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
| Jul 18, 2012
Alcoa appoints Hunter Architectural Manager
Hunter to operate with the goal of driving specification, new product adoption and overall demand for the Alcoa BCS North America product range.
| Jul 17, 2012
AIA and Architecture for Humanity select Disaster Response Grant recipients
Awards help each group implement their locally driven preparedness project in the second half of the year.
| Jul 17, 2012
KM/Plaza changes name to Plaza Construction
Lands new projects including the Perry South Beach Hotel and Dadeland Mall Kendall Wing Expansion.
| Jul 17, 2012
Dr. Phillips Charities Headquarters Building receives LEED Silver
The building incorporates sustainable design features, environmentally-friendly building products, energy efficient systems, and environmentally sensitive construction practices.
| Jul 16, 2012
BD+C Under 40 Leadership Summit scheduled
Attendee registration for U40 Summit II now open.
| Jul 16, 2012
Construction spending at 2 ½ year peak
Construction economist Ken Simonson says that four private nonresidential categories each posted 12-month spending increases of more than 25%: power and energy construction, 35%; hotels, 29%; educational and manufacturing, 27% apiece.
| Jul 16, 2012
Chen named design director at Heery
Chen comes to Heery from his own firm, Mark Chen Architect, a design and planning consulting firm, based in New York City, whose recent work includes large-scale planning studies for mixed-use projects.
| Jul 16, 2012
Reed Construction hires new project manager
Fread is a LEED AP and received his degree from Purdue University.
| Jul 16, 2012
Business school goes for maximum vision, transparency, and safety with fire rated glass
Architects were able to create a 2-hour exit enclosure/stairwell that provided vision and maximum fire safety using fire rated glazing that seamlessly matched the look of other non-rated glazing systems.
| Jul 12, 2012
New firm RSK Avanti Partners offers market development services
Full-service consulting firm is focused on working with product manufacturers, designers, specifies and contractors in the building construction market.
