1988 Items Tagged

Architectural Oddities

Isthmia, Greece

Isthmia Prime Hotel

A closer look at this somewhat faded hotel by the Corinth Canal reveals the architectural undertones of a genius.

Kanazawa, Japan

Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Basilica di San Frances Musical Pillars

These pillars at the main entrance of this church are actually a hidden musical instrument.

The service station in Ukiah, California, photographed in 1991, is made from the trunks of giant redwoods.

roadside attractions

Fuel Your Imagination With Glorious Photos of Odd Gas Stations

This isn’t a good time for cross-country car rides. Good thing John Margolies took a camera on his many road trips.

Jessica Leigh Hester June 18, 2025

Interior of 575 Wandsworth

London, England

575 Wandsworth Road

What started as a way to address damp basement walls turned into a house filled with intricate hand-carved designs.

Liège, Belgium

Tour Cybernétique (Cybernetic Tower)

Nicolas Schöffer's massive interactive sculpture was assembled in 1961 and brought back online in 2016.

Lower level view 3

Valerian Wall at Niche Hotel

The ruins of an ancient fortification wall sit in front of and underneath this boutique hotel.

Västerås, Sweden

Hotell Hackspett (Woodpecker Hotel)

Unfortunately, you can no longer spend a night in this single-person treetop hotel.

Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

Vena Cava

Get three sheets to the wind at this desert winery with a nautical theme.

The external façade of the Barnekow House

Barnekow House

A medieval house with mysterious alchemical inscriptions on its facade

The planetarium's Saturn-shaped building measures nearly 70 feet in diameter.

Indira Gandhi Planetarium

Inside the dome of this gigantic, Saturn-shaped building is one of the largest planetariums in Asia.

Merlion

This statue once earned the distinction as one of the "Three Major Disappointments of the World."

Permanently Closed

Las Marías, Puerto Rico

Termitopia

An artist’s underground sanctuary, 40 years in the making.

Wheatfield, Indiana

Dunn’s Bridge

This bridge was constructed from the remains of the first Ferris wheel.

Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku in 2020.

Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku

This battleship of a building was designed by a famed "mad architect."

Bena, Minnesota’s Big Fish Supper Club took its name quite literally.

roadside attractions

Revisiting a Classic Photo Compendium of Giant Roadside Curios

John Margolies played an outsize role in memorializing America’s outsize attractions.

Isaac Schultz June 18, 2025

Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Modern Diner

The first ever diner included on the National Register of Historic Places is famous for its custard French toast.

Alnwick, England

The Treehouse Restaurant at Alnwick Gardens

This giant wooden treehouse within a sprawling garden has its own eatery.