Jun 29, 2013

8 Unique UFO Shaped Buildings

We have collected some earthly buildings that are shaped like UFO by inspiration.

 

The Flying Saucer House - Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

UFO House - Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA 01 image source

This home was built by the late Curtis W. King in 1970, around the time the original Star Trek series ended. It sits on a road leading to Chattanooga's Signal Mountain and features a retractable staircase, like any good UFO should. The three-bedroom, two-bath house was sold in 2008 for $130,900, after Cleveland, Tennessee's Crye-Leike Auctions posted it for sale on eBay. [link]

UFO House - Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA 02 image source

UFO House - Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA 03 image source

 

The Circus - Astana, Kazakhstan

The Circus - Astana, Kazakhstan 01 image source

In the late 2005 Astana was the landing site of a UFO in the shape of a huge “flying saucer”. But soon it became clear that it was not a visit of an extraterrestrial civilization but the new capital circus. Thanks to its space-like architecture the building stands out against the urban background. The building is adjoined by the hotel complex, the administration premises, the arena, pens and other circus related building.

The Circus - Astana, Kazakhstan 02 image source

The circus can seat 2,000 spectators. In the center there is a classic 13-m arena, which is equipped with modern machinery for the different acts: flights, ice shows, arena, etc. [link]

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Sanzhi UFO houses - New Taipei City, Taiwan

The Sanzhi UFO houses, also known as the Sanzhi pod houses or Sanzhi Pod City, were a set of abandoned pod-shaped buildings in Sanzhi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Sanzhi UFO houses 01 image source

The UFO houses were constructed beginning in 1978. They were intended as a vacation resort in a part of the northern coast adjacent to Tamsui, and were marketed towards U.S. military officers coming from their East Asian postings. However, the project was abandoned in 1980 due to investment losses and several car accident deaths during construction, which is said to have been caused by the unfortuitous act of bisecting the Chinese dragon sculpture located near the resort gates for widening the road to the buildings. Other stories indicated that the site was the former burial ground for Dutch soldiers.

Sanzhi UFO houses 02 image source

The pod-like buildings became a minor tourist attraction due in part to their unusual architecture. The structures have since been subject of a film, used as a location by MTV for cinematography, photographed by people, and become a subject in online discussions, described as a ghost town or "ruins of the future"

Sanzhi UFO houses 03 image source

As of 2010, all UFO houses have been demolished and the site is in the process of being converted to a commercial seaside resort and water-park. [link]

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Pensacola Beach’s Spaceship House – Florida, USA

Pensacola Beach’s Spaceship House 01 image source

The so-called Spaceship House is currently the Pensacola Beach Preservation and Historical Society’s headquarters. Having survived Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Dennis with nary a scratch, the southern Florida Futuro house sits atop a more traditional blockhouse structure with a permanent ramp to ground level. [link]

Pensacola Beach’s Spaceship House 02 image source

Pensacola Beach’s Spaceship House 03 image source

 

Universum Science Center - Bremen, Germany

Universum Science Center Bremen 01 image source

The Universum Bremen opened in September 2000 near to the University of Bremen, Germany. Covering over 4,000 m² the exhibition contains exhibits related to one of the three topics: mankind, earth and the cosmos. The science center building, with its 40,000 stainless steel scales, resembles a mixture between a whale and mussel. It was designed by the Bremen architect Thomas Klumpp. [link]

Universum Science Center Bremen 02 image source

Bremen: "Wissenschafts-Erlebniszentrum" Universum Science Center image source

 

Chemosphere House - Los Angeles, California, USA

The Chemosphere, designed by American architect John Lautner in 1960, is an innovative Modernist octagon house in Los Angeles, California.

Chemosphere House 01 image source

The building stands on the San Fernando Valley side of the Hollywood Hills, just off of Mulholland Drive. It is a one story octagon with around 2200 square feet (200m2) of living space. Most distinctively, the house is perched atop a 5-foot-wide concrete pole nearly thirty feet high. This innovative design was Lautner's solution to a site that, with a slope of 45 degrees, was thought to be practically unbuildable. Because of a concrete pedestal, almost 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter, buried under the earth and supporting the post, the house has survived earthquakes and heavy rains. The house is reached by a funicular. Chemosphere is bisected by a central, exposed brick wall with a fireplace, abutted by subdued seating, in the middle. [link]

Chemosphere House 02 image source

Chemosphere House 03 image source

 

The Buzludzha Monument – Bulgaria

Buzludzha Monument 01 image source

Buzludzha (Turkish: Buzluca - lit. meaning "glacially/icy") is a historical peak in the Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria and is 1441 metres high. In 1868 it was the place of the final battle between Bulgarian rebels led by Hadji Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha and the Turks.

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Buzludzha Monument 03 image source

 

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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This flying saucer building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, with the assistance of structural engineer Bruno Contarini. It is 16 meters high and the cupola has a diameter of 50 meters. It is set on a cliff, with offering views of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, and Sugarloaf Mountain. Completed in 1996, the modernist structure is one of the city’s main landmarks. [link]

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