Inexplicable designs. Questionable functionality. Absurd budgeting. Just plain inappropriate. These are some of the characteristics that distinguish projects that ArchDaily has identified as most controversial in the annals of architecture and construction.
They include some of the most famous structures on the planet, as well as buildings whose infamy is their fame. The list below includes the lead architect in parenthesis.
1. Pruitt-Igoe Housing Development, St. Louis (Minoru Yamasaki). Built in the mid 1950s, but never fully occupied, this project was castigated by critics as being little more than a prison for its low-income residents. It was razed in 1972.
2. Al-Wahrah Stadium, Doha, Qatar (Zaha Hadid Architects). Over 1,000 workers have reportedly died building this stadium, one of five under construction for the 2022 FIFI World Cup.
3. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia (Jørn Utzon). It was supposed to take 18 months and $18 million AUD to complete. It ended up taking 16 years and the final price tag was $102 million AUD.
4. Eiffel Tower, Paris (Gustave Eiffel). This iconic structure, which opened in 1889, encountered considerable criticism that included one reference to it as “a truly tragic street lamp.”
5. The “Walkie-Talkie” at 20 Fenchurch Street, London (Rafael Viñoly Architects). This building’s nickname says it all about its weird design. The sunlight reflecting off of the building’s windows to this day still scorches street-level objects. Even the architect regrets building it.
6. Woman’s Building, World Columbian Exposition, Chicago (Sophia Hayden Bennett). Designed and built by an all-woman management team, and opened in 1893 as a paean to women’s achievements, its architecture was ultimately deemed irrelevant.
7. Antilla Residential Tower, Mumbai, India (Perkins + Will/Hirsch Bednar Associates). A 27-story tower, built next to a notorious slum, is the world’s most expensive private residence. It cost $1 billion US, and includes a six-story parking garage.
8. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (Antoni Gaudi). This basilica, with its mishmash of design styles, was started in 1882, and is still under construction. (Completion is now projected for 2026.)
9. The Portland Building, Portland, Ore. (Michael Graves). The first major postmodern construction in North America, the 15-story building, completed in 1982 for $29 million, won an AIA award, but has left more Portlandians cold. In October 2009, Travel + Leisure called it “one of the most hated buildings in America.”
Related Stories
Architects | Mar 11, 2016
AIA survey finds many women and minority architects still feeling underrepresented and unfulfilled
Dissatisfaction with “work-life balance” and compensation are cited as reasons why companies’ diversity strategies may be faltering.
University Buildings | Mar 11, 2016
How architects can help community colleges promote community on campus
Even in the face of funding challenges and historic precedent, there are emerging examples of how partnership between two-year academic institutions and designers can further elevate community on campus. CannonDesign's Carisima Koenig has a few key examples.
Architects | Mar 10, 2016
Value engineering: How to manage the process and limit the risk of VE
AEC consultant Steve Whitehorn shares several ways in which architects can be more effective managers of value-engineered change.
Architects | Mar 9, 2016
Two Houston firms merge to form Method Architecture
In mid-2016, Architects-Plus and Three Square Design Group will join to make a studio that will design industrial centers, corporate interiors, breweries, and more.
Hotel Facilities | Mar 7, 2016
Exclusive villas and spa in China will be built at the center of a lake
The only connection between the complex and the mainland will be a narrow pedestrian bridge.
Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2016
HDR redesigns Twin Cities' studio to have coffee shop vibe
With open spaces, huddle rooms, and a design lab, the firm's new digs are drastically different than the old studio, which felt like working in a law office. Design Principal Mike Rodriguez highlights HDR's renovation plan.
Architects | Feb 25, 2016
12 architects selected for 2016 AIA Young Architects Award
Winners include Amy Kalar and Karen Lu, both with HGA, BNIM's Carey Nagle, and MSR Design's Bob Ganser.
Architects | Feb 24, 2016
Is the booming freelance economy a threat to AEC firms?
By shifting the work (and revenue) to freelancers, “platform capitalism” startups have taken considerable market share from traditional businesses.
Industry Research | Feb 22, 2016
8 of the most interesting trends from Gensler’s Design Forecast 2016
Technology is running wild in Gensler’s 2016 forecast, as things like virtual reality, "smart" buildings and products, and fully connected online and offline worlds are making their presence felt throughout many of the future's top trends.
Market Data | Feb 17, 2016
AIA reports slight contraction in Architecture Billings Index
Multifamily residential sector improving after sluggish 2015.
