Just looking at them is fun…! The Top 7 Most Mysterious Housing Complexes in the World

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of overly unique housing complexes around the world.

A symbolic tower apartment in a city that looks like a hedgehog
L’Arbre Blanc (France)

L’Arbre Blanc (pictured above), located in Montpellier in the southern part of France, was built in ’19 by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto (50) and others. In response to the city’s request for “an architecture that will be handed down to future generations,” Mr. Fujimoto came up with the concept of a “white tree. Taking a hint from plants that grow in the sun, the design was inspired by the image of a tree spreading toward the sky. At first glance, the exterior of the house looks mysterious, but it is comfortable to live in. There are many sunny days in this area, and the large veranda is perfect for sunbathing and barbecues. The close proximity to the neighbors also suits the people who like to socialize casually.

WoZoCo in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (see photo below), was built for a very different reason. The client had a strong desire to build 100 dwellings on a plot of land that could only accommodate 87 units at most. So, the design office took the plunge and made 13 of the units pop out of the building. Originally, it was an idea that the designers jokingly came up with.

Why do they build such crazy housing complexes overseas? Mr. Takashi Moriyama, an architectural economist, examines.

“The first reason is that people have a deep-rooted sense of buying an apartment as their final home. The first reason is that there is a deep-rooted sense of buying a condominium as one’s final home, so many people want to live in a unique condominium even if they have to spend a lot of money.

The second is the difference in the way people think about design. The Netherlands and Singapore are the two countries in the world with the most eccentric architecture. In the Netherlands, the government recommends that at least 5% of the construction cost be spent on “art” when building public facilities. As a result, public facilities are all highly designed. This has led to a preference for elaborate designs in private housing complexes as well.

Singapore is home to a large number of newly affluent people, who look for unusual features in their homes, such as unusual exteriors and luxurious interiors. As a result, unique architecture is being accepted.

There is a world of designer condominiums that is fun to look at.

Curvaceous beauty that won the award for best new high-rise building
Absolute Towers (Canada)

The Interlace (Singapore), a huge, complex apartment building that makes courier companies cry.
The Interlace (Singapore)

A building that looks like an octopus’ foot, hidden in the forest.
El Nido de Quetzalco´atl (Mexico)

The shape of a wave is transformed into a housing complex
Denmark] The Wave

A room that juts out as much as 11 meters.
The Netherlands] WoZoCo (also known as Oklahoma)

An apartment made of squares tilted at 45 degrees.
The Netherlands: The Cube-house in Rotterdam

From the September 10, 2021 issue of FRIDAY