Explore 1988 Architectural oddities Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Architectural Oddities

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Iceland's youngest turf church.
Iceland

Hofskirkja

This fairytale-like structure is the last turf church ever constructed in Iceland.
Casa de Fusta.
Amposta, Spain

Casa de Fusta

This Canadian hunting lodge is a long way from home.
BOK Tower
Tulsa, Oklahoma

BOK Tower

A half-size replica of the World Trade Center towers above Tulsa.
The skyway.
Saint Paul, Minnesota

First National Bank Building Skyway

Built in 1931, this small passageway is believed to be the first modern skyway.
1950s Brown Derby on Wilshire Boulevard.
Los Angeles, California

Brown Derby

Outposts of this restaurant chain were shaped like jaunty chapeaus.
Standing guard.
San Antonio, Texas

Giant Hog Stand

This big empty pig is a nostalgic throwback to mid-20th-century Texas barbecue.
Espai Verd.
Valencia, Spain

Espai Verd

This architectural oddity is an oasis of green on the outskirts of Valencia.
Kharanaq.
Iran

Kharānaq

The tower in this 1,000-year-old mud-brick village seems to vibrate for no apparent reason.
Walden 7
Sant Just Desvern, Spain

Walden 7

A science fiction-inspired apartment building designed by a famous Spanish architect.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Circus

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.
The Arabic inscription, which contains a verse from the Quran.
Palermo, Italy

Arabic Inscription of Palermo Cathedral

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.
The building lit up at night.
Los Angeles, California

LAX Theme Building

This quirky UFO-shaped curiosity is often mistaken for the airport’s control tower.
Berggasthaus Aescher Wildkirchli
Wasserauen, Switzerland

Berggasthaus Aescher Wildkirchli

This 170-year-old Swiss guesthouse built into the side of a mountain is best accessed by a cable car.
Cartagena, Colombia

Door Knockers of Cartagena

The colonial city's social history is reflected in its fanciful door knockers.
Tulsa Cave House.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cave House of Tulsa

A former chicken restaurant that doubled as a speakeasy is now a quirky home full of wonderfully strange traditions.
Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple
Varanasi, India

Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple

Known as the leaning temple, the sacred structure has somehow developed a severe nine-degree slant.
Castle Otttis
St. Augustine, Florida

Castle Otttis

Two men built this castle on the Florida coast as an artistic “landscape sculpture.”
Abundant Life Building.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Abundant Life Building

This abandoned, windowless concrete block is one of the strangest buildings in Tulsa.