable foundations that were not strong enough to support the building. However, it has resisted over the centuries and is still standing.

• UNITED KINGDOM, The Crooked House

The wonky tavern has been named Britain's drunkest inn because even sober visitors are likely to have a wobble inside.

The Crooked House was built in 1765 and was originally a farmhouse. During the 1800s, mining in the area caused one side of the building to begin gradually sinking. 

 The building was condemned as unsafe in the 1940s and was scheduled for demolition. It was rescued and the structure made safe using buttresses and girders so as to retain its lopsided appearance.

Now known as The Crooked House it has become a tourist attraction and is visited by thirsty travellers from all over the world. The level floors combined with the leaning walls can create some very intriguing optical illusions where glasses can slowly slide across tables and you should ask to see the marble roll uphill.

• GERMANY, The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen

The Guinness Book of World Records has ruled that a 15^th century church steeple in Germany, not the famous leaning tower of Pisa, is the most tilted tower in the world.

The 25.7-metre steeple tilts at an angle of 5.07 degrees, while the tower of Pisa tilts at just 3.97 degrees. However, although its tilt angle is greater than Pisa's tower, it has less than half the Italian tower's height and none of its ornate beauty.

• INDIA, The Leaning Temple of Huma

The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and it is one of only two leaning temples in the world. It is not known if this structure is leaning by design or from another reason. It is interesting to notice that while the building leans, the pinnacle  of the temple is perpendicular to the ground.

• BRAZIL, The leaning Buildings of Santos

The coastline along the city of Santos, some 80 km from Sao Paulo, in Brazil, offers a strange sight. Like dominoes about to topple, the waterfront is lined by a string of high rise apartments that are unmistakably tilted to one side. This is due to the slippery clay of the soil that does not support the weight of the buildings and also because the foundations are not deep enough. Although they have to deal with everyday problems like shimming furniture, rolling balls, and the inability to fill a cup of coffee all the way to the top.

There are almost a hundred buildings that tilt at scary angles. They lean between 0.5 meters and 1.8 meters. There was an effort some years ago to straighten some of the buildings but high cost prohibited the execution. Surprisingly, people continue to live in these apartments.

• CANADA, The Kissing Buildings

These buildings were put directly on the ground, and that caused problems because the permafrost would thaw due to the heat inside the homes. That meant that the structures would move around a little bit as they re-settled in the mud. Over time, that process led to entire buildings leaning to one side or the other. Now known as the “kissing buildings” because of the way they snuggle up against each other, these 1901 structures are still standing, but possibly not for much longer.

 Read also A Curious Shape 

• KOREA, Café Ganghwa Island

This Ganghwa Island cafe leans in at a 50-degree angle, creating an image of two inanimate houses cuddling each other.

Surprisingly, most of the interiors are upright except for a couple of mirrors and its washroom. All things inside the washroom from the toilet seat to the wash basins are in a slanting position, making it funny to wash your hands or wee.

• POLAND, The Crooked House. 

Built in 2004, this irregularly shaped building is about 4,000 square meters in size and is a part of the Rezydent Shopping Center. The inspiration for the design came partly from fairytale illustrations.

• PORTUGAL, Stone House

The house is built between two giant stones and linked with a concrete mix. It is rumoured that the inspiration for the design came from the Flintstones cartoon, due to the prehistoric look of the house.

• CZECH REPUBLIC, Dancing House

Dancing House is a structure with historical significance. Completed in 1996, the building is situated in a house destroyed by the US bombing of Prague in the mid-'40s. The Dancing House is one of the most famous architectural works in Prague. It is also referred to as ‘Fred and Ginger’, after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as it resembles a pair of dancers. House is actually an office building with a French restaurant on its roof.

• DENMARK, Bella Sky Hotel

The characteristic leaning towers are designed with purpose. The fact that they lean away from each other ensures optimal guest views from both sides of each tower over the nature park ‘Amager Common’ and the Copenhagen rooftops just beyond. The two towers lean in opposite directions at an angle almost four times that of the leaning tower of Pisa.

• BULGARIA, Snail House

The construction of this house lasted 10 years and ended in 2009. The Snail House is a five story family home, with antique furniture from the owner’s ancestors and funny heating radiators in the shapes of a frog, pumpkin and ladybugs.

• MEXICO, Nautilus House

This shell shaped house is based on an aquatic theme. The current residents are a family with two children who wanted to move out of the mundane suburban homes and move to a location where they could feel closer to nature. The elements of the house were carefully chosen to match the theme of the house.

• AUSTRIA, Kunsthaus Graz

This ultra-modern art museum is also known as ‘The Friendly Alien Building’. The blob shaped structure contains examples of art, design, new media, film and photography. The building is also environmentally friendly with photovoltaic cells built into the 1,288 acrylic glass panels on the roof.

• ABU DHABI, Capital Gate Tower

 The tower (also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi) is one of the tallest buildings in the city (160 m) and inclines 18° to the west. Capital Gate now houses the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel and additional office space.

• AUSTRALIA, The Klein Bottle House

The Klein bottle is a descriptive model of a surface developed by topological mathematicians: unique surfaces that while they may be distorted remain topologically the same. This holiday house is situated 1.5 hrs drive from Melbourne on the sand dunes near the wild 16th beach and has won several awards for its unique design.

• CANADA, Montreal Olympic Stadium Tower

This is the tallest manmade leaning tower. The Tower protrudes into the urban landscape of Montreal, starting from the base of the Canadian Olympic Stadium with its 175 meters of height and a tilt of 45 degrees.

And we finish off with…

• CALIFORNIA, San Francisco

What could look like crooked houses…

In reality it’s just an optical illusion.

San Francisco is famous for its crazy hills and you can use them to create a crazy illusion.

One simple photography trick can make San Francisco's homes look like they are literally sideways.

Simply tilt your camera to make the streets look level (align the bottom of the frame with the street), and voila, the houses look completely crooked.

Read also Abruzzo Trabocchi

Have a lovely journey!

Morena Giannascoli

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