Kerala Houseboats, Kerala, India

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The houseboats or Kettuvalloms of Kerala, South India, are huge, and majestic constructions with length measured from 60 to 80 feet. They are called kettuvallam or “boat with knots” (“Kettu” means “tied with ropes” and “vallam” means “boat” in the Malayalam language) as the entire boats are held together with coir knots but not even a single nail. The boats are made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir, and the roofs of the boats are made of palm leaves and bamboo poles with the exterior of the boats all painted with protection coats of cashew nut oil. In the past, these boats were used to transport rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port, but nowadays, these boats have turned into an engine-driven, huge, comfortable and exotic barge to enable the travelers to experience an unforgettable leisure trip while enjoying the delightful journey via the beautiful and tranquil backwaters in Kerala, where the travelers can have a complete houseboat experience.

The Blur Building, Yverdon-les-Bainz, Switzerland

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The Blur Building is a media pavilion on Lake Neuchatel in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland and was made for Swiss expo in 2002, but now it leaves as a major tourist attraction in Switzerland. It is called “blur” due to its self generated mist which gives a feel that the building is floating above the water without any structural support. An architecture magazine has described this building as “An inhabitable cloud whirling above a lake”.

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This extraordinary and intricate building was made of filtered lake water which could shoot a fine mist via 13,000 fog nozzles and thus creating an artificial cloud measured up to 300 ft in width by 200 ft deep by its height of 65 ft. There’s also a built-in weather station that controls fog output in response to shifting climatic conditions (such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature and humidity).

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA

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The project for the Walt Disney Concert Hall was launched in 1987, and completed in 2003. It is located at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Centre. This extraordinary construction can house up to 2,265 people.

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The acoustic property of the concert hall (designed by Yasuhisa Toyota) was highly praised for its most acoustically sophisticated feature that gives an utmost and unparalleled musical enthusiasm. L.A. Times music critic, Mark Swed, once wrote:

“When the orchestra finally got its next [practice] in Disney, it was to rehearse Ravel’s lusciously orchestrated ballet, “Daphnis and Chloé” . . . This time, the hall miraculously came to life. Earlier, the orchestra’s sound, wonderful as it was, had felt confined to stage. Now a new sonic dimension had been added, and every square inch of air in Disney vibrated merrily. Toyota says that he had never experienced such an acoustical difference between a first and second rehearsal in any of the halls he designed in his native Japan. Salonen could hardly believe his ears. To his amazement, he discovered that there were wrong notes in the printed parts of the Ravel that sit on the players’ stands. The orchestra has owned these scores for decades, but in the Chandler no conductor had ever heard the inner details well enough to notice the errors.”

The Mushroom House aka Tree House, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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The Mushroom house aka Tree House is located in the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. It was designed by Terry Brown, a professor and architect of architecture and interior design at the University of Cincinnati with the assistance of his students. This extraordinary house takes a place in the local residents’ hearts was declared to sell in 2006. By 2008, the media reported that Terry Brown passed away.

Free Spirit Spheres, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada

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This house which was established among the tall trees of the west coast rainforest of Vancouver Island, Canada, takes a theme of eco-friendly construction. It will be an excellent experience to live in this house particularly when one stays here for the purpose of meditation, photography, eco-research, leisure trip, and healing of diseases or be enchanted by the great natural environmental ever created.

Great Mosque of Djenné, Djenne, Mali

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The Great Mosque of Djenné is one of the most notable landmarks in Africa located in the city of Djenné, Mali on the flood plain of the Bani River. This construction gained a place in the World Heritage Site in 1988. It has been considered by many architects as the greatest architectural achievement of the Sudano-Sahelian and thus it has long been perceived as the largest mud brick building in the world. As its walls are made of sun-baked mud bricks called ferey and coated with a mud plaster, it gives a feel of its sculptured and smooth appearance.

Shoe House, Pennsylvania, United States

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This shoe-resembled house was constructed by the Shoe wizard, Colonel Mahlon M. Haines in 1984. The house measures 48ft in length, 17ft in width, and 25ft in height and was made with a wood frame structure covered with wire lath and coated with cement stucco. It consists of two bathrooms, a kitchen, three bedrooms and a living room.

The Toilet House, Korea

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Have you ever heard of a Toilet House? It does exist in Korea and was designed by Sim Jae-Duck, who is also a member of the World Toilet Association. He designed this house in this manner as part of his campaign to promote for healthy public hygiene. Korean people call this house “Haewoojae” which means “a place of sanctuary where one can solve one’s worries.”

Nautilus House, Mexico City, Mexico

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Nautilus Shell House was made by Senosiain Arquitectos for one Mexico City couple. It was constructed using a frame of steel-reinforced chicken wire with a concrete spread over it, and thus it has an earthquake proof structure. It will be amazing to live in this snail-shell like house while pondering our body is swallowed by the snail. Its smooth surfaces, natural plantings and smooth surfaces, plus the scenic view of the mountains will make the inhabitants feeling worth for a stay here.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

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The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a modern art museum built in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, alongside the Nervion River by Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry. This museum houses works from Spanish and international artists.

Bird’s Nest, Beijing, China

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The Beijing National Stadium or Bird’s Nest was constructed for the use of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It is the world’s largest steel structure that is huge enough to house up to 80,000 people.

Office centre “1000″ a.k.a. Banknote, Kaunas, Lithuania

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This “1000” banknote is an amazing office centre located in the second largest city in Lithuania. The image of 1000 banknote appeared in this building is due to a special enamel paint used to paint the entire building, which clearly represents various types of businesses are taking place here. This banknote can be dated back to 1925, but it is now no longer used for the business affair.

Kansas City Public Library, Missouri, United States

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The Kansas City Public Library is the oldest and the third largest public library in Kansas, and is located at 14 West 10th Street in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It contains the richest collections of maps, published materials, post cards, photographs, journals and other material related to African-American culture and history.

Raffles Dubai, Dubai, UAE

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Raffles Dubai was built in 2005 based on the theme of Egyptian pyramid shape, making it the most striking building in the world. The gold color on its top structure sparkles during the day and is backlit at night. The hotels within the building started to operate in 2007 by offering the most luxurious facilities to its guests include VIP, political leaders, traders, investors and tourists. The element of ice and fire are obviously seen inside its restaurants and bars, as one can see table grills, Japanese hot stones, bowls carved out of ice to serve salads, and elaborate fountains.